June 4, 2011

Marriage Equality = Human Rights

Clock ticking for Marriage Equality



It’s not unexpected for one of the Republican senators who is said to be “on the fence” when it comes to gay marriage to respond with “no comment” when asked about the issue.  But on Friday NewsChannel 13 got a similaranswer, from someone you’d least expect.


The Human Rights Campaign is a leader across the country for marriage equality and civil unions. So you’d think the organization would have a lot to say on the topic.

But Friday in Albany, they did not.


Letters from 25,000 New Yorkers lined the Capitol steps coming from different places, but they contained a shared message.


Marty Rouse of the Human Rights Campaign said “We have 25,000 post cards collected from across the state from the wonderful diversity in New York, from people who are young, old, progressive, conservative, gay, and straight, from upstate and from downstate.”


Representatives from the Human Rights campaign announced their final push for marriage equality during the last couple weeks of New York’s legislative session. 


Governor Cuomo has called it one of his top priorities for his first year in office and the HRC has been leading the fight across the county and here in New York.


Yet after HRC's prepared remarks, a spokesman seemed very unprepared to answer a single reporter question on the very topic his group called a news conference to promote.

Abigail Bleck reporting: “What is your message for Senators Alesi and McDonald?”

Rouse: “So what we're gonna do now…”

Abigail Bleck: “Can you just answer the question?”

Photographer: “Can we have our mics back?

After the brief media briefing, HRC reps gathered and delivered the post cards to members of the New York State Senate.  Republican Roy McDonald from Saratoga was one target, since he's been quoted as saying he was undecided on the issue.


They were politely received, as was a phone call we made to the Senator's office asking if he had made a decision yet. 


Much like the HRC earlier in the day, a spokesman for Roy McDonald said the senator had no comment.


Thursday night, the Troy City Council passed, unanimously, a resolution asking the State Legislature to pass a marriage equality bill.


The Albany Common Council passed a similar resolution in 2009.


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