by
NAR:
When the clock struck midnight last Monday morning in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a new era began.
DOC SOUND: (Countdown)
3,2,1! (Clapping)
NAR:
New Jersey recognized its first same sex civil union.
DOC SOUND:
Do you Steven agree to be legally joined with Daniel under the civil union law of New Jersey?
I do
I do
NAR:
Gay and lesbian leaders in New York aren't thrilled about New Jersey granting civil unions instead of marriage. These critics say it's tantamount to the old idea behind segregation…"separate but equal."
In New York there is support for full marriage rights for same sex couples. Governor Eliot Spitzer promised his support last fall on the campaign trail.
AX: We will not ask whether this proposition of legalizing same sex marriage is popular or unpopular. We will not ask if it's hard or easy. We will simply ask if it's right or wrong. And we will make it the law of the state of New York. (18 Sec)
NAR: Spitzer promised to introduce a same sex marriage bill within a year of his inauguration. But some of the Governor's supporters don't want to wait that long. And that's caused a rift between gay members of the New York assembly. Assembleyman Dick Gottfried - a Democrat from Manhattan -- says the time act is now. He wants to reintroduce legislation himself.
AX: Having a concrete piece of paper is an important organizing tool, the existence of the bill helps to shape the public debate. It's hard to get people to co-sponser a bill if there isn't bill in existence.
NARR:
On the other hand, Assembleyman Danny O'Donnell a Democrat from Manhattan who also supports same sex marriage, says it's too early. He wants to wait for the Governor to introduce legislation and he opposes Gottfried's strategy.
AX: If the governor made a promise to all gay and lesbian New Yorkers that he was going to do this, that we should hold him to that promise. And that by putting in alternative approaches to what the governor wants takes the pressure off the governor to do it. It may be politically expedient, it may serve people's short term political needs, I don't think long term strategy wise that its been thought through (20)
NAR:
O'Donnell says that's because the Governor is popular and could use his popularity to persuade reluctant New Yorkers to support the idea.
AX: It's the Governor telling the legislature if you're going to be in political trouble because of this I'm going to take your side. It's the Governor saying, ok you know what you're someone who repsresents a very conservative community, but it's a community where I got 60 percent of the vote. I'll come, and I'll come do a press conference explaining why voting for this was the right thing to do.
NAR:
But same sex marriage activist Robert Voorheis says there shouldn't be any strategic dispute between the assembly's gay lawmakers.
AX: There is absolutely no reason why any assembly member or senator cannot sign on to more than one bill. When the governor proposes his, we can sign on to that one as well.
Meanwhile, opponents of gay marriage are trying to shore up their position. Mike Long - chairman of the conservative party of New York believes opposition to same sex marriage in the assembly will be formidable.
AX: In these various communities that will rise up and be very upset that clearly lobby against it that will maybe bring back these assemblymen, that will ward them off from such legislation. (17)
Still, there's a decent chance a bill would pass the assembly. But the state senate could be a different story. Republicans hold a two seat majority in the upper house. For that reason, same sex marriage is unlikely to pass this year. But Assembleyman Gottfried believes it will happen eventually.
AX: Martin Luther King said the arc of history turns towards justice. I would add that it often takes awhile getting there.
But Gottfried says the movement in New York has been steadily going forward.
Chris Bragg, Columbia Radio News.