Gay Marriage: The NY-State-of-Mind Edition

Wow. Heartened by all the positive gay marriage news out of New York today, where Gov. Cuomo thinks he may finally have the votes for a bill that has been long-stalled in the State Senate.

From former President Bill Clinton the man who signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law as president.

“Our nation’s permanent mission is to form a ‘more perfect union’ — deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community,” Clinton said. “That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have done that, it has strengthened our nation. Now we should do it again, in New York, with marriage equality. For more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.”

From the editorial pages of El Diaro La Prensa, New York’s largest Spanish-language daily. Not surprised that an emphasis of the piece is on supporting friends and family. A nod to our culture.

La homosexualidad es una realidad humana. La mayoría de los neoyorquinos tienen un amigo, colega o pariente gay. Es hora de darles a estas personas la oportunidad de desarrollar familia y construir comunidades. Nuestro gobierno no debe estar en el negocio de decirle a la gente de quien enamorarse o con quien casarse.

And finally, kudos to Unitarian-Universalist Minister Sam Trumbore, for reminding us what this is really all about. The emphasis is mine:

ALBANY -- More than 700 religious leaders throughout New York have pledged to support the passage of a same-sex marriage bill.

Whether the petition signatures of 727 clergymen and lay leaders will help sway the state Senate -- which has historically rejected the legislation -- remains to be seen as advocates work to pass the bill by the end of the legislative session.

Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, said Tuesday the petition reinforces the message that the public embraces same-sex marriage.

The Rev. Samuel Trumbore, a minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany and a Times Union blogger, said same-sex marriage should be viewed as a civil rights issue, not a religious issue.


"If fundamentalists don't want to do same-sex marriages, they don't have to," he said.

As proud as I am to be Unitarian-Universalist, I completely agree that this is fundamentally a civil rights issues, not a religious one. For liberal religious clergy to argue otherwise, is a mistake. So, amen, to that one, Rev. Trumbore!