Gay Marriage Approved by New York Senate
 

ALBANY — Lawmakers voted late Friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples will be able to wed, and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/ny...rk-senate.html

My excitement is tempered by Huffington Post's total screw up! They broke the story and then retracted mysteriously. I'm still not convinced it's officially, but my Facebook people are saying it is!

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Apparently NPH's boyfriend proposed shortly after this.
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I have a lot of NPH gifs O.o

It's legit!! Just has to be signed by the governor, but that shouldn't be an issue.

Yay for progress and equality!

I was reading a CNN article this morning about Google's logo for pride, and the comments were really disheartening as far as the amount of homophobia and outright hatred that people still harbor. The more steps like this we take, and the sooner our kids will earn about discrimination based on sexual orientation the same way we learned about segregation and civil rights (Our society really did that?? what were we thinking??)

I have numerous LGBT friends and family, and am a proud ally :) well done NY!

^^ Never read the comments. It makes you want to harm someone

I know, I should know better! Comments sections are like bait for all of the crazies :rolleyes:

It's kind of sad that this is news. I had some friends over who were checking on this while they were over and I was telling them that same-sex marriage should be a given, not something that people have to vote on to "allow" :rolleyes:

Absofragginglutely.

I live in Connecticut, where same-sex marriage has been legal for a few years now. I'm glad to see New York has legalized same-sex marriage (though doesn't the governor still have to sign the bill? I'm not sure). I'm married to a man (and have been for nearly 12 years) but I'm glad I live in a state where, if I had happened to fall in love with a woman, I could marry her.

Sad story: Last fall, a lesbian couple joined our synagogue. One of the women had given birth to two boys, and they were of an age to be enrolled in religious school. The other woman had just had a baby girl. They had a baby naming for her, and they had a renewal of vows - from their perspective a renewal of their civil union vows, and from Hartford's perspective, their marriage. But they've left the congregation ... I believe it was because of anti-same-sex sentiments. :mad:

I currently live in the Netherlands, the first country in the world to legalize it (10 years ago this year). Most people here genuinely don't care or are smart enough not to say anything. If dominantly religious countries like Spain, Argentina and Mexico can support gay marriage, why can't the U.S.?

Judging by the people I know, it's because way too many people in this country can't seem to understand that legal marriage and religious marriage are not the same thing. They have been convinced (by their pastors, by conservative news media, by their own prejudices, etc.) that legalizing gay marriage means their churches will be forced to do the same.

Awesome news!!!!!

Anddd it's signed!

Some news sources started announcing that it had passed when the religious exception amendment to the bill passed. Once that was passed, it was assured that the Marriage Equality bill was going to pass as well.

I was out last night and the celebration was pretty intense--in part because it's Pride weekend here in NYC and a lot of people are out partying anyway. Lady Gaga's "Born this Way" was blasting out of cars and apartments, and people who knew were psyched.

I wish the people who are super religious and judgmental would understand this! What's that whole thing about let he who is without sin cast the first stone?

In the case of Huffington Post, they actually announced it as having passed, then removed the article from the website and replaced it with the religious exemption announcement. I saved both articles for posterity, because the first one is no longer available on the site. Now, there's a longer version of the first article that replaced both previous articles, which I have also saved.

^ I think you're misreading, Mitch.

Ditto. I think it's being misread too. The way I look at it the casting the first stone refers to
Before you go and judge someone else, get your own house in order and MYODB!

I'm SO stoked this passed. It's about damn time

I don't think he's misreading. We should say what we mean instead of using imprecise idioms which could be harmful more than helpful.

No offense to sceniczip, of course.

Yep. I'll go ahead and open the can of worms: There are people that believe that being gay is sinful. Honestly, I don't think it's any more appropriate to try and change their minds on that then them trying to convince someone that they shouldn't be gay. In the end, as long as either side aren't violating someone else's right to choose what they believe, what difference does it make? You can still love and respect someone without agreeing with all of their beliefs and choices, and we aren't the ones with final judgement anyway.

