A Great Day For America

I believe that the primary role of our government is to protect and secure individual rights in the name of the pursuit of happiness, not to bow to the whim of corporations or stand in the way of social progress.  Today I can say that we’re seeing a step in the right direction thanks to the courage of a group of public servants in Albany. 

Last night the state of New York officially legalized gay marriage, becoming the sixth state to recognize the right of all gay and lesbian couples to the same legal protections enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.  This is no doubt a big win for America and anyone who cares about our country’s commitment to human rights.

There are a couple of things to note about this landmark vote.  First, this measure was passed after having been voted down in the last legislative session, which means that there’s hope for other states where marriage equality initiatives recently failed (like my home state of Maryland).  Last night’s vote by the New York State Senate also marks the first time that gay marriage has passed in a majority republican chamber, a sign that marriage equality can win with bipartisan support. 

Although most of the strongest supporters of gay marriage are of the left-wing persuasion, the marriage equality movement has gained a number of high profile adherents from the right as well.  To put things in perspective, George W. Bush’s wife, daughter, Vice President, and Campaign Manager have all come out in support of gay marriage in the past few years.  A lot can change in a short period of time.

Now that New York has shown their mandate of support for gay marriage against these odds, I expect this to open the door for many other states to follow suit.  Like the fight for desegregation and voting rights in the 1960’s, the fight for equality based on sexual orientation has become the defining civil rights issue of our generation.  The recognition of all couples as equal citizens with equal rights is a key step towards civic equality.  The kind of civic equality America can be proud of.