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Bloomberg Pushes for N.Y. Marriage-Equality



New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg urged state legislators to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on Wednesday night, citing increased support for marriage equality in his appeal for lawmakers to "do the right thing."

"I think you see that the tide is turning, that support is mounting," Bloomberg said to more than 300 people gathered at the annual dinner of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center in Manhattan. "It's still not going to be easy. There are people who don't agree, but it's incumbent on all of us to explain to people that this really is a basic right that people should have, and I think that it's time for Albany to set politics aside and do the right thing, and pass the gay marriage bill."

Bloomberg congratulated U.S. senator Chuck Schumer, who did not attend the dinner, for becoming the latest example of the changing climate. Senator Schumer announced his support for same-sex marriage on Sunday, taking the position already held by all other statewide officials in New York. In doing so, he became the 10th U.S. senator to support marriage equality.

The mayor promised to testify for marriage equality in the state capital with lesbian New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn -- who joined him at the dinner -- and to do "whatever it takes to put the pressure on."

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has acknowledged that he does not have the votes to pass the marriage-equality bill in his chamber at this time. The assembly passed the same-sex marriage bill in 2007, but it stalled in the senate, which was then controlled by Republicans. Democrats now control both houses of the legislature.

Bloomberg remained confident, if uncommitted to a timeline. "Make no mistake, the time will come, I think in the nearer term and in the further out, and we will pass this bill," he said.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Peter Saxe
    Date posted: 3/30/2009 7:27:00 AM
    Hometown: New York, NY

    Comment:

    I'm glad Bloomberg says he's for same-sex marriage, but I believe it's just part of his bid for a 3rd term. The timing is too convenient. Besides, he doesn't have any power to make same-sex marriage legal in NY State.

  • Name: Rich
    Date posted: 3/29/2009 8:37:00 AM
    Hometown: Falls Church, VA

    Comment:

    Bloomberg is right (or maybe I should say "correct")--marriage equality is a basic right. And more power to him for not blindly fitting into the traditional mold of the Republican Party. Based on what Rob said, progressive policies can come from both parties. Why is it that some perceive open-mindedness to be an exclusively liberal quality? Way to go, Mayor Bloomberg!

  • Name: Eric O. Jackson
    Date posted: 3/26/2009 11:16:00 PM
    Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico

    Comment:

    Very good news. Hope for a better future.

  • Name: Matt
    Date posted: 3/26/2009 4:34:00 PM
    Hometown: New York

    Comment:

    Bloomberg just earned my vote for his third term for the first time. Thank god people are coming to their senses.

  • Name: Rob
    Date posted: 3/26/2009 1:58:00 PM
    Hometown: Tempe

    Comment:

    Daniel... Absolutely, but what so many people neglect to look at is that not all New Yorkers are liberal East Coast elitist. There's a very strong Republican backing in New York that gets chastised out here in the West because they're not right-to-lifer anti-gay bigots. I see this pretty clearly having lived in both places. Two things will happen within the Republican party. Either moderate Republicans take over the party and start pushing the fanatics off to the corner, or they form a new party and leave the fanatics behind. Either way, we're going to start seeing more progressive policies coming from both Republicans and Democrats. I'm not surprised Bloomberg feels this way.

  • Name: Daniel S
    Date posted: 3/26/2009 12:06:00 PM
    Hometown: New Hope, PA

    Comment:

    This is why Bloomberg didn't fit into the Republican Party. He's too much of a New Yorker in that open-minded way that Sarah Palin is fond of deriding. The key is going to be getting people to lean on their legislators in order to get the votes for this.



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