[WSJ]N.Y. Lawmakers Set To Vote on Gay-Marriage Bill

阿泰UID: 209473

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303339904576406201312879150.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

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建议转帖“寄托鹊桥”。
:)

阿泰UID: 209473

你回来的早了

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http://www.economist.com/blogs/d ... 011/06/gay-marriage
Gay marriage
New York says "I do"

Jun 27th 2011, 13:00 by R.W. | NEW YORK

TIMING is everything. Forty-two years, almost to the day, after the Stonewall riots (often credited as the catalyst of the contemporary gay-rights movement); some 36 hours before the gay-pride march; and two years after a failed attempt, New York became the sixth and most populous state to legalise same-sex marriage. Late Friday night New York's senate passed the Marriage Equality bill by a 33-29 vote. New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, who made gay marriage a top priority of his first term, signed it into law at 11:55 pm. It will go into effect on July 24th.

The Senate is Republican-controlled, and the bill passed when four Republicans joined the 29 Democrats who supported it. One, Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, opposed gay marriage for religious reasons, but could not justify denying equal rights to gay couples. He told his fellow politicians that as a Catholic brought up to think marriage was between a man and woman, he struggled with the decision. "I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage. Who am I to say that someone does not have the same rights that I have with my wife, who I love, or to have the 1,300-plus rights that I share with her?" (Mr Grisanti was referring to the 1,324 state benefits afforded to married couples.) Roy McDonald, another Republican from upstate New York, told reporters on June 16th that he was going to support same-sex marriage, and that everything is not black and white or good and bad. "I'm trying to do the right thing," he said.*

For months, Mr Cuomo cajoled, pressured, leaned on and in recent weeks enthusiastically negotiated with legislators to get the bill passed. When it did, he called New York a beacon for social justice. Republicans and Democrats agree the bill would not have been passed without Mr Cuomo's guidance. He worked closely with gay-rights groups who spent millions on the advocacy campaign. In 2009 supporters of same-sex marriage were riven by divisions and infighting; this time they worked under a single banner, “New Yorkers United for Marriage", and they worked with Republican consultants. Commercials featuring athletes, politicians and celebrities advocating support for the bill flooded the airwaves. The most effective were the ones starring regular New Yorkers with gay relatives: the parents who wanted their son to marry his long-time partner, a second-world-war veteran who wants to see his grandson marry whomever he wants.  

The 2m energetic onlookers at Sunday’s gay-pride march down Fifth Avenue hugged, hollered, danced and cheered. One onlooker observed, “This year has more energy than other years.”  Loud cheers were directed at an elderly gay couple, sitting in a rickshaw, celebrating 54 years together. Many other couples dressed in bridal gear were greeted enthusiastically by the watching crowd. One happy fellow wore a bridal skirt and a tuxedo jacket. The noise went up several decibels when New York’s police department’s marching band played “Here Comes the Bride”.  The loudest cheers were reserved for Mr Cuomo who was accompanied by Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, who waved a rainbow flag, and by Christine Quinn, the openly gay New York City Council Speaker. Hundreds of marchers carried signs that read “Promise Kept” on one side and “Thank you Governor Cuomo” on the other.

In 2009, the last time the bill was sent to Albany, it was rejected soundly. Not a single Republican supported it and eight Democrats voted no. One noted that 73% of his constituents were opposed to gay marriage in 2009, but this year 80% supported it. Recent polls show that nearly 60% of New Yorkers are in favour of same-sex marriage. Nationally, the number supporting marriage equality hovers around 50%, but polls also show that a majority of younger voters support it. Success in New York will undoubtedly help give advocates a boost in Oregon, Maine, Washington and Maryland, all of which are considering similar measures.

Essential to New York’s passage were measures exempting religious organisations from having to participate in same-sex marriages and protecting them from discrimination lawsuits. Still, this did not satisfy Catholic leaders. Nicolas DiMarzio, bishop of Queens and Brooklyn, said that “Governor Cuomo has opened a new front in the culture wars that are tearing at the fabric of our nation.” He also called on Catholic schools and parishes to ban gay-marriage supporters from speaking at their events. Timothy Dolan, New York's archbishop, lambasted lawmakers for tampering “with a definition as old as human reason”. But polls show a disconnect between the beliefs of Catholic hierarchy and those of parishioners: a poll taken in May found that 64% of American Catholics say homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with 58% of all Americans.

Catholic churches will probably remain gay-wedding free for some time, but marriages at restaurants, hotels and catering halls are likely to begin later this summer. And, according to a 2009 report by the New York City comptroller, gay marriages could generate up to $210m for the state's economy over three years.

* Initially we reported Mr McDonald's quote as, "Well, fuck it. I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing." He was directing at least part of that quote to reporters pestering him about same-sex marriage.

阿泰UID: 209473

我觉得我们法律版有必要招一位女斑竹了。。。

duijinxiaoziUID: 2585955

我觉得我们法律版有必要招一位女斑竹了。。。
阿泰 发表于 2011-6-30 11:00

你想去泰国，把自己XX了？

duijinxiaoziUID: 2585955

我觉得我们法律版有必要招一位女斑竹了。。。
阿泰 发表于 2011-6-30 11:00

是应该找一个。