I hope the New York Times and Andrew Cuomo are correct in the prediction that the GOP controlled New York State Senate will ultimately pass a gay marriage bill. Passage would be all the sweeter because it would be a slap in the face to Archbishop Timothy "Porky Pig" Dolan (as I will henceforth call him) who has made ever effort to make sure all New Yorkers live in accordance with the religious beliefs of child rapist enablers like himself. I applaud the fact that Cuomo has called out the Catholic Church on its disingenuous screed that gay marriage threatens religious freedom. It is the Catholic Church, not gay marriage that threatens religious freedom not only in New York but in every state where the Church is lavishly spending to curtail the civil rights of LGBT Americans. Obviously, if New York State passes same sex marriage, the pressure on other states - such as the backwards cesspool known as Virginia - will increase markedly. In the interim, the hysteria of the Christian Taliban will continue to rise. Here are highlights from the Times story:*
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Friday that he expected same-sex marriage legislation to be approved before the end of the legislative session next week, and indicated that to win passage of the measure he is prepared to yield to Republican concerns for greater protections of religious groups.
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“I am a proponent of marriage equality, and I’m working very hard to make that a reality in New York,” Mr. Cuomo told reporters on Friday as lawmakers prepared to go home for the weekend. “I am also a proponent of religious freedom, and separation of church and state, so these are both very important principles. I don’t see one in competition with the other.”
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With signs pointing to a vote on the marriage issue in the State Senate next week, there are widespread expectations that it will pass. A number of Republicans are said to prefer that the matter not be allowed to come up for a vote, but 31 of the Senate’s 62 members have expressed support for the measure, including two Republicans.
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Senator Stephen M. Saland, a Hudson Valley Republican who is seen as one of the most likely tie-breaking votes, is one of the lead negotiators for the Senate Republicans over the marriage issue. Both the governor and the Republicans described negotiations as cordial and productive.
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Mr. Cuomo did not address specific concerns in his comments to reporters, but said he was prepared to respond to the Senate’s concerns. “They want to make sure that the line between church and state is intact and is clear, and that however the state defines marriage is the state’s business and it will not be imposed on a religion,” he said.
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The exemptions Senate Republicans are seeking are similar to those in the same-sex marriage law in New Hampshire, a model that Senate Republicans have studied. Same-sex marriage advocates appear willing to agree to language changes to make a deal.
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Ross D. Levi, the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, said: “The states that have passed either marriage or civil unions have a range from either nothing — Iowa and Massachusetts have no religious exemptions — to very, very extensive, and I think what the governor is working on is finding that balance. And I agree that it’s appropriate to find that balance.”
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Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, the state’s top Roman Catholic leader, called in to an Albany radio talk show to warn that the proposed legislation posed an “ominous threat” to society.
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Likening the prohibition on same-sex marriage to earlier bans on interracial marriage, Mr. Cuomo said he was encouraged after talks with Republican lawmakers and confident that a marriage measure and his broader agenda would both be approved next week. “This state has a proud tradition and a proud legacy as the progressive capital of the nation,” he said in a hallway outside his office. “We led the way, and it’s time for New York to lead the way once again.”
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