New York Assembly Passes Marriage Equality Bill

The New York State Assembly passed the marriage equality bill  (A.7732/O'Donnell)(S.4401/Duane) by a vote of 89 to 52 on Tuesday, about two years after it had previously done so by a vote of 85-61. However, this year the bill has a chance of passing the State Senate and becoming law:

The Pride Agenda attributes the increased margin of victory in the Assembly to two main factors: greater understanding by legislators that only civil marriage and not any other legal mechanism provides equality for same-sex couples and recognition by legislators that support for marriage equality is not politically toxic at the ballot box.

“Several legislators who are now supporters but weren’t earlier have told me their evolution on this issue is due to having a much better understanding that only a civil marriage license provides equality for our families,” said Van Capelle. “Legislators also saw that a vote for marriage equality in 2007 had absolutely no impact on who won or lost last November.”

Legalizing marriage for same-sex couples is supported by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, as well as every statewide official, including Governor Paterson, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. A recent Siena poll showed that, by a 14-point spread, the majority of New Yorkers support making marriage legal for same-sex couples (53% - 39%).

“The only remaining barrier to ending second-class status for gay and lesbian families in New York is now the State Senate,” said Van Capelle. “To every single member of the State Senate I say this: The landscape has shifted in New York. Do you want to be on the right side or the wrong side of history when the story is written about how marriage equality came to New York? Your grandchildren will want to know how you voted on this important human rights issue. This is a legacy vote.”

The only question is when not whether all citizens in New York State will have access to the rights and responsibilities of marriage.