“History will define today as a pivotal moment in the fight for equal rights for all.
I applaud Governor Cuomo, the State Senators and Assembly Members who recognized the tenor of the times and heard their constituents' voices, and the LGBT advocates and activists and supporters who served on the front lines of this long-fought battle to ensure equality for all.
Today is long overdue. The passage of time since marriage equality was unsuccessfully introduced a year ago has yielded more open minds and open hearts. I commend our leaders for employing not only common sense but courage, and a conviction to do what simply is right.
On this day, we all should reflect not just on our own lives and the privileges and rights we have, but those of our sisters and brothers, colleagues and friends, and realize that the playing field doesn't favor everyone. There are still challenges ahead. All too often we hear about anti-gay attacks in our city, state and nation. Changing the law does not necessarily change all minds.
My true hope is that today's action will create a wave of acceptance and a recognition that where you love should not be determined by where you live.
As a longtime supporter of marriage equality, I shared the pain endured by my colleagues and friends who could not get married in New York, and now share the joy of progress.
I am proud that as a New Yorker I live in a State that acknowledges that the people you love should not define the limits of your rights. Instead, through today's vote, our State leaders have shown that love and the law can go hand in hand.”
Forty-two years ago at a small bar in Greenwich Village, New Yorkers took a stand against discrimination and the gay rights movement was born. Tonight, New York made history once again, becoming the largest state in the country to pass marriage equality. This victory was only made possible because of the tireless dedication and advocacy of millions of New Yorkers, some gay, some straight, all fighting to ensure that every person in our state is guaranteed the same rights and privileges. This historic day is also due in large part to the leadership of Governor Cuomo. I congratulate the Governor, the State Assembly and the State Senate for this historic step forward. I applaud those legislators who have fought on the front lines for years and also those legislators who courageously found it within themselves and in the voices of their constituents to vote 'yes' for the first time. Sincerely,
Praises Democrats And Republicans For Coming Together To Uphold American Values Of Equality, Justice
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement tonight after the New York State Senate voted in favor of marriage equality for all New Yorkers:
“New York has always led the way for equal rights – from leading the suffrage movement, to Abraham Lincoln’s remarkable speech opposing slavery at Cooper Union - and we have done it again. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment to marriage equality which brought home this great victory. I also want to thank the committed advocates who worked day in and day out, and all of the New York State lawmakers - Democrats and Republicans - who came together to uphold the fundamental American values of equality and justice for all.
“New York State has sent a powerful message to the rest of the nation. The right to get married and start a family is a basic, human right that must be shared by all Americans. Every loving, committed couple in America deserves this right. And no politician should stand in the way of this fact.
“Marriage under the law is the foundation for strong families. I will continue to help lead the fight in Washington to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act so that all loving and committed marriages in New York are recognized by the federal government.”
New York will become the sixth state to allow gay marriage after lawmakers passed the measure on Friday, a key victory for gay rights ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.
New York state senators voted 33 to 29 to approve marriage equality legislation introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat in his first year of office. New York will now be the most populous state where lawmakers approved gay marriage.
"New York has finally torn down the barrier that prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted," Cuomo said in a statement.
After Cuomo signs the bill same-sex weddings can start taking place in New York in 30 days and religious institutions and nonprofit groups with religious affiliations are not compelled to officiate.
"I have to define doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality and that equality includes within the definition of marriage," said Republican Senator Stephen Saland, speaking before the bill was passed.
Cheers erupted in the Senate gallery in the state capital Albany and among a crowd of several hundred people who gathered outside New York City's Stonewall Inn, where riots following a police raid in 1969 sparked the modern gay rights movement.
"It's about time. I want to get married. I want the same rights as anyone else," Caroline Jaeger, 36, a student, who was outside the Stonewall Inn.
But New York Bishops said in a statement that they were "deeply disappointed and troubled" by the passage of the bill.
"We always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman," they said.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an advocate for gay marriage who lobbied state lawmakers in recent weeks, said the vote was an "historic triumph for equality and freedom."
"Together, we have taken the next big step on our national journey toward a more perfect union," he said in a statement.
