NY State Assembly Passes FULL Marriage Equality Bill

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 8:02am

The vote was 85-61. It now goes to the Senate where the UNDER INVESTIGATION Republican Senate Majority Leader, Bruno, has said he will absolutely not bring it to a floor vote (most reports have it running at 20 for, 29 against, 13 uncommitted anyway).
This is absolutely remarkable, though. Gov. Spitzer came through on his promise and became the first state-level official to propose full equality under civil marriage law without being threatened or forced by a court. He bypassed the Domestic Partnership/Civil Union inequality entirely.
Bruno had better be watching his back. Republicans hold a 2 seat majority in the Senate and they already had to redraw his district so he would be reelected...and he's under investigaton by the FBI! Crooked, crooked, crooked.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 8:04am

HOORAY for the progress.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 8:10am

Bruno refuses to bring it to a floor vote in the Senate and reaffirmed that decision.

The link below is to 365gay, so beware that men in various states of undress pop up in ads...I figure if you can deal with the National Lampoon topless blond here at BWW, you can handle a guy in underwear.

Bruno Says No

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 11:06am

From the article:

===

When the voting ended Matthew Titone (D-Staten Island) rose on a point of privilege.

With his cell phone in his hand the openly gay Assemblyman said, "I have my partner here on the phone and he just asked me to marry him."

"My answer, Madam Speaker, is yes," said Titone told the Assembly to a round of applause.

===

Now THAT'S a drama queen!

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 1:48pm

Progress IS a wonderful thing...but it's not "full" marriage until it's federally-supported and includes immigration rights.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 1:58pm

yes.. and some other 1100 Federal rights.

The scary thing about this that without constitutional protection, these marriages can become null and void at anytime.
Updated On: 6/20/07 at 01:58 PM

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:00pm

Exactly. I'll stand up and cheer when it becomes Federal. Until then, it's all just baby-steps in the right direction.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:43pm

every step on the journey helps.. if only we could see the end...

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:54pm

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who cares if we can't see the whole staircase?

Those of you who refuse to celebrate the baby steps will always come up with some negating reason not to celebrate.

Celebrate NOW.

Before you refuse to celebrate do something to make gay marriage happen.

Join the fight.
Lambda Legal

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:59pm

Relax PJ, I'm not refusing to celebrate. I am celebrating. Any step in the right direction is a sign of the changing tide and a reason to be happy. But I'm also pointing out an aspect to fully-legalized FEDERAL marriage that the general population tends to completely overlook.

Unless of course you're one of the lucky ones, like me, for whom those pesky immigration laws really hit home.



Immigration Equality Updated On: 6/20/07 at 02:59 PM

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:16pm

Sorry PJ I grew up in a country that promised me better. Martin Luther King left an impression but his work is all but gone these days. And I'm not just talking about gays. I'm talking about all the other minorities in this country. Someone has dropped the ball. I know "Oh boo hoo," but come on people it is 2007.

I have nothing but contempt for politicians in this country that support inequality of any kind.

As MJK once said: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:59pm

How does a guy named Titone become gay?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:03pm

Yay!

[cheezedoodle]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:03pm

How do you you solve a problem like Maria doodle?

[Calvin]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:04pm

I was going to ask how a guy who lived in Staten Island became gay.

[cheezedoodle]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:05pm

Easy Calvin - they have their own FERRY!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:06pm

Great!

Rath and others should be very happy.

But, still, where does it leave me and my partner of 9 (going on 10) years.

I'll be happy when the country gets it.

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:16pm

"Rath and The Others!"

her new band?

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 8:56pm

I do celebrate, of course it makes me happy, but in my case (to a certain extent) and in the case of many of my friends in Miami it really does matter that gay marriage becomes a federal right in terms of immigration equality.
It is a great and reassuring decision but some people forget that there is a bigger picture that we are supposed to complete.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 9:05pm

It's very odd to me that the final fight seems to be over whether or not to call it marriage. There's currently a bill - with cosponsors - in the Federal gov. allowing for immigration rights for same-sex partners.
Now, why they don't see the idiocy of doling us out one little federal right at a time instead of repealing DOMA, DADT, enacting ENDA and instituting equal civil marriage is beyond me.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 10:40pm

This debate is gonna be farmed out well into 2008. It's absurd.