This week, my colleagues in the New York State Senate met in special session and were presented with the opportunity to allow gay and lesbian couples the same rights and privileges that are already afforded to straight couples.  While the Assembly has voted three times over the past two years to institute basic marriage equality, this was the first time that the issue was debated on the Senate floor.  I applaud the Senators who stood up for the democratic process, demanding open debate and a public vote.  I hope that continued discussion of the issue will bring more attention to the lack of basic fairness and equality for lesbian and gay couples and their families.

I am disappointed that more members of the Senate did not have the courage yesterday to end such a blatant form of discrimination.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”  I believe that it is our responsibility as legislators to protect the rights of all citizens.  By denying lesbian and gay couples the right to marry, we do harm to all of our families.

Though yesterday’s vote was a temporary setback, I will continue to fight for marriage equality here in New York.  Through the dedicated efforts of ordinary citizens, activists, and legislators like myself who support equal protections for all families, I hope that we will soon be able to end this injustice that has gone on for too long.