Same-sex marriage legalized in New York
By James Brady RyanJune 25th, 2011, 12:00 pmComments (29)
New York became the second third state to legalize same-sex marriage through a legislative vote (and sixth overall) late last night, nearly doubling the amount of same-sex couples who can marry in the United States overnight. The bill needed thirty-two votes to clear the Senate and passed thirty-three to twenty nine. This makes New York the largest state in the US to allow gay marriage. (Sort of — California needs to figure out what it's doing first before that can be definitively stated.) Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill around midnight last night, which means same-sex couples will be able to get marriage licenses in thirty days.
Anyway, enough with the facts: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY. As a gay man and a New Yorker, this moment is both poignant and jubilant, and while the work required to get to this point was hard, it is so very worth it. (My parents called me to offer my late grandmother's ring, just in case I wanted to pop the question to a special guy. Maybe I cried a little. What of it?!) Such as it is, the timing is not bad, considering this is Pride Weekend in NYC. (I also heard the news while at a party chock full of homosexuals, which is probably one of the best places to hear such a thing.) Even the Empire State Building went gay for the night!
And to those of you who oppose this step forward, let me state for the record: you are on the wrong side of history. You can fight this battle all you want, but in the end, your side will not win. You cannot create an argument out of nothing, and nothing is exactly what props up the idea that same-sex marriage is harmful to society in any way. Feel free to waste your time and breath shouting about it, because this movement is about as stoppable as the tide. To get very elementary school about it: nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah.
Anyway, I'm off to marry a dude, a goat, and a blender. Our anti-family guerilla squads should be at your residences to break up your heterosexual relationships around three. See you then!
Comments ( 29 )
I <3 NY
"New York became the second state to legalize same-sex marriage" Huh? I count sixth. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.
"...through a legislative vote." The first was Vermont. The other states were compelled by their Supreme Courts.
And the second was New Hampshire.
Finally... Now for a female president.
Michelle Bachmann 2012. She'd put together a great administration. Time for the current clown show to hit the road.
Michelle Bachmann would be a big improvement.
Michele Bachmann is a principled reformer who holds an unwavering commitment to the conservative values that helped her succeed as a small business owner, a U.S. tax attorney, a state and federal lawmaker, and a wife and mother. She is a Constitutional conservative who understands that our Founding Fathers established a federal government to preserve and protect the nation while fostering an environment where dreams could flourish. It is Michele's single greatest calling in public service to ensure that the liberties enshrined in our founding documents are handed down from this generation to the next.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahaha... oh man.
Michelle Bachman and her husband hate gays. Nice try on hijacking this thread.
yeah, I know da tripple dot, I don't think he would have said that paragraph.
When is the Bachman troll going to go back to the Fox News threads?
Ummm...about the Empire State Building? It's ALWAYS has the rainbow colors for Pride Weekend. It didn't just happen because of the passage of the law - there's no way that they could change all the colored lenses that quickly; it takes about 6 hours. So, while it's a nice thought that the ESB "went gay" it's just fortuitous timing.
Here's a link that can tell you what the colors on the ESB are on any given day:
https://whatcoloristheempirestatebuilding.com/
Still, in the end, this is a great moment for New York and it's nice to one-up California for a change.
Gonna have to start saving for all those gay & lesbian weddings I'll be attending in the next few months!
That's true, but the timing in relation to pride was pretty extraordinary in and of itself. While I wouldn't want to delay the march of freedom one day in search of a better party, it ended up working out pretty well.
Can we now FORCE the Catholic church to perform gay weddings. That would be too sweet.
If a priest refuses, put him in jail for civil rights abuse!
There should be a question mark at the end of the first sentence...
and Bachmann needs to become president.
nah, that isn't what allowing gays to marry is about
It only passed the REPUBLICAN state senate because Cuomo included certain conditions in re-negotiations to prevent this law from forcing religious establishments from marrying homosexuals. So while you were probably being funny in your comment, the serious answer for everyone out there reading it and wondering is NO.
Separation of church and state goes both ways. Sorry, dude.
How cool is it (not mentioned in the article) that NY is the first state to legalize same-sex marriages with a Republican-led political body. Vermont and New Hampshire did it with Dems running the show. This is a true victory for the LGBT community because it overcame that monstrous hurdle. Also not mentioned in the article is that NY doesn't have a residency requirement to obtain a marriage license. Gay couples can go to NY from other states and get married. The straight people of New York who support this, myself included, welcome you all with wide open arms! And a big thank you to Sen. Mark Grisanti, who crossed party lines to vote in favor of this measure. He put his beliefs aside to vote with his brain, listening to his constituents and doing what they told him to do.
I'm a straight New Yorker, and for probably the only time in my life, I can say I'm proud of my legislature (which is, historically, one of the most pathetic and corrupt in the nation). We are on the right side of history. In 50 years, or fewer, people who are anti-marriage-equality are going to be viewed in the same way we view people today who argued for "separate-but-equal" in racial situations -- as laughably ridiculous bigots.
I'm a Yellow-Dog Democrat, but I hope the brave Republicans who voted for this basic, human right will get huge support from all Progressive PACs --they'll be targeted by right-wing bigots in the next election cycle. If you care about decency and bi-partisanship, support the brave Republicans who voted their consciences instead of their constituents' bigotries. They are real heroes.
hear hear!
As always, profrobert: You are the voice of clarity among the garden variety internet lunatics. Thank you.
I actually cried when I heard about this - even though I'm a lesbian who never intends to get married, watching history like this being made is absolutely beautiful.
Haha, we'll see what you think in ten years when your girlfriend's complaining you haven't put a ring on her finger!
Even though I am a straight Bulgarian, who has never been to the U.S. and has no connection to the case whatsoever, I cried a bit when I read this and I can positively say that I monumental events like this make me feel proud of humanity. Rock on NY!
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Too bad Cuomo is now trying to outlaw hooker cards in Queens. I see the plight of queers and sex workers as very similar. He should, too.
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