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NY politicians join gays in same-sex marriage rally
New York, March 01: A stream of local politicians joined some 200 gay demonstrators on the steps of New York`s city hall on Sunday to demand that Mayor Michael Bloomberg clear the way for marriage licenses for same-sex couples.
New York, March 01: A stream of local politicians joined some 200 gay demonstrators on the steps of New York's city hall on Sunday to demand that Mayor Michael Bloomberg clear the way for marriage licenses for same-sex couples.
City council speaker Gifford Miller yesterday led a procession
of council members and New York state assembly members urging
Bloomberg to recognize the equal rights of gays and instruct the
city clerk to begin issuing marriage licenses to them.
''In this city of tolerance, diversity and unity, it is past time that mayor Bloomberg give the civil right of marriage to same-sex couples,'' said Miller.
The small village of New Paltz, about 130 km north of Manhattan, on Friday became the first in New York state to perform same-sex marriages, following the lead of San Francisco, which has conducted more than 3,300 gay weddings in the past two weeks.
''It is simply wrong that a gay or lesbian couple who have made a lifetime commitment to each other do not have the right to express that commitment through marriage that my wife and I have.''
Carrying signs saying, ''Stop the hate”, and ''Let my people Marry”, demonstrators cheered the politicians, who said a city council resolution demanding equal rights for gay marriage was in the works.
The local legislators said it was within Bloomberg's power to provide for gay marriage in America's most populous city, even though Gov. George Pataki said on Friday that state law defines marriage as ''between a man and a woman”.
Bloomberg told a local radio station on Friday he had no plans to offer gay marriage in New York.
One gay couple, holding a sign saying, ''28 years in love - equality now”, said they planned to emigrate to Canada if President George W. Bush is successful in his campaign for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
''We've been together half a lifetime,'' said architect Timothy Hare. ''Now we're about to become unconstitutional.''
''Imagine, we have to go somewhere else to be free,'' said his partner, clergyman David Bell. Bureau Reoprt
''In this city of tolerance, diversity and unity, it is past time that mayor Bloomberg give the civil right of marriage to same-sex couples,'' said Miller.
The small village of New Paltz, about 130 km north of Manhattan, on Friday became the first in New York state to perform same-sex marriages, following the lead of San Francisco, which has conducted more than 3,300 gay weddings in the past two weeks.
''It is simply wrong that a gay or lesbian couple who have made a lifetime commitment to each other do not have the right to express that commitment through marriage that my wife and I have.''
Carrying signs saying, ''Stop the hate”, and ''Let my people Marry”, demonstrators cheered the politicians, who said a city council resolution demanding equal rights for gay marriage was in the works.
The local legislators said it was within Bloomberg's power to provide for gay marriage in America's most populous city, even though Gov. George Pataki said on Friday that state law defines marriage as ''between a man and a woman”.
Bloomberg told a local radio station on Friday he had no plans to offer gay marriage in New York.
One gay couple, holding a sign saying, ''28 years in love - equality now”, said they planned to emigrate to Canada if President George W. Bush is successful in his campaign for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
''We've been together half a lifetime,'' said architect Timothy Hare. ''Now we're about to become unconstitutional.''
''Imagine, we have to go somewhere else to be free,'' said his partner, clergyman David Bell. Bureau Reoprt