New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand
and Chuck Schumer have recorded videos urging New Yorkers to support
gay marriage.
“Every generation in America has
stood up against the injustice of their day, this is our moment, this
is our fight. We must stand up against the inequality and fight for
justice for all,” Gillibrand says in her 30-second spot. (The
video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
“Some say politicians have a hard
time getting to the point, but I don't, so I won't mince words. All
New Yorkers should have the freedom to marry the one they love,”
Schumer says in his ad.
“The time has come for marriage
equality in the Empire State,” the senior senator adds.
The senator's ads are part of an
ongoing campaign that features prominent celebrities and politicians,
including Hollywood
couple Ethan and Ryan Hawke, Robert
F. Kennedy, Jr., and actress
Fran Drescher. The campaign, backed by the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, hopes to build
momentum on the issue now, ahead of a hoped-for second attempt to
legalize the institution later this year.
“The two senators from New York join
the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign at a pivotal moment in
the fight for equal rights,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese in a
statement. “The senators' messages of fairness and equality
represent the views of their constituents, the fair-minded people of
New York. With an increasing number of lawmakers in New York
supporting marriage equality, full equality is on the horizon.”
Last week, two
former New York City mayors – Ed Koch and David Dinkins – joined
Michael Bloomberg, the city's current mayor, in recording videos for
the campaign.