Mike Groll/AP
A marriage equality supporter protesting at New York's Capitol in Albany on Friday.
The New York state Senate is expected to take an up or down vote on the marriage equality bill later tonight. We're hearing midnight-ish.
Majority Leader Dean Skelos said Republicans agreed to send it to the floor after some language was tweaked to "protect the rights of religious institutions." He added, "I appreciate the governors cooperation in working with us to address these important issues and concerns as I have said many times this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscious for every member of the Senate.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo promised to sign it, though it's still TBD on whether or not it will pass.
New York would join Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, D.C., in allowing same-sex couples to wed.
Leave a Comment:
Cuomo 2012 .... him we can trust to make a decision !
Cuomo 2012------ not obama !
WHY ? Cuomo did not get several disasters dumped on him Obama did
Agree. Cuomo also does not have to deal with 300 million + people worth of groups that cannot agree about anything if their lives depended on it. A single state is a different question. Especially a liberal blue state like NY. Quite frankly, I'm surprised they couldn't get their stuff together sooner, not that I'm not happy for the decision (Iowa beat them too it!) and the people.
Congratulations to New Yorkers!
Good for the Gays . Now the rights of millions of others have been slighted. I'm not even talking religion. Marriage has always had a special meaning to millions of us .That was ignored. Of course Gays have right to all privileges but why did they have to take our traditional word .Marriage ? Just because many divorce or cheat does not mean that millions of us do not keep our vows & commitments. We are the silent ones Maybe that's our problem We have not spoken up enough to protect our rights and opinions about our family traditions.
seriously?
former repub,
good for "the gays"? why did "they" have to take "our traditional word"?
heterosexual marriage-"our", "traditional", "good enough", "special", "exclusive".
homosexual marriage-"they", "them", "other", "not good enough", "not special enough", "don't let in".
gays and lesbians do not have rights to all privileges. wisconsin made a law that gays and lesbians were able to visit their partners in the hospital, so that they cannot be turned away. in many situations, gays and lesbians have been ignorantly disowned by their families, and their partner, and other gay friends are their family. they literally have no one else.
despite your personal feelings about "the gay", they are personally discrimated against every day. the fact that they have to fight for their rights should tell you that this is so. look at matthew sheppard. look at the gay teens who commit suicide because life is made unbearable for them by those who view them as less than human, just as african americans were viewed as 2/3 of human.
my sister and her long time partner went to iowa to get married (our state does not yet have marriage equality). like you, they have been in a comitted, long-term monogamous relationship for years. they both value tradition and comittment, and wanted to solidify their relationship IN ANOTHER STATE that would at least begin to allow them the legal privileges that will benefit them in the long run, the same privileges that benefit you and your family.
you still want exclusive privileges for some, for you, and not for others because you do not agree with their lifestyle. the traditional word "marriage" has to be "used" in order for there to be true equality in marriage across the board. they are not fighting for "marriage equality" to use a less traditional word, for that would not be marriage equality.
my sister marrying her longtime partner does not have to change your families rights and opinions about marriage, unless you let it. your marriage is still a sacred vow, don't let your judgements against others make you feel that your marriage is less than valid.
what has changed in your marriage because gays and lesbians can marry. marriage is a personal choice for those who wish to make it.
i don't see how this affects you, unless you have untoward feelings about "the gays".
I'm not gay. that said. I never could understand all the hype about this. if a person wants to marry another human, what's the problem? religion is supposed to be separated from state so go take a hike if you don't like that and join a convent some where. remember LOVE is supposed to be the theme of the new testament, not hate and contempt. ok I'm done. now how much money was wasted on all this by the opposition? after NY passed the law, NEW YORK DID NOT COLLAPSE, oh my. the sky did not fall and the debt ceiling still needs to be addressed and some more love theme just might end the wars we are in. anyways I'm done again and congrats gay people and remember, not all us straights are straight with blinders on.....
I have no idea if the comment I already posted worked or not. Anyhow I was commenting on the special 'hate show'. Liking O'Donnel's 'last word' show I expected a good one hour special. Unfortunately, it was way too sensational, with hardly any context. We spent a lot of time with the doctor removing the tattoos.
It could have been a great show, showing the consequence of hate, but it did nothing of the sort. It was icky, yucky with lots of hype and no content.
What we see you give these people what they want you are they hero, anytime you don't agree with them, then they want to dump on you, then maybe they votes are not with having. when have it got to be a onesided view and Belief, President have done more for the Gay Community then Clinton and Bush, yet they Praise these guys, President Obama is entitle to his Opinions and Belief. these people forgot the President have fought for many Accomplishment for the Gays, they are showing that they are ungrateful, selfish and greedy and the Hell with anyone, as long as they get what they want, the Prsident believe in people rights and they Constitution, he threw it out of the federal Government hands and said it was unconstitutional and it should be a state matter, in which he was right. We was shocked of some of the words that came from Dan Choi and Rachel, and O'Donnell of what you people was Referring to he there to take they Money, President Obama didn't Put a Gun on the Gays and said give me your Money, Rachel Made a Remark about the money, THE could have Cancel the Fundraising. some gay know President have done a lot for them, when a person can't have they Opinion, something is wrong there. We are fans of O'Donnell and Rachel, but what we don't understand why is all these Attacks against the President On MSNBC lately, we heard Rachel say the President is out there by himself, we say we don't think so Long as he have GOD he will never be byhimself, and "WE SUPPORT," him this is the Most Overworked President in History, all he get is a bunch of whining and complainting, what's so sad no matter what President Obama do enough is never enough, he can give them a Truck Load of GOLD and then they would complain because they have to unload the truck. When you are Black you have to continue Prove yourself. What we have founded out about the MEDIA, they are beginning to ask like a Gossip Col., they don't care about what goes on they are just interest in Rating. by the President not saying he's for Marriage Euality when he have done so much, again we say the President is entitle to his Opinon and Belief, just as Rachel, Dan Choi and all other Gays have they Opinion, What happen to Freedom Of Speech or is just for them. Cuomo should remember they will love you for two or three wks., like they did President Obama three wks., ago, they loved him, now they Demonize him.
i think gays and lesbians are sick and tired of waiting for civil rights. i believe they and everyone else expected more from President Obama because he is a black man, a black man who might better understand discrimination.
i must admit, as a liberal, i have been disappointed in how i have seen what appears to be the President taking a back seat to health care reform, or immediately giving up on something he said he would fight for, like the public option.
during the lame duck session in congress, where so many bills were passed, i understand why the tax cuts were continued, it was partly a bargaining chip so that unemployment benefits could continue, yet i was still hoping that the president would let them expire as he said he would.
i do believe if the president is re-elected he will make marriage equality for gays and lesbians in every state. yesterday michelle bachman said if she becomes president she will continue to defend the DOMA, and would rescind the laws for marriage equality in new york, iowa, new hampshire, washington D.C., and all other states that have marriage equality laws. no surprise there.
it is OK that dan choi and rachel are pushing the president toward marriage equality. we must understand the passion that they are bringing to this issue, as it will be life changing for gays and lesbians. how much longer must they remain 2nd class citizens? if dan choi and rachel and others said nothing, no progress would be made toward marriage equality. they have a voice, and they represent many gay and lesbian people. they want to make a difference.
i don't see them as ungrateful, selfish or greedy. i see them as having had waited long enough, using their voice to help change the DOMA to marriage equality across the board.
this is about CIVIL RIGHTS. how much longer are they going to be told to "be patient", to be "grateful" for what they have already? why can't they just sit down and shut up?
i believe they are grateful for the change that has occured already, but why shouldn't they want the rights that the rest of us take for granted?