A marriage-equality bill for same-sex couples is being introduced in the state legislature, and several local activist groups are pushing for its passage.

The Empire State Pride Agenda, Metro Justice, Social Action for Marriage Equality, and the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley have begun a series of public-information activities, which will culminate in a rally in Albany on Tuesday, May 1, for LGBT Equality and Justice Day.

Metro Justice and SAME have been meeting with county legislators regularly over the last six months to discuss marriage equality.

"The community at large has a woeful lack of education about how adversely people are impacted without the benefits of marriage," says Anne Tischer of SAME. "I've even had legislators tell me that they can't have an intelligent conversation with their peers because people just don't know what it means to be denied these rights."

SAME is encouraging supporters to go to the County Legislature meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, to urge local lawmakers to approve domestic partnership benefits for county employees.

"Obviously, we want to encourage our local representatives to go to the state legislature in support of the broader marriage equality bill," says Todd Plank, field organizer for Empire State Pride Agenda. "It would eliminate the need to go from county to county asking for domestic partnership benefits. But this is a long education process, and these benefits, particularly access to basic health benefits, are so critically important to partners and their families."

The public can also participate in two photo-documentary projects, says Plank. The first, "Family Project," is an opportunity for people to share, through an online photo album, their personal stories about what equal marriage would mean to their families. The photos and stories are being collected at www.metrojustice.org.

A second project, "Equal Measure: Portraits of Love," will be a black-and-white photo exhibit of LGBT couples in the Rochester and Buffalo areas. Couples who would like to participate can call Plank at 278-4190.

Similar photo projects were used to educate lawmakers in Massachusetts about the benefits married couples take for granted. Organizers of the Equality and Justice Day rally will share the photos with members of the state legislature. Information about attending the rally is available from the Gay Alliance, 244-8640. Three buses have been reserved; a donation of $40 is requested.