As expected, the New York State Assembly passed a gay-marriage bill yesterday. (Which is kind of a big deal, and fairly cool.) As expected, Joe Bruno announced that the bill won’t even come up for a vote in the State Senate. (Which is par for the course, and which kills it for this year.) And then last night we received this press release in our in-box, which reminded us, though we often forget, that New York can be more like America than we’d like to think:
Statement by NYS Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx)
On Today’s Assembly Vote for Homosexual Marriage
June 19, 2007
It is sad that the Hispanic legislators in the NYS Assembly will vote in favor of homosexual marriage today. Our community as a whole – Black, White, Asian, Islamic and Hispanic – is at least 80% against homosexual marriage. Most New Yorkers are from communities that believes in moral, traditional and family values.
My fellow legislators, Adriano Espaillat, Jose Peralta, Jose Rivera, Felix Ortiz, Peter Rivera, Naomi Rivera, Luis Diaz, and Adam Clayton Powell all have decided to vote in support of homosexual marriage.
This is against the Jewish Religion, the Islamic Religion, and Christian Religions. These religions do not support the belief in or practice of homosexuality.
Even though the members of the New York State Assembly, controlled by the Democratic Party and guided by the Speaker Sheldon Silver, today will approve and authorize gay marriage in New York State, I am confident that the New York State Senate, controlled by the Republican Party, will not allow this to come to the floor of the Senate.
I would like to praise those members of the New York State Assembly who resisted pressure from the Governor, from their fellow members, and from the gay and lesbian communities and will vote against this bill.
Ruben, honey? Meet us Sunday afternoon on, say, Christopher Street between Seventh and Bleecker, and then try telling us again that none of your community supports gay rights.
New York State Assembly Approves Gay Marriage Bill 85-61 [Towleroad]
Earlier: Shelly Silver Loves Gays, Traffic; Joe Bruno Hates Both
