Cory Booker: New Jersey Will Legalize Gay Marriage

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has said he's proud of President Barack Obama's recent endorsement of gay marriage, adding that he is hopeful that New Jersey will legalize such unions.

Booker was the headline speaker at the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 16^th Annual National Dinner held Saturday at the Walter E. Washington convention center in Washington D.C.

Booker spoke passionately on civil rights for about 20 minutes.

“I get in weird conversations with my friends,” Booker told an estimated 3,000 people. “'Why you always talking about gay rights?' I said, 'I'm not talking about gay rights. I'm talking about human rights. I'm talking about my rights. I'm talking about your rights.'”

“When people were fighting to expand the promise of this country, it took everybody involved, 'cause we knew we were all in it together. That deep and real African proverb was clearly true in our history that says, 'If you want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go together.'”

“And so now, it's time we go together.”

Booker said he was a “prisoner of hope,” then added that New Jersey would join the states with marriage equality.

“And when that bill is signed, I may have a very good seat for it.”

“I'm so proud of my president for all he has done in this cause and I will work until the last hour to see President Barack Obama re-elected,” he later added. (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.)

At the annual benefit, the NAACP and its president, Ben Jealous, received the group's National Equality Award. Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field was presented with the group's Ally for Equality Award.