USA: New Yorkers celebrate the passing of the New York state same-sex marriage bill

Record ID: 278407

  • Title: USA: New Yorkers celebrate the passing of the New York state same-sex marriage bill
  • Date: 26th June 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARC CARAVASIAN, NEW YORKER, SAYING: "I am pretty excited. I have been a lifelong New Yorker and New York is leading again as well it should. This is a place where people always felt that they can come and be safe especially LGBT people and now we have made it a reality." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SANDY STONES, NEW YORKER, SAYING: "I am really, really pr
  • Embargoed: 11th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVACQXO4UC6SS8JQXHFSSYBX5GLF
  • Story Text: New York became the sixth and most populous U.S. state to allow gay marriage. State senators voted 33-29 on Friday (June 24) evening to approve marriage equality legislation and governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who had introduced the measure, signed it into law.
    "New York made a powerful statement. Not just for the people of New York, but people all across this nation. We reached a new level of social justice this evening," said Cuomo, who is in his first year of office, in a news conference.
    A crowd of several hundred people gathered in and outside New York City's Stonewall Inn, a bar where a police raid in 1969 sparked the modern gay rights movement. The eyes of same-sex marriage supporters were glued to the tv screens inside Stonewall, as the final tally of the votes began. After the passing of the bill supporters erupted in a big cheer, although some remained silent in disbelief.
    "I was just amazed and so inspired that actually that people I don't know in our legislature were standing up for me," said Chris Swanson, who came to the bar to witness the landmark vote with his partner for 17 years, Matt Merrick.
    New York became the sixth state in the U.S. to allow gay marriage, after Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia.
    And according to lifelong New Yorker Marc Caravasian, the state was crucial as it had a special meaning to the LGBT community.
    "This is a place where people always felt that they can come and be safe especially LGBT people and now we have made it a reality," he said, adding that it made sense for the crowd to celebrate outside Stonewall.
    "This is where it all started. And this is where we finally came to celebrate when it all finally happened."
    Sandy Stones, who came to celebrate with her partner for 4 years, Shannon Connors, said that the passing of the bill was a major accomplishment for the senate, in which the Republican party has the majority.
    "I am really, really proud of our Republican senators too because it means a lot coming from a Republican controlled senate. It's the first one in history. It's a really historic night. I am very excited," she said.
    Same-sex weddings can start taking place in New York in 30 days, though religious institutions and nonprofit groups with religious affiliations will not be compelled to officiate at such ceremonies. The legislation also gives gay couples the right to divorce.
    Tom Peters said that he and his partner will be among the first to be wed under the new law.
    "We want to get married next month. We think we will get married in New York somewhere. We don't know the exact location but it will be somewhere in Manhattan," said Peters.
    In New York a recent Siena poll found 58 percent of New Yorkers support gay marriage, while nationally the U.S. public is nearly evenly split, with 45 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed, according to a Pew Research poll released last month.
    In California a judge last year overturned a ban on gay marriage, but no weddings can take place while the decision is being appealed. It could set national policy if the case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
    Same-sex marriage is banned in 39 states, while Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey approve civil unions.
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