Gay marriage is coming to New York in
late July.
Unlike most states that have recognized
gay and lesbian unions, either with civil unions, domestic
partnerships or marriage, the marriage legislation approved by the
New York Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo
on Friday will go in effect after only 30 days.
That's a brief engagement when compared
to most states where such laws have gone into effect 3-6 months or
later after being approved.
Cuomo, who personally campaigned for
the measure, signed the gay marriage bill soon after its passage in
the Senate on Friday.
“This state, when it is at its
finest, is a beacon for social justice,” Cuomo told supporters on
Friday. “The gay rights movement was birthed at Stonewall. And
what this state said today brings this discussion of marriage
equality to a new plane. That's the power and the beauty of New
York. The other states look to New York for the progressive
direction.”
“I'm always proud to be a New
Yorker,” he added, “but tonight I'm especially proud to be a New
Yorker.”
Passage in the Senate came after nearly
two weeks of hand-wringing by the chamber's Republican caucus who
couldn't decide whether to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
In the end, four Republicans crossed
the aisle to join all but one Democrat, Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. of the
Bronx, to approve the measure and make New York the sixth – and
most populous – state in the nation to legalize gay marriage.
Jubilant crowds that lined the hallways
of the Senate cheered the news and crowds
in the West Village of New York City celebrated in the streets near
the Stonewall Inn, considered the birthplace of the modern gay
rights movement.