New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has
invited about a dozen leading advocates to discuss how to legalize
gay marriage in the state, the New York Times reported.
Cuomo signaled his support for marriage
equality during last year's election.
Invited to Wednesday's meeting are New
York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, who is openly gay;
Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) Brian Ellner; Empire State Pride Agenda
Executive Director Ross D. Levi; and Equality Matters President
Richard Socarides.
Also attending are lawmakers who have
sponsored gay marriage bills in the past, including Assemblyman
Daniel O'Donnell and Senator Tom Duane, both of whom are openly gay.
Backers have remained busy after the
Senate rejected a gay marriage bill in 2009.
Fight
Back New York, a campaign to oust senators who opposed the bill,
has
been credited for some ballot box defeats. And an HRC-backed
campaign urging New Yorkers to support gay marriage has attracted
nationwide attention for its use of celebrity endorsements,
particularly
Barbara Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush and a
Republican.
Voters, however, turned over control of
the Senate to Republicans on November 2, making passage of a gay
marriage bill in the chamber less likely.