Openly gay New York Assemblyman Daniel
O'Donnell has a gay marriage birthday wish.
O'Donnell, who turns 49 today, told us
his birthday wish is that the New York Senate will take action on gay
marriage during an extraordinary session called by Governor David
Paterson, a gay marriage supporter.
I wish “for marriage to pass so I can
finally marry my partner of 29 years,” he said in an email
referring to John Banta. The men met at Catholic University in 1978.
Banta is the director of special events for the Metropolitan Opera.
The pair often appear together at
legislative hearings. “That wasn't accidental,” he told the New
York Times. “I knew if I wanted my colleagues to treat me and
treat my community with equality, they would have to see John and I
through the prism of a relationship.”
O'Donnell, a salt-and-pepper goteed
charmer, sponsored the gay marriage bill approved by the Assembly
earlier this year. While the Senate's democratic leadership has
promised to bring the bill up for a vote before the end of the year,
its prospects for passage remain dim due to lack of Republican
support.
Aside from spending the day in Albany,
O'Donnell would not reveal how he intends to celebrate his birthday,
but we're certain the festivities will include Banta.
Happy birthday, big boy!