THE MESSAGE
Higher Expectations Lead to Better Results
What a difference a year can make! Just last week, the New York Assembly passed a bill to end exclusion in marriage, less than one year after the courts stumbled and failed to do their job. Looking ahead, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said, “All conventional wisdom in New York state on gay marriage is out the window. I think we are really doing better than anyone would ever have thought we could be doing on this."
Continuing to refuse to take ‘no’ as an answer to ending exclusion in marriage in New York, Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda, said, “Now that the Assembly has acted, we will be working with Senator Duane and our allies in that chamber everyday to protect same-sex couples and our families by passing the marriage equality bill and making it law in New York.”
The Report Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Couples Raising
Children in New York: Data from Census 2000 |
The Resource
The Freedom to Marry: Keep Dancing
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The Number
1,324, the number of legal rights and duties that New York statutes and regulations confer on married individuals. |
The Map
2007 Proposed State Bills Ending Marriage Discrimination |
THE SPOTLIGHT: New York
Following the lead of California's legislature, which passed a marriage bill in 2005 and has begun moving forward on legislation again this year, the New York State Assembly voted for the freedom to marry, 85-61. For the first time, we saw some Republican legislators join their Democratic colleagues in voting for fairness.
Governor Spitzer introduced the bill, a contrast to the disappointing failure of leadership shown by his California counterpart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, so far. Lead Assembly sponsor, Danny O’Donnell, worked hard to build the support needed to send the bill on to the Senate. The Senate majority leader, Joe Bruno, is trying to dampen hopes that the bill will advance -- but the Pride Agenda and other voices for equality are not taking no for an answer. The milestone Assembly vote shows the power of spiraling expectations up, and then working to rise to them, rather than taking the invitation to give up and go away.
THE NEWS
For the latest news, opinions, and polls, including these articles, check out our website.
National
Elizabeth Edwards Supports Marriage EqualitySan Francisco Gate; June 24, 2007
Elizabeth Edwards, starring at the kickoff event of San Francisco's signature Gay Pride Parade, came out in support of legalized gay and lesbian couples' marriages — taking a position which she acknowledged is further along than her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards.
'Homo history'
The Stranger; June 20, 2007
Touting this as the "comprehensive, unabridged, and completely indispensable guide to everything a queer person needs to know about queer history from the dawn of humanity to the present," The Stranger assembled essays from 26 notable gay people. Includes the essay "Same-Sex Marriage Comes to the U.S." by Evan Wolfson.
Regional
Marriage Equality Digs Roots, Gains MomentumThe Detroit News; June 25, 2007
An elderly Massachusetts woman felt her opposition to gay marriage melt away after "this lovely couple" moved in next door with their children.
Marriage Touches Legislators’ Emotions
New York Times; June 21, 2007
As the debate ended, Assemblyman Matthew J. Titone, a Staten Island Democrat who is also gay, held up his cellphone and announced that his partner had just proposed. "Now everyone's asking, 'So when's the wedding?'" Mr. Titone said yesterday, "and my response is, 'We'll have to ask Joe Bruno when it will be.'"