I agree.

Saying "let 'he' who is without sin cast the first stone" is completely different than saying "homosexuality is not a sin."

I am okay being friends/respecting people who believe that homosexual acts are sinful, provided their attitudes toward it are the same as toward anything else they consider sinful (lying, not giving enough to charity, etc.). I disagree with them, but we can agree to disagree, the same as we might agree to disagree about any number of other topics. I refuse to be friends with anyone who believes that being homosexual in and of itself is a sin. That's beyond my limit of tolerance.

I agree. I shouldn't be expected to tolerate someone who doesn't accept me.

I don't agree with the distinction between being of a particular sexual orientation and the acts. Just as there are heterosexuals who do not act on it for whatever reasons, there are homosexuals who do not act on it. However, the freedom to act on it in a consensual manner and "go beyond the bedroom" is what this is about as far as I'm concerned. When people say "I'm fine with it as long as 'they' keep it away from me and I don't have to see it," I just cringe and I think about when I was younger and felt the same way because I was going based on what I was raised to believe.

With that said, I would lose many friends and family if I refused to be close to people who believe homosexuality itself is a sin. That includes those who believe homosexual acts are a sin because I think it's impossible to be openminded to an orientation if you believe that acting on the orientation is a sin.

So, I will continue to love and interact with my family and friends who believe that all of it is a sin and I will continue to respond when they make comments around me. They are free to feel however they feel and to express it; and so am I. That's how my family, friends, and I operate.

This.
If you choose to tolerate someone with those views, because they are family, or whatever it is one thing, but it is not an obligation to offer 'respect' to someone who condemns who you are.

It's quite a bit easier when one is not a member of the targeted population to 'tolerate' bigotry. And yet it is the minority itself that is expected to 'tolerate' the most. At some point it's just not healthy.

/not out to family because I don't at this point want to face that.

YEAH NEW YORK! Cali should be right behind...hopefully!

The problem with bigotry is it has become political. When gay marriage is no longer a political issue and more of a personal opinion then it becomes easier to separates the bigots from the others.

Nah, I disagree. I think it's pretty easy to tell. There's an underlying bigotry in even the political positions. Kind of similar to the underlying misogyny and classism in cutting funding to Planned Parenthood when none of the funding goes towards abortions. It's not really political it's ideological and it's still bigotry.

it's too bad the governnment feels it has any business in marriage at all.

Is it misogyny, or is it "Because this side supports it, I'm gonna vilify it so I can get elected?"

If you're willing to throw basic healthcare for women out the window for a political point, you're being misogynistic. If you're willing to throw basic healthcare for poor women in particular out the window you're also being classist.

Everyone judges, and everyone sins. Everyone.

It says in Romans 3:23 that we all fall short. It aggravates me when people try to push their opinions on someone else as if their way is the right way and the only way. That's dumb. Although I believe that a man is for a woman and a woman is for a man, I don't have a problem with same sex relationships. If that's what makes them happy and it's not affecting you, then leave them alone and worry about your own.

I had my first debate that became an argument (because the person really really really wanted something to be angry about) regarding this. I said what I had to say and let the person rant, rave, and get angry on their own. It was actually quite predictable and amusing from start to finish. Everything this person said was so cliche` that I just sat on the phone while watching HGTV.

"God bless us, everyone."
~ Tiny Tim

I missed something.

Good for you.

ETA: Are you just sharing that you missed something or are you expecting something in return? LOL.

If homosexuality is a sin, Why Can't I Own a Canadian?

Just sharing. I get exactly what you are saying, at the same time though I still missed it.

Too bad I don't get what you're saying. LOL.

I love the West Wing episode that is linked at the end.

I would email that episode to some people but I'm going to leave people alone for right now.

If you're willing to think that its your money to do whatever you please with, then you're stupid.

If you support Planned Parenthood...give money to it! But don't make me pay for it. Same goes for every service paid for by the government.