Gay Marriage Approved In NY!

[Saya]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/am...306746341.html

The New York State Senate has voted to allow gay marriage, leaving only what is expected to be a swift approval from the governor as the last step before the state becomes the sixth and largest in America to allow men and women to marry people of the same sex.

The senate chamber erupted in applause from a packed gallery during an initial 36-26 vote that approved an amendment to the bill that would protect religious institutions that do not want to grant gay marriage, and more cheers could be heard echoing outside for minutes afterward.

The amendment vote paved the way for approval of the bill, which followed nearly an hour later in a 33-29 vote almost entirely along party lines, reversing a 2009 vote that defeated a different same-sex marriage measure. Two republicans joined 29 Democrats in approving the measure on Friday, while one Democrat voted against the bill.

In approving the bill, which was passed to the senate after moving through the assembly, New York's legislature became the first controlled by Republicans to pass a bill allowing gay marriage.

Shortly before the vote, longtime Republican Senator Stephen Saland described the debate behind it and revealed that he would be voting in favour, though he had voted against the similar 2009 measure. He said he had been raised to be tolerant of all people and that the only way to avoid "flying in the face" of his upbringing was to vote for marriage equality.

In 2009, the senate was controlled by Democrats, who in other states have usually viewed gay marriage more favourably than Republicans. The current New York senate is controlled by Republicans, but Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo has pushed hard to persuade senators to vote in favour of what he has said is a priority of his administration.

Senate Republicans allowed the measure to come to a vote only after behind-the-scenes talks between them and Cuomo, the New York Times reported. Republicans were concerned that the measure protect religious institutions that do not want to marry people of the same sex.

Some remained opposed.

Senator Ruben Diaz said he was the only Democrat voting against the bill and wore the fact as a "badge of honour".

Referring to the capital of the state, Diaz said that "God, not Albany, has settled the definition of marriage a long time ago."

Five states in America currently allow gay marriages: Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. No states in the traditionally conservative south allow it. Washington DC, the federal district, also allows gay marriage.

Legal and political battles over gay marriage have raged throughout the United States for more than a decade, and the issue has often gone to court.

New York residents have supported gay marriage since 2009, according to polls conducted by Quinnipiac University. That year, 51 per cent responded that they favoured it; in June, another poll found that group had grown to 58 per cent.

Support predictably split along party lines: 72 per cent of Democrats in the survey approved of gay marriage, while only 34 per cent of Republicans did.

Internationally, same-sex marriage is allowed in 10 countries, including Canada, Argentina, Sweden and South Africa. The Netherlands became the first country to allow it in 2001. Many other countries provide for unions that grant same-sex couples all the legal rights of marriage without allowing the use of the name.

I just became less afraid of visiting the states! Congrats, New York!

[AshleyO]

Justice feels good.

[AshleyO]

Now to be honest, it looks like the bill has certain... religious protections. I think it basically gives churches the right to deny gay marriage without legal repercussions, but I would argue that that is in the long run, a good thing. It can set a stage, a spotlight on religious thinking and religions and clearly expose them for how anti-human rights they can inherently be. So at one point, it looks like a piss poor compromise, but I think there's an opportunity to sway communities to be more secular and human rights minded instead of religious minded.

Essentially, I'm saying that I feel that that next struggle NEEDS to happen. As sad as it might sound, there's something positive in the LBGT community being able to marry, but still finding it very difficult to marry within their religion.

[Saya]

We have that in Canada, but it actually worked out quite well for us. There was a lot support from religious groups, including the United Church Of Canada, which is our largest Protestant church (our Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregationalist churches got together in 1925 and made one church), who decided to support gay rights in the 80s, and the Muslim Canadian Congress. Many churches were too divided to fight anything, and a lot of them still don't have any official stance so its up to the individual minister whether to perform gay marriages or not. Meanwhile the United Church has been becoming more popular, out home in hickville an Anglican bishop got run out because the congregation didn't want to put up with his homophobia. Still is really shitty if you're stuck out in an evangelical or Catholic area with no alternatives, but LGBTQ spirituality has become a force to be reckoned with. And personally I wouldn't want a homophobic minister to be at my wedding, anyway.

Whats really neat about NYC's marriage bill is:

http://tinyurl.com/5uy7hkh

The effects of the law could be felt well beyond New York: Unlike Massachusetts, which pioneered gay marriage in 2004, New York has no residency requirement for obtaining a marriage license, meaning the state could become a magnet for gay couples across the country who want to have a wedding in Central Park, the Hamptons, the romantic Hudson Valley or that honeymoon hot spot of yore, Niagara Falls.

Whoo!

[AshleyO]

Yeah. Basically, what I'm hoping for in the end game is some equality across the board and some amended thinking in the religious of this country. I think it can happen and the stage is set for it.

[ape descendant]

Hooray!! It's a step in the right direction!!!

[CptSternn]

I think the religious protections are good, but sure, they wouldn't be needed here in Ireland.

In Ireland, you have to perform a huge laundry list of things to even be able to get married inside of a church. Even if you do all of the things they ask, they can still tell you to go away. One requirement is attending mass every Sunday for a full year, plus weekly visitation from the local Parish Priest.

That right there cuts down on lots of church marriages.

And divorce here? It is legal, but it takes a minimum of six years. You have to be legally separated for five years before you can start divorce proceedings.

If America had those two restrictions, I bet they would have less divorces there as well - gay, straight, or otherwise!

But this is good news. One of the best parts was the speeches the two republicans who voted for the law made and the fact they were willing to put partisan politics aside to further a cause neither agreed with personally, but did feel was something that needed to happen.

[Ben Lahnger]

I read it was four Republicans who voted for the bill.

This tweet made my day:

"Told Little Mobster about Marriage Equality bill. He started naming all our friends who could get married now. Love this kid." -- Rosanne Cash

[Grausamkeit]

FUCK, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




It's about fucking time! And about time for fucking!

[Ben Lahnger]

Stephen Colbert is so damn funny. On this subject:

There's a giant gay storm gathering, and before long the winds will be blowing each other.