Marriage Equality Passes in New York

Update: Gov. Cuomo signed the bill into law within just hours of its passage in the Senate!

The New York State Senate just voted 33-29 to pass marriage equality. There had been hope we could win by a single vote, so it was amazing to hear moving speeches from former anti-marriage Republican Senators Saland (who represents my old haunt, Poughkeepsie), Grisanti and Kruger.

This vote was by no means a done deal. When the GOP swept the election after a Democrat-controlled Senate defeated marriage two years ago, it was widely thought we had no shot at it this year. Gov. Cuomo did an impressive job of getting equality the attention it deserves, and I thank him personally for giving us equal rights in his state. This vote means even more to the people it affects than I expect the senators realize.

Read more about the bill’s passage from the New York Times, and read what I said in real time on my Twitter feed, @gayinpublic.

Correction: Oh gosh, was it really already two years ago, not just one? Spooky.