Community | June 24, 2011 | 147 comments

New York Senate Has Approved same-sex Marriage

Image
KB723
ALBANY, New York | Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:13pm EDT

ALBANY, New York (Reuters) - New York Republican Senator Stephen Saland said he would support a bill to legalize gay marriage, giving the measure enough support to pass when the vote occurs later on Friday.

Two other Republican senators have already publicly said they will back the bill introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, while one Democratic senator opposes it. With Saland's support the measure will pass by at least one vote.

"My intellectual and emotional journey has ended here today and I have to define doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality and that equality includes within the definition of marriage," Saland said on Friday night.

"Hooray for New York!!!"

"It has just passed!!!!"
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Politics,   Culture,   3 more
  2. tags:
    LGBT,  Marriage,  Equal Rights
  3.     
    |

147 comments // New York Senate Has Approved same-sex Marriage

  • JangoFetish
  • Shannon_Barber
  • KB723
  • coolplanet
    • -3
      coolplanet  

    • This is a huge victory for over-population and adoption!
      As I've said before I think that homosexuality is the next critical stage of human evolution, to both reduce population and provide loving homes for children.
      Our world has fucked its way 7 billion people.
      That is WAY too many people!
      The Chinese, with there one child policy, have been a major evolutionary leader.
      I mean, what happens when males outnumber females 10 to 1?
      Darwin would certainly have something to say about this development.
      Hopefully someday soon people will realize that this is a good thing for our planet and unwanted children.

    • 11 months ago
  • KB723
  • alexandrek
  • JangoFetish
  • coolplanet
    • 0
      coolplanet  
    • alexandrek:

      Sorry I'm so sarcastic sometimes.
      But as I have posted several times I think the "Gay gene" is Gaia responding to out-of-control overpopulation which is causing the Sixth Great Extinction before our very eyes.
      I consciously chose not to have kids when I became an adult and I have my nose rubbed into that choice all the time.
      "You have not truly lived until you have kids!" parents tell me.
      Most people consider me gay although that is not the best word to describe how I feel.
      I have always supported gay rights and am happy to witness this good news.
      I guess I'm just far more concerned about the state of polar bears and unwanted children.
      Please accept my deepest apology for being an asshole. ;~D

    • 11 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • JellicleMoon
    • +6
      JellicleMoon  

    • My little brother is overwhelmed with this news. He always struggled with his sexuality and denied that he was gay for a long time. He is not ready for marriage. Much too young for a serious relationship. I hope it will be easier now for everyone to claim their lives as it should be and not feel different. Equality is beautiful. Get with it, America.

    • 11 months ago
  • HarukoHaruhara
  • JellicleMoon
    • 0
      JellicleMoon  
    • HarukoHaruhara:

      Thank you. So kind! He has always been vulnerable even though we have been emotionally supportive as a family. Having a gay sister should have helped but that did not take away his pain. He is doing better now but I feel it is often a day to day thing. Up, down, uncertain. No one should have to suffer for who they are, who they want to have sex with, love or decide to wed.

    • 11 months ago
  • theknopfknows
    • 0
      theknopfknows  

    • STRANGE ZIGGY MY CATS NAME Ziggy. Love that cat.
      LOVE ALWAYS TO ALL, "FOR THE BELL TOLLS FOR THEE!
      "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" is that the Question?
      MORE MONEY in GAY MARRIAGES:
      EVEN MORE IN DIVORCE!
      LOVE ALWAYS.
      YOU SHOULD NOT need a LAW FOR THIS:
      RULES OF RESPECT on BOTH SIDES:

    • 11 months ago
  • ZiggyStrange
  • wanderingmissy
  • hoosierdaddy
  • JellicleMoon
    • +10
      JellicleMoon  

    • This is my first comment and am having some difficulty with posting. Here goes again. I am a gay woman and this victory is one I have hoped for since my first serious relationship. Celebrate with me!

    • 11 months ago
  • KB723
  • ZiggyStrange
  • KB723
  • ZiggyStrange
  • KB723
  • JellicleMoon
    • +2
      JellicleMoon  
    • KB723:

      Hello! Thank you for the welcome. I am still trying to get my bearings here. Reading a lot of comments and definitely confused how to move around this site. I am getting a lot of emails from my friends since last night who are overjoyed with the news from New York. We want more!

    • 11 months ago
  • KB723
    • +2
      KB723  
    • JellicleMoon:

      You are welcome JellicleMoon... This site is very easy to navigate, you will do fine... Cool that your friends are pleased as well, if you ever need any help you can feel free to Personal Message me... All you have to do is click on my Avatar, that will take you to my profile page, at the top right it will have a small box that allows you to send me a PM... Have Fun... =)

    • 11 months ago
  • eden49
  • JellicleMoon
    • +2
      JellicleMoon  
    • KB723:

      That is really sweet. I appreciate your offer. I saw that you could send messages but must admit that I am fumbling with setting everything up. I will probably only be a once in a while visitor but I like the feeling here. How do you follow someone? Do you do it from your profile page? Funny badges there!

