Governor Paterson held a press conference today introducing legislation to legalize gay marriage in New York. The governor was not the least bit tepid in his strong support of the issue, saying he has been on record as an advocate for same-sex marriage since 1994. The state's first black governor drew a strong connection between the fight for marital rights and the abolition movement, citing the names of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass. Paterson said:
Anyone that’s ever experienced antisemitism or racism, any New Yorker who is an immigrant, who has experienced discrimination, any woman who has faced harassment at work or suffered violence at home, any disabled person who has been mocked or marginalized, understands what we’re talking about here. We have all known the wrath of discrimination. We have all felt the pain and the insult of hatred. This is why we are all standing here today. We stand to tell the world that we want equality for everyone.
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith was not able to be in attendance (Paterson said he only found out about the press conference yesterday). It's not believed that Smith has the votes to pass such a bill. Paterson argued that regardless of the outcome, now is the time for a public vote. He said, “If we take no action, we will surely lose. Maybe we’ve already lost. There is no gain without struggle...We have to have a debate. We have to have a vote.”
Democrats are not expected to be able to pass the bill due in part to opposition from the Gang of Three, an alliance of state senators who have proven meddlesome to Smith since Democrats won control in November. Gang of Three leader Ruben Díaz said that he was especially troubled by the timing of the governor’s announcement coming on the heels of the installation of new Archbishop Timothy Dolan.
When asked about the potential of clashing with the new archbishop and facing an opposition movement led by Dolan, Paterson (also a Catholic) said, "I didn’t know that he was inviting Christ’s army, because I thought I was a member of it — and I’m in favor of gay marriage.”
The topic of faith was also raised by state GOP Chairman Joe Mondello, in regards to Mayor Bloomberg, recently welcomed back to the party (at least for a November run on their line). Bloomberg, a strong supporter of gay marriage, was one of many prominent same-sex marriage advocates in attendance at the press conference. When asked how he felt about that, Mondello said, "Well, what can I tell you? That's going to have to be between him and his God, just like what I do has to be between me and my God."
