[Vision2020] NY Governor Unveils Bill to Legalize Gay Marriage in New York

Tue Jun 14 18:10:34 PDT 2011

Courtesy of the New York Daily News at:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/06/14/2011-06-14_gov_andrew_cuomo_u
nveils_bill_to_legalize_gay_marriage_in_new_york_state.html?print=1
<http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/06/14/2011-06-14_gov_andrew_cuomo_
unveils_bill_to_legalize_gay_marriage_in_new_york_state.html?print=1&page=al
l> &page=all

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveils bill to legalize gay marriage in New York State

ALBANY - Gov. Cuomo Tuesday unveiled his long-awaited bill to legalize gay
marriage in New York.

"For too long, same-sex couples have been denied the freedom to marry, as
well as hundreds of rights that other New Yorkers take for granted," Cuomo
said.

"Marriage Equality is a matter of fairness and legal security for thousands
of families in this state - not of religion or culture."

The long anticipated proposal requires the same legal rights for same-sex
couples who marry as heterosexual couples.

And it prohibits local clerks from nixing marriage license applications from
gay couples.

In hopes of attracting key Senate Republican votes, Cuomo's bill also offers
exemptions from anti-discrimination laws to religious groups and affiliated
organizations.

The Knights of Columbus, for instance, would be allowed to bar same sex
couples from renting out catering hall space.

The bill also specifies that no clergy would be forced to perform marriage
ceremonies for gay couples.

Gay marriage bills have cleared the Assembly three times in previous years,
but has never passed the Senate.

This year, 30 senators, including one Republican, have committed to
supporting the measure, meaning two more votes are needed.

Cuomo's move came hours after  New York's top Catholic sought to slow
momentum toward a state Senate vote.

"The stampede is on," Archibishop Timothy Dolan wrote in a blog post. "Our
elected senators who have stood courageous in their refusal to capitulate on
the state's presumption to redefine marriage are reporting unrelenting
pressure to cave-in."

He equated the move to allow same-sex marriage to life in China or North
Korea, where "government presumes daily to 'redefine' rights, relationships,
values and natural law."

"Please, not here!" Dolan continued. "We cherish true freedom, not as the
license to do whatever we want, but the liberty to do what we ought."

"We acknowledge that not every desire, urge, want, or chic cause is
automatically a 'right.'"

Meanwhile, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, an evangelical Christian
group, warned that Republicans who support gay marriage will face primaries
next year as the GOP seeks to keep control of the chamber.

"I know you are under tremendous pressure from both advocates for authentic
marriage and same-sex 'marriage' activists, but now is not the time to
abandon the core values of the Republican Party," the letter reads.

"This is a very serious issue, with both short-term political ramifications
and long-term societal implications."

Supporters for gay marriage picked up four votes Monday, including from
James Alesi, the first Republican to publicly say he'll support the measure.

The effort to legalize same-sex marriage is now two votes short, with at
least four Republicans saying they are undecided.

The Senate GOP is expected to discuss the matter behind closed doors as soon
as Tuesday and possibly bring it to the floor for an up-or-down vote by
week's end.

Anti-gay marriage advocates aren't the only ones turning up the pressure.

Gay rights groups continue to press the issue.

"Sex and the City" actress Cynthia Nixon and New York Ranger Sean Avery are
due at the Capitol Tuesday afternoon to press for the same-sex nuptials.

And New York Giants owner Jonathan Tisch filmed a video supporting gay
marriage.

"The momentum we've been building all year has crested at a very opportune
time," said Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda,
the state's largest gay lobby group.

"We're greatly encouraged that the support in the Senate is now bipartisan,"
he said. "We think this is a very strong environment to go into these
remaining days of the legislative session."

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Pastor Heidi Neumark of New York holds a sign during a marriage equality
rally at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y., on Monday, May 9, 2011.

alg_marriage_equality_vote.jpg

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2011/06/15/alg_marriage_equality_vote.jpg

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho

"Like me, the great majority of Americans wish both to preserve the
traditional definition of marriage and to oppose bias and intolerance
directed towards gays and lesbians."

- Mitt Romney 

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"They are preserving the sanctity of marriage, so that two gay men who've
been together for twenty-five years can't get married, but a guy can still
get drunk in Vegas and marry a hooker at the Elvis chapel! The sanctity of
marriage is saved!"

- Lea DeLaria

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