According to Marriage Equality New York head Ron Zacchi, Governor Cuomo has told state LGBT leaders he expects a vote on a marriage-equality bill in the State Senate in “six to eight weeks, or maybe sooner.” Even though the math doesn’t look good for such a bill’s passage (advocates would need to swing a small number of Republicans, all of whom voted against the bill last time), Cuomo is fresh off strong-arming the state legislature into a budget deal, and he still has sky-high popularity strengthening his hand. If there’s a vote in the time frame Cuomo predicts, it will come at about the same time that the Empire State Pride Agenda shepherds hundreds of New Yorkers to lobby their legislators for Equality and Justice Day on May 9 (I went along last time). If the legislators listen to them, to Cuomo, or the rest of the 57 percent of New Yorkers who support civil marriage rights for gay couples, the bill just might have a shot.
Marriage Equality Push Begins [Room 8]
