There was bad news in New York State today, where the chance to legalize gay marriage slipped through our fingers. The state Assembly had already passed the bill (for the third time) and Governor David Patterson had promised to sign it into law if the state Senate (which, after the 2008 election, now has a slim Democratic majority) passed it.
Sadly, eight of the thirty two democrats in the Senate chose to vote against the bill, bringing the final vote to 38-24 and leaving the number of states where same sex unions are legal standing at 5.
As with the vote in Maine last month, this sort of thing feels like a slap in the face. It's never fun being told that you are less than everyone else, that your rights can be denied you by politicians. That's just not what America is supposed to be. Shall we vote on mixed gender couple's rights to marry? To have children? The idea is absurd, as should the idea of voting on my rights to marry be.
We will get there, though, and sooner rather than later. Nothing worthwhile is ever given, it has to be demanded, fought for.
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