Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters: Know Your LGBT History - New York passes marriage equality law

A little over a year go, New York passed a bill allowing gay couples to marry. It was a long fight and the victory was well earned by those fighting for it:

So why am I posting this? Because it is a historical moment in gay history and also, just a few hours ago, this happened:

A state appeals court rejected a challenge to New York's year-old same-sex marriage law Friday, ruling closed-door negotiations among senators and gay marriage supporters, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, did not violate any laws.

The Appellate Division of state Supreme Court in Rochester ruled against gay marriage opponents who argued that Republican state senators violated New York's open meeting rules ahead of the law's passage last year.

The marriage law was given final legislative approval by the state Senate after weeks of intensive lobbying and swiftly signed by Cuomo, making New York the largest state to legalize same-sex weddings. Same-sex couples began marrying by the hundreds on July 24, 2011, the day the law became official.

"The court's decision affirms that in our state, there is marriage equality for all, and with this decision New York continues to stand as a progressive leader for the nation," Cuomo said after the court's ruling.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose office argued for the state, called the decision "a great victory for marriage equality."

New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms said Cuomo and another gay marriage supporter, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, met behind closed doors with the Senate's Republican majority in violation of the open meeting law.

The appeals court heard the case after acting state Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins in Livingston County ruled in November that he didn't have enough facts to rule on whether the open meetings law was violated. Wiggins dismissed other grounds for the legal challenge brought by the group.

New York's open meeting law requires public access to the deliberations of legislative bodies, but Schneiderman argued that the Republican caucus with invited guests was exempt, even if the guests aren't in the same party. In a 5-0 ruling, the court agreed.

2 comments:

Anonymous12:02 PM
I think we're starting to see the turning of the tide. The bigots are increasingly finding that their religious basis of animus does not survive the necessity of facts in a courtroom.
Anonymous1:27 PM
Hello Alvin, I have a suggestion for your next KYLGBTH segment. Roddy Bottum and Faith No More. Faith No More is one of the most influential metal bands of the 80s and 90s and when their Keyboardist, Roddy Bottum came out in 92, it was the very first case of an openly gay man in a band considered hard rock/metal and provided inspiration for gay people (like me) who's interested in music not commonly associated with the gay community. Roddy and FNM are often overlooked by the LGBT community. Roddy provided me the courage to come out as FNM helped me through my darkest periods, that I think they deserve an induction into the Know Your LGBT History series. (plus they're singer, Mike Patton is hotter than fuck)

Friday, July 06, 2012

Know Your LGBT History - New York passes marriage equality law

2 comments: