Gay Restaurateurs Want to Marry in New York

George Constantinou and Farid Ali Lancheros, partners and co-owners of a popular Brooklyn restaurant, have made a video about their wish to marry in New York.

In the video, the men, who have been together for more than 10 years and engaged for two, talk about their relationship, their business, and their plan to start a family within the next year. They opened Bogota Latin Bistro & Mojito Bar in the Park Slope neighborhood in 2005 to celebrate their backgrounds, where George is half Costa Rican and Farid is half Colombian.

"For me, marriage is almost like the culmination of this long, long journey," said Farid. "We've been together 10 years, we have a successful business together -- now we're going on to start a family together."

Freedom to Marry produced the video in partnership with In the Life Media. In addition to its independent efforts, Freedom to Marry is part of the coalition of five LGBT advocacy organizations working with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pass a marriage equality bill in New York by June 20, the end of the current legislative session.

"Farid and George have been in a loving, committed relationship for over 10 years, doing the hard work of marriage -- in addition to the hard work of owning a successful restaurant business together -- yet without the support and respect marriage would provide," said Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry, in a news release. "They have wanted to marry for years, but with a baby on the way, they feel even more strongly the need for the critical safety-net that marriage brings. New York couples like Farid and George want the freedom to marry, a supermajority of New Yorkers want them to have it, and the New York state legislature should pass the marriage bill -- now."

Watch the video.