marriage equality in NY State

[rm]

As I've mentioned before, even earlier today, marriage equality stuff in NY State is weird.

Due to unrelated political drama in the state capital, the issue has largely been side-lined, along with the rest of the legislative agenda for a while now. And, since NY State recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, there's been a certain lack of urgency on the subject.

Our assembly as passed a bill for marriage equality three times. But our state senate is notoriously conservative and this has largely been a fight no one wanted to have or thought we could win.

Well, the fight is happening right now. And no one knows what the outcome will be (very weird for a state body that hashes everything out in private before anything happens in public, often leaving public debates meaningless on done deals).

But it seems the discourse on the bill is remarkable in and of itself.

ETA: voting is happening now, after a long, rambling and pretty weird speech from Senator Duane, a gay man who has been at the front of this fight for a while.

ETA2: watching the vote now. It looks like we're going to lose.

ETA3: "The bill is lost."

ETA4: and now there will be nattering about "momentum" from the bigots; cowards one and all.

Comments

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Here's to hoping that Albany will make the right decision despite being the poster children for disfunctionality.

[drfardook.livejournal.com]

My GOP pigfucker of a senator voted no. Well, I changed my registration to Dem from Green already, time to start donating to his next opponent.

One of the positive signs of the debate were the African-American senators (including my former senator, Adams) tying this so tightly to civil rights and being the most eloquent speakers in favor of equality even when their districts are deeply divided.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

ETA3: "The bill is lost."

So what's going to happen now?

[manycolored.livejournal.com]

*sob*

[maryling.livejournal.com]

I live in the district of probably the only Long Island senator to vote yes. (Currently unable to check the vote.) Heartbroken that so many people just don't get it.

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

Fuuuuuck! Oh, New York. Only state in the nation with a legislature more disfunctional than Texas's.

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

Contact info for the 8 dems who killed this: http://newsbean.livejournal.com/314628.html

[abnormal-apathy.livejournal.com]

This surprises me as much as the whole California thing. How is it that there are more conservative people in NY than there are in Iowa?

[count-to-seven.livejournal.com]

I heard about this on NPR while driving home and thought of you.

I'm still smarting over various comments/rants I've seen recently in which people have stated their less than sympathetic view towards m/f couples being denied their right to a civil partnership. If I hear one more person tell me "...but you HAVE the right to get married, it's not the same!", I might just haul off an punch someone actually post something serious on my journal.

Is it wrong that I see the sudden continual legislative attempts, defeated though they may currently be, as a positive sign?

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine how I missed adding you as a friend in the past, but I've rectified that!

I was disappointed in the vote. I just - well, I just don't get humanity, I never have (no wonder I become more and more convinced I must somehow be another species).