Man and Mike

As many people are now aware, New York state is now the sixth, and most populated state to legalize gay marriage. Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed the bill which would legalize the marriage of same sex couples back in April. The bill was slow to be approved by most of the conservative majority, needing only one vote to be instated at the beginning of last week. Many Republicans were worried about churches not receiving enough religious protections, which would allow religious groups to deny homosexual couples the right to be married in their houses of worship.

Many legislators were left on the fence due to these protections. Finally Senators Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, and James Alesi of Rochester decided to vote for the bill giving it the majority it needed. This victory for the LGBT community could not have come at a more perfect moment for the individuals in New York City. The success of the bill coincided with the gay pride parade in the city and was marked with an air of success said attendees. While the newly engaged couples were marching down the streets of NYC, religious groups and conservatives were mourning the loss they had been dealt. Many conservatives were upset that they were being regarded to as "bigots" or being compared to the opponents of the civil rights movement. Others were left feeling that they had still not been left with enough protection.

Cuomo and other politicians of the state are proud of New York. They believe the event will encourage other lawmakers to begin pushing for same sex marriage in their own states and that the states will soon be supportive of gay couples throughout the nation.