the Informer

Courtesy of demotix.com

June 24, 2011 marked a historic occasion for the advancement of gay rights in America.

New York passed the Marriage Equality Act allowing same-sex couples the same rights, protections and benefits under law that straight couples have always been given.

New York is the sixth and largest state in America to legalize gay marriage, a huge step towards achieving equal rights for members of the L.G.B.T. community across America.

In an interview with NY Daily News Cathy Renna, L.G.B.T. member expressed her joy of the state Senate passing the bill. She said, “My partner, Leah, and I have been together for 9 years and we have a 5-year-old daughter, we married in a religious ceremony, but when she had a seizure…I had to bring a power of attorney to the hospital in order to be involved in decisions about her care.”

For hundreds of years, New York has continued and built its reputation as the mecca for politics, economics and culture in America. Trends are born on the streets of New York and from there make their way all around the world.

According to the 2010 census, New York State has the third highest population, surpassed only by Texas and California. In 2008 California courts opened marriage to same sex couples however in November of the same year after thousands of same-sex couples had gotten married, voters passed Proposition 8 which outlawed same-sex marriage throughout the entire state.

New York now joins Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., Iowa and Vermont in recognizing Gay Marriage.

Although same-sex marriage is recognized in these six states and couples will be able to reap the same 1,324 state mandated benefits as straight couples, same-sex couples will continue to not be recognized at the federal level because of the Defense of Marriage Act. In February 2011, the Obama administration announced they would no longer recognize the constitutionality of DOMA and in July, Obama announced his support of the Respect for Marriage Act.

During his 2008 election campaign, Obama advocated for the repeal of laws banning homosexuals from serving in the military. After three years of working towards that goal, Sept. 20, 2011 will officially mark the end of the policy Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. L.G.B.T members in the military will no longer need to be afraid of termination because of their sexual orientation.

The evening New York passed the Marriage Equality Act, Gilbert Baker, 60, of Harlem, told US Daily News, “This has been a long road. Having gay marriage is not going to stop homophobia, but it’s going to send a message to the country and the world that if we can do it in New York, we can do it anywhere.”

The momentum marriage equality legislation has been gaining has accelerated rapidly over the past few years and will continue to gain support, it’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.