BREAKING: New York Senate Expected to Vote on Marriage Equality Bill Tuesday

After much speculation on whether or not the New York Senate would finally vote on the state's marriage equality bill, Gov. David Paterson announced that he has called the senate in for a special session Tuesday and has added the bill to the agenda.

From Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle:

November 5, 2009--“Marriage equality has been an issue Governor Paterson has long championed and we are thrilled he has called the State Senate back to Albany next Tuesday and put the marriage equality bill on the agenda. We now expect that we will get the respectful debate and vote that we’ve been waiting for since June.

There is never a wrong time or inconvenient time to debate human rights legislation because it’s always the right time. As long as a group of New Yorkers are being denied equal rights, addressing issues like marriage equality must always be a priority. Support for providing equal rights to LGBT New Yorkers has always been bipartisan, and we expect that this bill will be no different.

We look forward to hearing our lives and our families debated on the Senate floor next Tuesday. It’s now time that each of the 62 State Senators vote their conscience on this bill that has great implications for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in all parts of the state.”

Openly gay Senator Tom Duane, sponsor of the bill, has claimed that he has all the votes needed to get it passed. The bill has already been approved by the state Assembly.

ACTION: If you live in New York, call your senator!

We all eagerly wait to see a victory. It could act as a great sage for the wounds inflicted in Maine.