Rochester to consider domestic partner proposal

by Elizabeth Baier, Minnesota Public Radio

Rochester, Minn. — The Rochester City Council will consider a proposal Wednesday to allow same sex couples to register as domestic partners.

If passed, couples who register must confirm that they are committed to one another to the same extent as married people.

Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede said the registry is not the equivalent of marriage license and offers no official benefit from the city. But he said it may be an important step for gay and lesbian couples.

"It is something that in some ways is probably more symbolic than anything," Brede said. "It's something those people that are in a domestic partner relationship have asked for, and it just seems like it's the right thing to do."

The law would also apply to heterosexual couples who want to register as domestic partners. Similar laws have passed in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth and Edina.