    • 11 months ago
  • KB723
    • +1
      KB723  
    • JellicleMoon:

      Yes, all you need to do is go to their profile page... At the top there is a follow button, if you choose down the road you don't want to follow that poster any longer you can also go to their page and unfollow... Badges are pretty cool, they are earned by the more time you spend and comments you make as well... =)

    • 11 months ago
  • JellicleMoon
  • JellicleMoon
  • KB723
  • Littlewolf
  • KB723
  • JellicleMoon
  • ZiggyStrange
    • +4
      ZiggyStrange  
    • JellicleMoon:

      Long time coming. Rejoice. We all are a little closer today than we were yesterday. I was a customer at the first Lesbian owned Book Store in NY over 30 years ago, I remember the pressure they were under.to close the store. It's a new day for the LGBT people, soon there won't be labels just understanding, and respect.

    • 11 months ago
  • alexandrek
  • JellicleMoon
  • JellicleMoon
    • +1
      JellicleMoon  
    • ZiggyStrange:

      I can really relate to your post. I found my way to a similar bookstore when I was younger, a very daring thing to do at the time. I will never forget the woman behind the counter. I knew what I was looking for and in some way she intuitively understood. It made me feel comfortable with my choice(s) even when I had difficulty voicing them as it was like speaking a new language.

      Know what I mean?

      I was thinking today that we are celebrating these moments, as they affect us and our community. But what hit me in a wonderful way is how good this will be for young "adults" who are just discovering their sexuality. If this momentum continues in the US there will never be that yearning for equality. It will simply be right there for them. People can live more freely, without hurtful division.

      REJOICE!

    • 11 months ago
  • ZiggyStrange
    • +1
      ZiggyStrange  
    • JellicleMoon:

      I can definitely relate. When I was 7, I moved to Puerto Rico. I did not know what gay was. I had been warned that school would be hard for me as I would be singled out for being a foreigner.

      There was a little boy next door who lived with his grandparents. I never found out why, but in any case we became friends and played together all Summer. Then, when we went to school I was shocked because I was not rejected by the kids, but Hector was being picked on right away. Unlike me, he was small and could not defend himself. I had been taught not to back off, and prepared for this by my family. Mostly Military people. I stood up for Hector, and was told by the other kids that the next day I was going to get it. I went home and I was scared and confused. i wanted to know why Hector was being called a girl, and other names. My uncle (an Air Force Major) whom I asked for help with this explained that some people were different, and others were not willing to accept differences, like Hector being more like a girl than a boy, and people being from different countries.

      He explained this was wrong and I should always stand up for my friends when they could not. I asked him to come to school with me and help me fight the bullies. He told me that he could not do that, but that I would learn a big lesson if I went to the school and showed the bullies that I was ready to lose but not without a fight. He said I needed to learn about cowardice, and I would. He was right. the next day the bullies did not bother me or Hector. This was the beginning of my enlightenment about sexuality, and bigotry,

      A few years later we moved to NYC. By 11 I knew what gay was, I had become friends with a few of the gay kids at schools I attended in P.R. I knew the score. Somehow for me, it was a non issue. Having been friends with gay people, I never had an uncomfortable moment with for years. One kid tuned me on to Opera. We would listen to music at his house a couple of times a week. During the 60's I saw open homosexuality not only accepted but celebrated by my fellow "freaks". During the 70's I tried it, but it did not work out for me. I did come to understand that you could act bisexual, gay, curious, confused, omni-sexual, by choice, but your core sexual preference is part of who you are, and that's all there is to it. In my case I only got turned on by females, with a couple of exceptions. These were men that radiated femininity, or androgyny but it was the female things that attracted me. David Bowie comes to mind.

      As I grew up I had both gay and straight friends, and if I had wanted to get it on with a guy I would have. I made sure my kids were educated about these things, and now, I get a lot of satisfaction knowing my youngest son(15) has several openly gay friends, and the straight kids in his circle have no prejudices of the kind I saw in my teen years. Things are progressing. We have a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction. This amendment in NY is a big deal for me.

      I just feel a lot better overall, and have more hope for the future.

      Love

      Ziggy

    • 11 months ago
  • JellicleMoon
    • +1
      JellicleMoon  
    • ZiggyStrange:

      Ziggy, Sorry that I could not get back to you sooner. Just this thing called life! You are a very good writer and I enjoyed hearing about your childhood. Very interesting to me for so many reasons. Thanks for being so open. I look forward to having time to post here more often and reading your thoughts.

