Minnesota 'Gay Marriage' Bill Unveiled At Capitol (Ste. Paul)

(ABCNews)- Lawmakers formally launched a long-anticipated effort Wednesday to legalize gay marriage in Minnesota by summer, and gay couples and their small children crowded the kickoff news conference - a visual reminder that family diversity exists in the state but is not recognized by its laws.

Arguing that such families deserve the same recognition from the state as more traditional ones, sponsors of the gay marriage bill aim to repeal Minnesota's 1997 law that prohibited marriage between couples of the same sex. The bill exempts churches from being forced to perform same-sex weddings.

Gay marriage supporters point to last fall's defeat of the constitutional gay marriage ban as the starting point for what they hope is a final push to legalize it. Gov. Mark Dayton has said he would sign the bill if it reaches his desk; if that happens, same-sex weddings would commence on Aug. 1.

But Republicans opposed to gay marriage said supporters got the wrong message from defeat of the marriage amendment.

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