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According to the New York Times and other sources, the New York state Senate will be debating the marriage equality bill sometime later today. A big part of the pre-debate negotiations have centered around religious exemption language which you can read here. Watch the debate at this link or in the window below. Check out this Bilerico live blog by Rev. Emily C. Heath for live updates from the Capitol.
Update: The New York Catholic Conference has just released this tone deaf missive:
The Bishops of New York State oppose in the strongest possible terms any attempt to redefine the sacred institution of marriage. The matter of religious exemptions has been and continues to be a secondary issue that in no way negates the fact that this bill is bad for society. We urge all Senators to vote no on Governor Cuomo’s bill. Marriage has always been, is now, and always will be the union of one man and one woman in a lifelong, life-giving union. Government does not have the authority to change this most basic of truths.
It’s no surprise to hear Church representatives say that “Government does not have the authority to change this” since the Church insists that it has the final word in all things, but it is utterly tone deaf to tell legislators that they don’t have the authority to legislate.
Update 2: The Assembly has passed the amendments 82-48. The ball is now 100% in the Senate’s court. Statement from New Yorkers United for Marriage:
Thanks to Assembly Speaker Silver, Assemblymember O’Donnell and their Assembly colleagues – whose long-term support for true marriage equality has been unflagging — New York is one step closer to allowing all New Yorkers the freedom to marry the person they love. The amendment to the Marriage Equality bill that just passed the Assembly will ensure religious liberties are protected without creating any special exceptions that would penalize same-sex couples or treat them unequally. The amendment strikes an appropriate balance that will allow all loving, committed couples to marry while preserving religious freedom. We remain steadfast in our demand that the Senate uphold its obligation to the people of the State of New York and allow a vote on both the marriage equality bill and this amendment before concluding their business and leaving town.
Update 3: NOM capitulating? They’ve switched to “a vote of the people” rhetoric, which they wouldn’t do if they felt they were going to win the Senate vote.
Update 4: The GOP-required amendment just passed 36-26. Now on to the main bill.Our own Clarknt67 just tweeted this picture of a huge banner in front of Stonewall Inn, which reads “New York Loves Gay Marriage”
32 Comments
So according to the religious exemption part of the bill…if I got married in NY, a religious affiliated facility couple turn us away on a honeymoon…but not if we just showed up as a couple of ladies together. LOL.
What a joke…and a bad one at that.
Where are the good Christians condemning the new “special rights” to discriminate? How meek and quiet they and everyone else is.
I’m still looking into this, butI’ve heard that the religious exemptions in this bill are no different than the exemptions that already are allowed for in the state’s anti-discrimination law.
more than doubleAccording to Freedom to Marry, “If the marriage bill passes in New York tonight, it will more than double the number of Americans living in a state with the freedom to marry.”
Seventeen women sitting around herewaiting…..waiting….waiting…
Waiting and watching “Tipping the Velvet”Expected vote time is after midnight.
Anyone’s guess as to the motivation for the scheduling.
Meanwhile, people are napping or watching the movie while we wait…
This is complete bullshitNew York should have been the FIRST to pass marriage equality and we’re lagging behind even frigging Ireland. And now this teasing and waiting because of the goddamn religious assholes. Even if I were heterosexual and wanted to marry, I would NOT marry in a church or even close to a church. And my partner and I sit and wait and wait and wait so we won’t hurt the poor church’s fucking feelings? BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT.
What the Church supported based upon scripture:The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith(Ratzinger’s old post) rules on all moral and dogmatic matters in the Catholic Church, subordinate only to the Pope. The Bishop’s opposition to our rights is akin to this 1866 statement from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: “Slavery itself . . . is not at all contrary to the natural and divine law. . . The vendor should do nothing which might endanger the life, virtue, or Catholic faith of the slave.”
That’s not the only reason for the “vote of the people” schtick.NOM has more reasons for pushing the “vote of the people” trope than opposing marriage equality. Ultimately, they want to eliminate all legal protections for anyone they don’t approve of — and they’re convinced that in a number of those cases, they could raise enough money to convince 50%+1 of the population to go along with them, even if they couldn’t get a legislative body or the courts to agree. The “vote of the people” being held up as the final, unassailable authority is their method of rolling back every right of every group they don’t approve of, not just marriage.
Lets put tolerance of Judaism up for a vote in AlabamaAfter all, the will of the people is more important than how “activist Judges” in 1803 interpreted the Constitution.
And lets put Spanish as a first lanugage and official language up for a vote in the Bronx.
They won’t get very far with that in NYsince because
Not going to happen in NY.
Even if that COULD happen hereThe likelihood is slim. New Yorkers are in favor of equality by a wide margin that’s only growing.
Now that’s just silly.You know darn well that groups like NOM won’t believe in the rights of the majority the instant the majority want’s something that they don’t like – like brown people thinking for themselves.
New Yorkers would definitely vote FOR gay marriageso NOM and Maggie, leave us the fuck alone. Your shit won’t wash here. Take Diablo Diaz with you next time.
Does anyone knowis there an option to make this go to a public vote on whether or not to discriminate, like has happened in Maine. Can they do such a referendum? Or if this passes, is it solid?
highly unlikelyhere is what would be required:
How evil…So that’s what all the talk about inseverability thing was about, then want to rid gay marriage if the religious exemptions are struck down.
Did Gay Marriage just pass?I hear cheering!
no, but a needed amendment just did!
ACCORDING TO THE NY TIMES“PASSAGE SEEMS ASSURED”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just an amendmentfrom what I’m hearing, not the main bill yet. Although apparently this amendment is good news for getting the right on more board?
BREAKING NEWS FROM TIMESGay Marriage Gains Critical Vote in New York State Senate; Passage Appears Assured.
I see….Thanks, both of you!!!
@Senator DiazWOW, it’s almost hilarious how much trouble he’s causing…
I sure hope so…I’m trying not to get my hopes up until it really passes so it wont hurt as much if it fails, but I can’t help it… I’m really starting to believe this might actually pass.
unbelievable. he’s throwing a tantrumwhat an embarrassement for bronx
We in the Bronx AREembarrassed by Diablo Diaz.
I don’t get it…If the other side is acting childish, I always try to play nice to make my side look like the good side. Seems to me that Senator Duane should just cut his speech short and smile.
And whining about the Senate President taking away his rights. Unbelievable!
Even the Digital Cuttlefish is weighing in
New York State of Bliss
That’s what they’re trying to change, though.For NOM, there can be no legal recourse against a single vote of 50%+1 of voters on any given election day — because such a vote is entirely synonymous with “the will of the people” which is absolutely sovereign and must be deferred to by all branches of government. Within the next few years, they’ll at least be toying with the idea of bringing a case to support what they’re already claiming in their publicity materials: that sovereignty can be entirely established by a bare majority of voters on any given day, and that neither the courts nor Congress have the legal authority to overrule such a decision. Unfortunately, unless one of the reactionaries on the SCOTUS retires between now and when such a case appears, we’re in danger of having reactionary initiatives become the law of the land across the U.S.
33 to 29 Did we win?
We won!