    • 11 months ago
  • ZiggyStrange
    • +1
      ZiggyStrange  
    • JellicleMoon:

      Thank you Jelliclemoon it's good to know how people find their compass on these things. I could have easily been made into a homophobe.

      I was lucky my family had gay people in it.
      My uncle had an uncle named Renee whom we all loved. He lived in NYC and was as flamboyant as Liberace during the 50's and 60's. He was a sweet man, and it was just an accepted fact that he was gay. He took me to movies, I went to his house for coffee and cookies. Nobody ever distrusted him,

      I look forward to more of your posts when you have the time.

      Best,

      Ziggy

    • 11 months ago
  • bike10
  • UtopianSky
  • Leen61
  • chew_chew
    • +4
      chew_chew  

    • Most of the news anymore is sad and/or scandalous, it seems. But every now and then, something happens which demonstrates that there are still decent people among us, in a position to and willing to do the right thing for humanity. Passing this Bill is one of those things, from my perspective. I am happy to see another step towards an understanding and tolerant world has been taken. Good on New York.

    • 11 months ago
  • extracrazykiwi2008
  • theknopfknows
    • -5
      theknopfknows  
    • Image

    • GREAT DAY FOR LOVE PEACE AND POSSIBLE DIVORCE!
      I hope this works out for all of the Public, including the Children who are abused!
      AMONG GENERAL public child abuse is up 40 % figure sounds high but closer look and you will see why. Gay marriages can be a example of Harmony, I hope! Like above!
      A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN!

    • 11 months ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
  • theknopfknows
    • 0
      theknopfknows  
    • Image
    • PoliticalAmazon:

      THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW:
      MY INTENTION, was humor sex without humor can be dangerous to your health,
      if we can`t laugh at ourselves what good are we to others. MAYAN says you are the other me I am the other you, as in harmony not sex. To much is made.Issue over tissue, like virginity it is private.I- I LOVE THE GIRLS, ALWAYS.

    • 11 months ago
  • dinm76
  • dinm76
  • theknopfknows
  • chipokae
  • theknopfknows
    • -1
      theknopfknows  
    • Image
    • chipokae:

      WHY DOES ANYONE HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THEY ARE GAY OR NOT:
      A NO ISSUE, ISSUE FOR ME
      AND THAT MOST MAKE BIG DEAL FROM VERY LITTLE.
      TO SAY I LIKE THE GIRLS does not mean I hate others.
      NEVER been an issue, 62 years without thinking about GAY things.

      WHY START NOW? I`m Happy with my wife, I raised two girls and I am a big push for women`s rights in the Arab countries where extreme rules the day.

      "SAY WHAT I MEAN"- taking it in the butt, or giving in the butt is not for me.
      IS THAT BLUNT ENOUGH!

    • 11 months ago
  • UtopianSky
    • +3
      UtopianSky  
    • theknopfknows:

      This is not about ANNOUNCING, it is about EXISTING.

      We don't want to ANNOUNCE, we just don't want to be forced to live in HIDING.

      And the hypocrisy is huge for someone to complain about ANNOUNCING when you keep posting pictures of yourself.

      And what is it with your huge obsession with anal sex?

    • 11 months ago
  • UtopianSky
  • chief_longhair
  • BrushwithDeathToothpaste
  • dinm76
    • +3
      dinm76  

    • This change in New York, as well as most of the New England state's coupled with Vermont passing single-payer health care is going to have thousands moveing north before you know it. Real estate in Vermont would be a good investment right now!

    • 11 months ago
  • TimALoftis
  • sharin
    • +8
      sharin  

    • Minnesota state representative said it so perfectly to the "christian" , bible thumping dissenters of gay rights. Being gay is not a life style choice, it is innate. To quote rep. Simon: "To put it in the venacual [of religious crowd] I ask: How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves hether or not God actually wants them around"
      (here is the entire segment) http://front.moveon.org/why-does-god-keep-making-gay-people/

    • 11 months ago
  • PoliticalAmazon
    • +12
      PoliticalAmazon  
    • Image
    • sharin:

      I just don't get the idea some heterosexuals evoke: that being gay is a "lifestyle choice."

      I'm heterosexual. Nothing wrong with being LGBT; it's just not how I am wired.

      I could no more "choose" to be homosexual than I could "choose" to be a ring-tailed lemur.

      So I wonder about those who claim being gay is a "lifestyle choice." Perhaps they are not as committed to heterosexuality as they think they are.

