03-07-11, 02:00 PM
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insignificant data point
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 3,799
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Even when you despair about America
Good stuff still happens:
Gay marriage
Cuomo's pride
The Empire State lets them say: “I do”
THE Stonewall Inn, in New York’s West Village, is famous in gay history as the scene of riots against the police in 1969. On June 26th Roy O’Neill and Michael Gigl stood just across the street from it to watch the city’s Pride march. The couple’s daughter Kiera sat on Mr Gigl’s shoulders for a better view. This year’s march was even more joyous than usual. Some 36 hours earlier, New York had become the sixth and most-populous state to legalise same-sex marriage when the governor, Andrew Cuomo, signed the bill into law. It will go into effect on July 24th. After watching the vote on their sofa, Mr O’Neill and Mr Gigl proposed to each other.
Mr Cuomo cajoled, pressured and tirelessly negotiated to drive the bill through the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. In 2009, the last time the issue went to Albany, it was rejected soundly. Not a single Republican supported it and eight Democrats voted no. This time four Republicans joined 29 Democrats to push it through. One, Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, opposed gay marriage for religious reasons, but could not justify denying to gay couples the 1,324 rights and legal protections the state offers married couples. “Who am I”, he asked, “to say that someone does not have the same rights that I have with my wife?”
Mr Cuomo worked closely with gay-rights groups, consolidated this time under the banner “New Yorkers United for Marriage”. Crucially, Republican consultants advised on strategy and slogans. Republicans also donated to the cause. A group of business leaders, including the heads of Goldman Sachs and Thomson Reuters, advised lawmakers that passage was needed for the state “to remain competitive”. Commercials starring celebrities, athletes, politicians, even Barbara Bush, daughter of George W., pushed for passage of the bill. Most effective were those starring ordinary New Yorkers who had gay family members: parents who wanted to see their son marry his longtime partner, a war veteran who hoped to see his grandson marry as he chose.
The 2m onlookers at the Pride march hugged, hollered and danced. The loudest cheers were reserved for Mr Cuomo. Hundreds of marchers carried signs that read “Promise Kept” on one side and “Thank you Governor Cuomo” on the other. The noise went up several decibels when the police department’s marching band played “Here Comes the Bride”. Gary Payne and Dick Dehn, 54 years together, also earned loud applause as they rode by in a rickshaw. Michael Adams of SAGE, an advocacy group for older gays, says the passage of the law is especially poignant for them. They will now have hospital visitation rights, access to health insurance, tax deductions and relief from estate taxes.
Unfortunately, state law does not trump federal law. Gay married couples are still not eligible for federal benefits. Although Oregon, Maine, Washington and Maryland are considering similar measures, the Defence of Marriage Act forbids federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Even so, Mr Cuomo sees New York as a beacon of social justice and is hopeful that its example will spread. Polls show that a majority of younger voters support marriage equality.
Exemptions were included in the bill for religious organisations, though this did not satisfy Catholic leaders. Brooklyn’s bishop called on parishes to ban gay-marriage supporters from speaking at events. If some churches won’t allow gay weddings, plenty of other places are impatient to get started. A pop-up chapel will be erected in Central Park on July 30th, providing an officiating person and cupcakes. Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, is encouraging people to come to New York City to get married. His tourism office has set up an “NYC-I Do” website. Weddings mean money for the coffers of both city and state. In May some Democratic legislators estimated that wedding goods and services for gay couples would generate $284m over three years for New York. Mr O’Neill and Mr Gigl, together 17 years, plan to get married later this summer. “We’re going to have a small wedding,” says Mr O’Neill, “but a big reception.” Stonewall has become an international icon for gay liberation. Stonewall, an art work by Annie Kennedy in Taylor Square, Sydney is here:
The Stonewall bar, formerly an ANZ bank branch, is across Oxford Street:
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