ELECTION ISSUE
President Barack Obama, who attended a fundraiser in New York on Thursday for Gay Pride Week, has a nuanced stance of gay issues and could risk alienating large swathes of the electorate if he came out strongly in favor of such matters as gay marriage before the 2012 polls, experts say.
During the 2008 election Obama picked up important support from Evangelicals, African Americans, and socially conservative Latinos and Catholics -- who all oppose gay marriage, which has become a contentious social issue being fought state-by-state.
In California a judge last year overturned a ban on gay marriage, but no weddings can take place while the decision is being appealed. It could set national policy if the case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, and Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey approved civil unions. The first legal same-sex marriages in the United States took place in Massachusetts in 2004.
But gay marriage is banned in 39 states, according to the The National Conference of State Legislatures.
In New York a recent Siena poll found 58 percent of New Yorkers support gay marriage, while nationally the U.S. public is nearly evenly split with 45 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed, according to a Pew Research poll released last month.
New York's Democrat-dominated Assembly voted 80 to 63 in favor of gay marriage last week and again passed the amended legislation on Friday 82 to 47.
A key sticking point had been over an exemption that would allow religious officials to refuse to perform services or lend space for same-sex weddings. Most Republicans were concerned the legal protection was not strong enough, so legislative leaders worked with Cuomo to amend his original bill.
"God, not Albany, settled the definition of marriage a long time ago," said Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a Pentecostal minister and the only Democrat to vote against the measure.
However fears of a slew of litigation arising from a possible religious exemption to New York's proposed same-sex marriage law are not borne out by experience with similar laws in other states, legal experts say.
(Additional reporting by Phil Wahba, writing by Michelle Nichols)
(left-right)Pastor Longan- Trinity Lutheran Church, Middle Village, Rev Thomas C. Goodhart - Reformed Church in America, Ridgewood, Monica Siu - Maspeth, Senator Joseph P. Addabbo and David M. Quintana - Ozone Park
On April 26th, activists from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) met with Senator Joe Addabbo at his Howard Beach office to advocate for his support for Marriage Equality when the same sex marriage bill comes before the New York State Senate during this legislative session...All of the HRC activists are constituents in Senator Addabbo's 15th Senate District...
This marked the beginning of HRC's "in district meetings," a series of sit-downs with state senators, in which their constituents will explain to them personally whyMarriage Equality is a necessity for New York...
Future HRC events include Post-Carding and 'Stop and Dials' at theAtlas Mallin Glendale.on Friday between 5pm-8pm...
Responding to last month’s gang-related murder in his district of a young man by five teens now charged with manslaughter, who also are being investigated by the NYPD for hate crimes, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr.(D-Queens), a member of the Senate’s Education Committee, is co-sponsoring a bill (S.269), which would raise awareness about hate crimes through curriculum in the schools. Addabbo supported this bill in the Education Committee and the bill has been sent to the full Senate for a vote.
The Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating last month’s murder as to whether the suspects shouted anti-gay slurs at the victim and whether he was chased and bludgeoned to death on a Woodhaven street because he was perceived to be gay.
The proposed new law requires a course of instruction in the awareness of hate crimes in our schools, so that every child in New York State will become educated on the commission of hate crimes. Hate crimes mean offenses that are committed based upon the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of the victim. The instruction will include examples of symbols and objects associated with hate crimes and the events and historical significance surrounding such symbols and objects. Such a course will also focus on the moral aspects and legal implications of such offenses and promote attitudes of tolerance and acceptance.
The law requires the board of education, trustees, principal or other person in charge of every public, private and parochial school in New York State to arrange for giving such course of instruction in every school under its/his or her control to every pupil for a period of not less than 45 minutes in each month during which such school is in session. The law will take effect on the first of September following the date on which it becomes a law.
Explains Addabbo, “This bill offers a valuable course to increase an understanding of the seriousness of hate crimes among all students in New York State. It is important that our schools teach core values of tolerance, acceptance and knowledge to all children in order to prevent hate crimes.” He believes that students should be taught about the vile nature of hate crimes and that such instruction will directly combat negative language and stereotypes that are prevalent in today’s society. Addabbo is hopeful that this instruction will educate our youth about the implications and dire consequences of hate crimes, and will provide them with a better understanding of the differences in each person.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have joined HRC’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign. Today HRC launched two new videos where both senators proudly support full marriage equality in the Empire State. The new videos and our entire campaign can be viewed online at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage. The two politicians join other prominent New Yorkers, from leaders and advocates, to actors and musicians who are letting America know that New York supports marriage equality.
