NY State Assembly Passes Gay Marriage Bill
The State Assembly approved legislation on Tuesday night that would make New York the sixth state to allow same-sex marriage — a pivotal vote that shifts the debate to the State Senate, where gay rights advocates and conservative groups alike are redoubling their efforts.
In a sign of how opinion in Albany has shifted on the issue, several members of the Assembly who voted against the measure in 2007 voted in favor of it on Tuesday.
The final vote was 89 to 52, including the backing of five Republicans.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell:
“This is a matter of equity and justice. New Yorkers should have the right to marry who they chose. Partners unable to enter into a civil marriage, and their children, lack basic legal protections taken for granted by married couples,” said Silver (D-Manhattan).
“The Assembly cast another vote today for equality, and sent a strong message that our state must no longer exclude citizens from basic rights and protections. Our constitution and our consciences demand action,” said O’Donnell (D-Manhattan). “It is impossible to ignore the pleas of parents who want their children to be treated equally under the law and individuals who want nothing more than to protect their partners and families.”
“Different religions have different ideas about what constitutes a marriage, and each of us may have our own personal beliefs on what marriage means. These can be strongly-held convictions, and I respect them. But many of us do not believe that it is government’s place to define marriage in a way that excludes many couples from the legal benefits associated with marriage, and I hope New York will soon become the latest state to adopt a law whose time has come.”
15 Responses to “NY State Assembly Passes Gay Marriage Bill”
Good for them.
Equality is fair, period.
“Equality” in human relationships is subjective and is viewed via the moral compass of the society. Unless there is a constitutional protection, whether gay marriage constitutes “equality” or not should be decided by society — not the judiciary. Don't get me wrong, my guess is that today's society is supportive of gay marriage. But having the debate aborted by the judiciary will only inflame the issue and suspend ultimate resolution.
Keelaay, this story — like the majority of these stories in recent days — has nothing to do with the judiciary.
I guess we can overturn Loving v. Virginia and Brown v. Board of Education too. Society should decide whether blacks have the same rights as the Master Race.
Now New York and other states need to act to protect other citizen's rights who have no voice. Children.
We need to think of how children will fare in a household with two fathers or two mothers only, where one father plays butch and the other fem or one mother bull and the other lipstick. We need a whole new section in the children's library to help them deal, psychologically, with the subtle but profound ramifications of this grand play on make-believe..
I remember once hearing a child ask a lesbian couple why, if the ladies said they didn't prefer men to love, did one of them dress like a man, cut her hair like a man, walk and talk like a man while the other one fell in love with all the trappings of a man, but on a woman's body. Her words were, “why do you like her to look like a man mommy? I thought you didn't like men?”
Ah the complexities of the worlds of denial and make-believe have such an impact on innocent and questioning minds..
Please oh states who ratify, consider the rights of those who cannot yet vote. The right to be raised in a society that doesn't participate in a gross masquerade of denial and make-believe.
And in related news…
The timing for the deviant activists getting sweeping “wins” in their agenda to normalize homosexuality couldn't come at a strategically worse time. A distinct minority are ramming home an agenda so utterly unacceptable so utterly contradictory to the fundamental marrow of the majority of US citizens in a time so sensitive to public unrest and upheaval that if they succeed on the scale they're shooting for, we can predict nothing less than civil dissolution and possibly the straw that broke the camel's back.
Gay marriage will be a foolish “victory” in a country ruled by martial law..
Seems that interracial children have been dealing with those sorts of cultural mixes for decades – despite all the hemming and hawing over racial identity in the youthful years. Amazingly enough, one dealt so maturely with these questions that he became President of the United States.
Silhouette said: “I remember once hearing a child ask a lesbian couple why…”
Was that when you were over at “a lesbian couples” house having coffee and cake or did this “conversation” take place between your ears during one of your homophobic fantasies?
Silhouette, you've become the “Superdestroyer” of the gay rights issue around here… Keep it up, your rants are very entertaining… And most helpful to the cause your so ignorantly oppose.
This conversation actually took place. And not only that but I've heard the teenage kids say the same thing in a group once or twice. “why does one dude act like a chick and the other one act like a guy if they both don't like the opposite sex?
I may be one of the few voices here that has lived amid a gay community for decades now and have not only my own observations to report, but also those out of the mouths of babes..
Such wisdom…if only those in charge would listen to what the wind is saying..
Just look at the cake picture above and what do you see? Yep, one guy looking doe-eyed, subdued, no facial hair, effete and the other one “butch' with the trademark mustache and more fierce look in the eyes.
Again the question: how long are we, as a society, going to play make-believe along side the gay denial systems?
It's a fair question that I am allowed to ask without being called a homophobe or a hater.
Silhouette said: “Again the question: how long are we, as a society, going to play make-believe alongside the gay denial systems?”
Society isn't playing make-believe Sil… you are. And, the only denial in this conversation is yours.
Considering that studies show that when people live amongst people with other views they tend to be more understanding of each other so it's hard to believe (unbelievable?) that you live “amid a gay community for decades now“.
If gays are as bad as you seem to think… how can you live were you say you live? Why haven't / don't you move? Or is the community you'd have us believe you live in only in your head, too.
Through I'm 'straight' and 'white' I look at your position on the gay issue the same way I look at superdestroyer's view of anyone (or anything) that is not white. It's the same ignorant, hateful, racist crap AND neither of you see anything wrong in wanting to tell others who they are and who they can be.
Shame on you, but you’ve made your bed, now lie in it…
SteveK, the thing I keep asking myself in this gay marriage debate is, “won't someone please think of the children??”
Silhouette finally is, and she has brought forth the smoking gun: children asking questions. Was there ever clearer proof of parental neglect and ineptitude?
Silhouette, do you live in my neighborhood? We should hang out. You can't possibly be this insane in person.
Dr_J, I've read your comment twice and I can't tell if your being ironic, snarky or what.
I don't understand what your saying… Would you / could you please elaborate?
Dr_J,
It must have been the coffee!.. because reading your comment again this afternoon your remarks made complete, total sense.
Silhouette why would you even care what other people do in their privacy with out hurting anyone?
I have been in a relationship for 19 year, that is more then many married straight couple today,
why should I be discriminated and why do you believe it is Ok to discriminate against others?
Because make no mistake, you are discriminating and what ever you realize it or not you are
homophobic or you would not spend 1 second thinking about this, and you are upset about it.
What also makes me sad is to see in TV all the African American out there discriminating against others
on this issue when they should be the first in line to understand the effect of discrimination and racism.
Sad very sad.
Forever Married…
[...] Civil unions could not possibly suffice outside the mainstream “marriage” definition..oh no… They HAVE to have the right to intrude on the majority’s life-preserver of sanity in these troubled times. Boy, aren’t we a s-m-a-r-t nation! … […