So after a long battle gay marriage is legal in New York. The bill passed with a 33-29 State Senate vote. Governor Andrew Cuomo made it a campaign promise when he was running for governor. This is a major victory for him that will probably make his ratings increase ten fold, but that is beside the point.
Even though I do not have a personal stake in this, I have quite a few friends that do and I am sure they are ecstatic over this historic moment. For me, I am a heterosexual Muslim female who leans towards the Republican side of politics. In so many ways I should be against gay marriage. However, it is the very essence of those things that define me--(being Muslim, being Republican) that make me say how can this be so? How can it be that decades upon decades the fight for equal rights has been going on and yet not much ha been accomplished? In Islam, it is strictly against the religion to be openly gay (well to be gay at all.) In my opinion, though it religion that should lead the example on how to treat people. Why is that someone who has a different sexual orientation viewed differently in society? Was it not God that created all us? Not the State of New York? Not the United States of America? So, if God was the one who created us then it is in no power or right of the State of New York or the United States to deem who should and should not have the right to marry! (Hello, one of the main principles that this country is supposedly following is the separation of Church and State.)
The bill was signed on Friday and it made NY the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. Even though the bill does not go into effect until the middle of July, people are already celebrating! The population will double for whom gay marriage is legal in the U.S. This is a shocking statistic. Obviously, there is a very large population in New York that will be ecstatic to take part in this defining moment in the move towards social justice and equality for all.
Stephen Saland, a Republican was the one to tip the vote in favor of it passing. Yay for the Republicans doing something to modify their image as being ultraconservative and over-religious. Saland who voted against gay marriage back in 2009, changed his mind and stated that he "defined doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality." I am so happy that is was a Republican that tipped the vote in favor of passing. It shows that not all republicans think gay marriage is an abomination. I know I surely don't. One of my favorite sayings is: Live and Let Live! I would not want a gay person telling me I can't marry a man just because I am a woman. So why would I want to tell a gay man he can't marry a man if should choose to do so? Thank you Stephen Saland for standing up for equality and justice for all in the State of New York!!!! Hopefully other states in the US will follow this example and make gay marriage legal.
Grisanti, another republican said "I cannot legally come up with an argument against same-sex marriage." Now that is coming from a Catholic Republican! And why can't he come up with a legal argument? That is because there is no argument to be found...at least not a valid or feasible one anyway. Of the 33 senators to vote for the bill, 29 are Democrats and four are Republicans. Of the 29 who voted against it, all but one are Republicans.
What is particularly interesting is how a Democrat spoke out against the legislation. It almost sounded like he was mad that Republicans began changing their minds to be in favor of gay marriage since 2009 when heavy lobbying and campaigning for the issue really took a toll on the voting. He said he blamed Republicans for this happening. Its almost as though he wanted the Republicans to be the face of the anti-gay marriage legislation while his party looked like the defenders of it. As long as enough Republicans were against it, the Democrats would never have to speak out against gay marriage and they could walk away looking like the good guys. “It is unbelievable that the Republican Party, the party that always defended family values ... is allowing a Democratic governor to divide the Republican Party and the Conservative Party,” Diaz said. “Same-sex marriage has been rejected by the majority of Americans when given the opportunity to vote for it." So Mr. Diaz, I must ask what is it that you are really saying here? The Republicans are still defending family values and are not being divided by the Democratic Governor who was simply giving the people what they are asking for. Mr.Diaz, go take a hike alone (since you are alone on this issue anyway!!)
Saland went on by saying that by not voting in favor of gay marriage, "it would fly in the face of his upbringing." I couldn't agree more. It is like the golden rule, do unto others and you would want others to do unto you! Hello America, wake up we are in a new generation! It is time to stop these backwards ideologies. So what if a homosexual person gets married? You still have the right to believe that it is wrong or immoral or an abomination or against your religion. That is the beauty of America. They now have the right to get married in New York and you have the right to sit there and watch the news and scream at the tv as you see them lining up for their marriage applications! I say "wahhh get over it."
Congratulations to all my wonderful friends in New York who can finally have their voice heard.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/57749.html#ixzz1QipFjkMg
