New York, the the birthplace of the gay and lesbian rights movement in the United States, legalised same-sex marriage on Friday; just two days before the city celebrated its 42nd annual gay pride parade on Sunday. The annual parade commemorates the so-called Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, where patrons at the historic Stonewall Inn, a gay-friendly bar, spontaneously fought back when it was raided by police.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed the gay-marriage into law late Friday night after the Republican-led state Senate voted 33-29 to pass it.
The Marriage Equality Act, which will take effect on Jul 24, allows gender-neutral marriages for both same- and opposite-sex couples, while prohibiting state and local courts and governments from penalising religious and religious-supervised institutions, their employees, or clergy for refusing to sanctify or recognise marriages in contradiction with their religious doctrines, or for refusing to provide services and accommodations for such weddings.
"New York has finally torn down the barrier that has prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a written statement shortly after the vote.
"With the world watching, the Legislature, by a bipartisan vote, has said that all New Yorkers are equal under the law. With this vote, marriage equality will become a reality in our state, delivering long overdue fairness and legal security to thousands of New Yorkers."
According to reports, the passage of the bill would literally double to 11 percent the number of US citizens who live in states where same-sex marriage is legal. New York follows Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and the District of Columbia to allow gay marriage.
Couples will be granted the more than 1,000 state marriage benefits that straight couples receive, but they are not eligible for federal marriage benefits under the Defense of Marriage Act passed by the US Congress in 1996.
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The bottom or the top? LOL
RAISE UP YOUR HAND!
I DO! I DO! I DO!
I would rather the state stay out of personal relationships.
Well Done, New Yorkers. Congratulations !
not sure if there will be real changes but maybe this is the first step
we do have our own values, don't we? and these values don't need to be legalized or acknowledged by somebody else...
I don't mean to be "ethno centric American" but I am surprised that this story was not posted sooner, like 24 hours sooner.......the news has been out since Saturday ...................
It is a huge huge win for gay/queer civil rights in the world.
Just wondering who will be the 1st couple to get married there.
Hopefully there will be more cities following this BIG step of change. We can make it happens :)
Make no mistake... this was a big-time defeat for opponents of same-sex marriage, who have spent millions of dollars in their efforts to make gay marriage illegal. Making their defeat even more humiliating is that this was a legislative decision, enacted by NY State lawmakers, not a judicial decision handed down from a court. Even sweeter, it was passed by a Republican-majority assembly. My head is still spinning.
I feel confident that, in time, the Prop 8 nonsense in California will be overturned, too. Gay marriage WILL eventually be legalized nationwide in the US. We're a slow bunch when it comes to REAL equality, particularly for a nation supposedly founded on its very bedrock. Women didn't get the right to vote until the 1920s, some 150 years after the creation of America, and civil rights for black people took even longer.
We'll get there.
(As a friendly P.S., I've talked to a number of people here -- Malaysia -- who don't know that New York is actually a state, not just New York City... so this decision affects millions more than those in NYC.)
@32; maybe NPH? :D
"why must apply male-female unionship values into male-male unionship life?
we do have our own values, don't we? and these values don't need to be legalized or acknowledged by somebody else..."
I am sure you do not know the actual meaning of gay marriage in the eyes of law. It has nothing to do with proving to anyone about marriage. You have to do the research about what are the main purpose of gay marriage, then you will know it is not about marriage, it is far more than just a piece of paper.
The latest case of victim of not being able to be protected by gay marriage law is as follow:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/us/2011/06/28/ia.same.sex.couples.face.deport.cnn.html
Take a deep look. Isn't about proving to anyone about their wonderful 11 years together. When you are not recognized in the eyes of law. You are no body in the eyes of law and society. One day when your lover is about to die in a hospital, only closed family or spouse can be on his bed site. For example, If you have a boyfriend of 15 years living together, you CANNOT close to him in a hospital bed because you are not his closed family or spouse. You cannot sign legal paper when he is not able to make a decision for his emergency treatment in hospital. That means you will see him suffering without much help you can help him. When he dies, the house and stuffs that you both share and bought, you have to be forced to sell them or move out by the court if he does not leave you his will under your name. Unless both of you were married and recognized by Federal laws.
Can you imagine how sad Takako has to face because of her marriage does not recognize by USA Federal laws? She has to pack and go back to Japan with two luggage and leave her love of 11 years behind. When can they be able living together again? Perhaps years, they have to be apart from each other. SO SAD. Do you see the meaning of gay marriage now? Dear #27.
However, that option must first be open to everyone regardless of gender and orientation. So if gay marriage is allowed, and you are gay, you can totally not subscribe to it and not get married. But for gay people who want to get married and for whom marriage is important, then yes, they can have that option.
So for all the nay sayers and party poopers who don't think it is important, I get you. But can you at least get yourselves out of the way and see that other people can find it important?
Gay people, whether the state permits it or not, has always had their own relationships, have sex even when sodomy is illegal in their country. So why should it matter right?
It matters because the individual matters. Because we are citizens and we have a say in absolutely everything in our environment. Because the individual does not exist in a vaccum, we are daughters, sons, sisters, brothers, and we are all citizens.
Theoretically, we are free. But in real life, we are citizens subject to state, federal or national and international laws. We need passports, there are laws governing marriages, privileges, benefits and restrictions. And these need to be inclusive. People can choose not to subscibe to them, if the option is open to them. But the option must at least be open. Gay marriage needs to exist. Gay don't have to get married. But at least, if they want to, they can.
This is what free choice is about. This is what diversity is about. This is what democracy is about.
Allowing gay marriage is actually the state not intervening. State intervention is actually manifested in the restriction of gay marriage. It is rather clear. Two men or women in a stable and committed relationship would like to concretised their committment in a socially and legally recognised manner. The state says, 'nope, you are are not a man and a woman, so you can't get married'. That is intervention.
Now, in NY, the state actually does not care if you want to get married or not, whether you are one man one woman, or two men or two women. The state says, 'sure.' That, is non-intervention.
Marriage is a religious institution only if you insist that you need to be married in a religious institution and want the recognition of the religious order.
Otherwise, marriage is simply a state where two people come together in an agreement to be committed in a relationship that is legally binding. The legal element is important because it allows for the creation of a family unit, whether or not you decide to have children. If I die, it ensures my partner can be by my side in the hospital, along with my birth family. It ensures that, my family who may homophobic, or the law or even the state cannot come and take what I have shared with my partner, from her. Yes, we are individuals and yes, our relationships do not need recognition for it to be important, but we are also citizens and subject to society and government.
post # 47&48 'plino85' your words are so true.
If marriage is not the desire of some, doesnt mean it shouldnt be a right for others.
I understand your country will NEVER give you the right for gay marriage. Please read #45, 46.47 48.49,52,& 53. Open your mind even you will never have a chance in your Muslim country. Be supportive for Equality right. Straight people do not have to get married too because no one force them, it has to apply to gay people. It is a personal choice. If state intervenes gay people to get married, it will become unfair to their basic human right.
The below is the Canadian Equality Rights in our Chartered of Rights and Freedom.
Equality Rights
EQUALITY BEFORE AND UNDER LAW AND EQUAL PROTECTION AND BENEFIT OF LAW / Affirmative action programs.
15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
(2) Subsection (1) does not preclude any law, program or activity that has as its object the amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups including those that are disadvantaged because of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.
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