New York's Fight for Same-Sex Marriage

The New York Times printed a report that the New York state congress may delay a vote on a bill legalizing same-sex marriage until 2011. Why? The reasons are not anything new to our ears - it basically boils down to politics.

The pro-gay governor is newly in office, and many feel that if they delay the vote to 2011, the by-then second term governor will be cleared of political threats and be more active in signing a bill if passed by congress.

Also, the current Democratic congress holds only a slight majority, and they hope if they wait, they can gain more seats for a more assured victory.

The cons of waiting are pissing off us, the same-sex supporters, who donated lots of money to the Democratic campaigns based on their promise of getting this bill to the floor. But also, more striking, if they do bring the bill to the floor and fail, it could set back the movement decades.

Naturally, my inclination is to go for it. After the setback here in California, I'm thirsty for a victory and some encouragement. Yet, if they do go forward, they face obstacles, one of the big ones being three conservative Democrats who will go against a majority leader who supports same-sex marriage. Our allies are going to need our help and support.

Queers United blog has a Call To Action for today, to contact these three Democrats and urge them to vote with the New York Democratic Party. Check out the blog for more information.