Queens residents held a vigil Thursday to remember a teenager beaten to death by attackers who thought he was gay.
Family, friends, and activists gathered in Woodhaven to remember Anthony Collao, 18.
Police say he was beaten to death with an iron pipe outside a Queens house party.
They say the suspects were yelling anti-gay slurs.
Collao was not gay, but the teen hosting the party is.
LGBT activists attended the vigil as well as Diego Sucuzhanay, whose brother was killed in a similar attack.
"It's unacceptable behavior, we must keep fighting we must speak out. This shouldn't be happening," said Sucuzhanay. "We don't want any more victims and if there are more victims were are going to keep fighting."
"Because the party was associated as a gay party he was a victim of homophobia. So we're here to stand with our community and out allies because when one of us is targeted everybody is targeted," said Ejeris Dixon of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.
Five teens have been arrested and charged with the beating.
The district attorney is investigating the attack as a hate crime.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, one of oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the country, announced its endorsement of the Wal-mart Free NYC campaign in a forceful and detailed statement. The full statement appears below and is followed by reactions from Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which secured the endorsement, and Christine C. Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council.
“We have serious concerns about the expansion of Wal-mart into New York City, a historic home of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. With the expansion of Wal-mart stores comes the expansion of antiquated employment policies that provide little to no protections for, and at times even hostility toward, their LGBT employees. On same-sex partnership benefits, gender identity nondiscrimination, diversity training, and other employment policies and workplace issues, Wal-mart is eons behind many companies,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
“For example, two of Wal-mart’s top competitors, Costco and Walgreens, both of which operate stores in New York City, offer health care and other benefits to same-sex partners; include gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy; and strive to create an environment in which transgender people feel safe and secure, rather than vulnerable to harm. These are companies with records of leadership on LGBT issues, whereas Wal-mart, the largest private employer in the country, has shown little progress over the years.
“Wal-mart’s lack of sensitivity to transgender people is especially important to consider. New York City’s Human Rights Law clearly protects gender identity, yet Wal-mart opposes shareholder resolutions that would require the company’s nondiscrimination policy to cover gender identity, and refuses to uphold the rights of transgender people that many localities and states now recognize. What this means is that Wal-mart stores in New York City could very conceivably create a hostile work environment and invite unlawful behavior.
“There are plenty of other examples of Wal-mart standing in the way of justice and equality for LGBT people. To name just a few: Wal-mart CEO Mike Duke is on record opposing gay and lesbian adoption; Wal-mart stores around the country currently sell a book that presents homosexuality as a disease that needs to be cured; and in a widely reported news story a young Wal-mart employee in Las Vegas was outed and shamed on the job last year by his supervisor and later filed a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.
“Wal-mart is spending millions to try to convince the public to overlook these dark moments and unacceptable practices so that the damage it would do to New York City will be grossly underestimated. We are glad the Wal-mart Free NYC campaign is cutting through the spin and speaking the truth. People of all backgrounds need to know that Wal-mart’s so-called bargains have always come at too high a price. Instead of establishing a model for other companies, Wal-mart continues to set a bad example. New York City, a historic home of LGBT activism and resistance, is much better off without Wal-mart,” Carey said.
"We applaud the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force for recognizing that Wal-mart still opposes workplace rights and protections which LGBT people have long demanded and now receive at many other places of employment," said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), UFCW. "Wal-mart has a failed record on LGBT issues; the Task Force is right to highlight the costs and consequences of that failure as Wal-mart continues its increasingly desperate campaign to enter New York City via the noisiest intersections of profit and deceit."
“NYC is a place where we celebrate diversity and protect the rights of all people. Wal-mart, the world’s largest retailer, does not include transgender people in its non-discrimination policies. They also do not voluntarily offer domestic partner benefits to its LGBT employees, only doing so when required to by state law. This lack of inclusion in its diversity policies is the antithesis of what we in NYC want and expect from our corporate partners. These are yet two more reasons why Wal-mart is a poor fit to do business in NYC," said Christine C. Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council.
About the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. To learn more, visit www.thetaskforce.org.