    • 11 months ago
  • ccmusicnights
    • +5
      ccmusicnights  
    • sharin:

      Bingo !! Thanks for the quote & it bears repeating (for those who are of particularly dense persuasion) :
      How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around".
      ^ Thanks for a good post ! :)

    • 11 months ago
  • theknopfknows
    • -2
      theknopfknows  
    • Image
    • sharin:

      I separate GOD FROM SEX,
      GOD from politics and even God from Murder.
      PRIEST WHO ABUSED over 100 BOYS, St. John School for blind in Wisconsin
      HUMANS ARE NOT READY TO BE A GOD.
      SEXUALITY IS LEARNED, no gay babies. Human brain develops by environment not by religion. "BEWARE beware of the Man of one book, for He is filled with half truths, and there is no greater lie, than a half truth"- PLATO
      THE CHURCH NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF SEX
      COMPLETELY OR DISMANTLE THE WHOLE CHURCH:
      IN THE END, SEX AND POLITICS, SEX AND POWER, SEX AND GEED,
      is very popular like prostitution, IMF recently or the Saudi Prince beats his lover boyfriend to death London elevator.

      LOVE WHERE IS IT::: WHEN YOU REALLY NEED IT?
      WHERE is SEX when you really need it?

      END OF THE DAY PERSONAL CHOICES ARE PRIVATE CHOICES,

      RESPECT EVERYONE IS MY INTENTION FROM THEIR,
      YOUR ON YOUR OWN.
      My wife just informed me Capital letters means your screaming, WELL... I`m NOT screaming no,
      I just like the way they look, assumptions creates rules.
      ONLY LOVE I`m singing! sorry!

    • 11 months ago
  • Frosty46
    • +3
      Frosty46  

    • Good news for fairness and compassion----------the pain and suffering of gay relationships at life end and the insanity of property rights for gays has been a moronic position in this religiously hindered nation for long enough.
      Note: I include Lesbians in the term "Gay".

    • 11 months ago
  • onearth
    • +2
      onearth  

    • This isn't landing on the Moon but it is one giant, New York step for our planet's humanity. Reason and logic have prevailed. Many have shed their blood and given their lives to be treated as equals. Their pain and suffering was not in vain. Time to rejoice, remember and carry on so those that follow won't experience what was once considered the norm..

    • 11 months ago
  • AJILIVIZION
  • ccmusicnights
  • AJILIVIZION
  • ccmusicnights
  • JellicleMoon
  • EdJoyProductions
    • +3
      EdJoyProductions  

    • Finally rational minds have prevailed! At least in this case, prejudice is no longer the order under which citizens must live. Thank you, elected officials of New York for giving us something to be proud for a change.

    • 11 months ago
  • meesh76
  • lightningthunderfox
  • EdJoyProductions
  • MauriceLacunza
    • +5
      MauriceLacunza  

    • I will be glad when civil unions are replaced with full marriage rights. That day is coming. The Supreme Court will weigh in on this issue sooner or later. And the only logical course is to grant equal rights across the board. That day is coming.

    • 11 months ago
  • Milieu
    • +6
      Milieu  

    • Well, crap. If the ReichWingNutz are correct, this means that my marriage of 31+ years will dissolve and I will turn Gay.

      *****************************sarcasm? Yes.***************************

    • 11 months ago
  • the4104
  • TDK729
  • Frosty46
  • TDK729
    • +1
      TDK729  
    • Frosty46:

      "Under God" Does not belong anywhere, the Pledge of Allegiance, or In "God We Trust" on money. It's amazing and sad how much politics has become religion based. Politicians that make polices based on the voices in the heads or base policy on what god would want and not what the majority of Americans want. Religion has no place in politics since not all Americans believe in the same religion or religion at all. What constitutes as a sin to one is not a sin to another, and the major opposition to Gay Marriage is based on religious reason. Most of America either supports the LGBT community or knows that it won't affect them one way or another. Obama wrestling with his beliefs on gay marriage he is putting his own beliefs before the majority.

      Why is it When children are ridiculed for having an imaginary friend and as adults if you believe in God you're normal? Why is it when you hear the voice of God or are doing what God told you, you're normal? Yet when you hear any other voice or do what the voices tell you you're schizophrenic?

    • 11 months ago
  • giaimo13
    • +12
      giaimo13  

    • So, so happy, for my many New York friends in same-sex relationships who can now choose to marry if they want to do so. I am also proud that New York State has taken this progressive step, and my loathing of my current home state of Georgia is embedded even more deeply because I know it'll never happen here in this, the backward bunghole of America the Red. Jesus, I need to move away from here!

    • 11 months ago
  • jackhole
  • Shannon_Barber
  • ccmusicnights
  • H2O_4U
  • SageRockandRoll
  • cherry5000
  • rustyred
  • H2O_4U
  • KB723
  • H2O_4U
  • KB723
  • H2O_4U
  • KB723
  • H2O_4U
  • KB723
  • chipokae
  • onearth
12
1 - 100 of 147
more from Community:
from the community

top videos