I am happy with Gov. Spitzer who declared his support once again for gay marriage, saying last week that legalizing gay unions would only strengthen New York's families. How can we argue with that?
That the governor has been so consistent and outspoken in his support for gay marriage is no small thing. In so doing, he is starting to make it politically acceptable for mainstream Democrats with national political aspirations to voice their support for marriage equality.
But I think for now, there is just no way a gay marriage bill would pass. Not only do a substantial number of Assembly Democrats oppose the idea, but a series of statewide polls have found that a majority of New Yorkers do as well, with opposition in some Assembly districts running as high as 90 percent.
Opposition increases in the Republican-controlled state Senate, which has already made clear its intention to kill any such bill.
Contrary to gay activists' suggestions, bigotry isn't what motivates all gay marriage opponents. Many are simply decent people who are just a little uneasy about redefining a central social institution. I think they're wrong - but we cannot win the argument by strong-arming them.
Just look at what happened in Massachusetts. In 2004, full same-sex marriage rights became legal in the Commonwealth via fiat. That resulted in a huge national backlash. In the ensuing three years, most states have passed constitutional amendments banning not only gay marriage but in some instances other legal arrangements protecting gay couples. In this sense, gays in these more conservative states are paying the price for the full marriage rights that gays in Massachusetts now enjoy.
If Spitzer and his allies in the Assembly push forward with a gay marriage bill, will New York see a campaign for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?
Do you homos think such an amendment will ever get passed in this supposedly liberal bastion? And with polls indicating that a majority of New Yorkers oppose gay marriage, do you think we should take the risk when the chances of winning are zip and the chances of losing, and losing hard, are better than negligible?
For now, Spitzer's time and energy would be far better spent fighting a battle that can be won: getting meaningful civil unions for New York's gay couples. This would extend all the same critical rights to gays without risking the potential damage of an overreaching marriage bill.
Let us not allow the perfect union to be the enemy of a good match. What do you think?
That the governor has been so consistent and outspoken in his support for gay marriage is no small thing. In so doing, he is starting to make it politically acceptable for mainstream Democrats with national political aspirations to voice their support for marriage equality.
But I think for now, there is just no way a gay marriage bill would pass. Not only do a substantial number of Assembly Democrats oppose the idea, but a series of statewide polls have found that a majority of New Yorkers do as well, with opposition in some Assembly districts running as high as 90 percent.
Opposition increases in the Republican-controlled state Senate, which has already made clear its intention to kill any such bill.
Contrary to gay activists' suggestions, bigotry isn't what motivates all gay marriage opponents. Many are simply decent people who are just a little uneasy about redefining a central social institution. I think they're wrong - but we cannot win the argument by strong-arming them.
Just look at what happened in Massachusetts. In 2004, full same-sex marriage rights became legal in the Commonwealth via fiat. That resulted in a huge national backlash. In the ensuing three years, most states have passed constitutional amendments banning not only gay marriage but in some instances other legal arrangements protecting gay couples. In this sense, gays in these more conservative states are paying the price for the full marriage rights that gays in Massachusetts now enjoy.
If Spitzer and his allies in the Assembly push forward with a gay marriage bill, will New York see a campaign for a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage?
Do you homos think such an amendment will ever get passed in this supposedly liberal bastion? And with polls indicating that a majority of New Yorkers oppose gay marriage, do you think we should take the risk when the chances of winning are zip and the chances of losing, and losing hard, are better than negligible?
For now, Spitzer's time and energy would be far better spent fighting a battle that can be won: getting meaningful civil unions for New York's gay couples. This would extend all the same critical rights to gays without risking the potential damage of an overreaching marriage bill.
Let us not allow the perfect union to be the enemy of a good match. What do you think?