The Time for Marriage Equality is Now
With a Governor, Assembly, LGBT community, and a majority of New Yorkers supportive of marriage equality, 2011 must be the year in which equal rights for all comes a step closer to realization by the recognition of same-sex marriages. This is a fundamental issue of fairness and equality for which I have been fighting since I was first elected to the Assembly nine years ago.
I have always been a strong supporter of marriage equality and the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. I am proud to have been one of the ten original sponsors of the first marriage equality legislation introduced in the Assembly during the 2003 session, and I have co-sponsored legislation supporting same-sex marriage each year I have been in office. I voted for and the Assembly has passed marriage equality legislation on three occasions, but the Senate defeated the measure in 2009. This year, the Senate must stay true to the ideals upon which New York State prides itself by passing same-sex marriage legislation.
I have previously introduced and sponsored numerous bills in support of the LGBT community. This session, I have reintroduced legislation (A. 1234) that would prohibit judges from preventing a parent from undergoing gender reassignment as a condition of receiving custody. I am also a co-sponsor of legislation which has recently passed the Assembly (A. 2807) that would require health insurance plans to provide insurance coverage for domestic partners when such coverage is requested by an individual or employer group purchasing insurance. In 2010, I co-sponsored legislation that was signed into law (Ch. 509) permitting unmarried partners to adopt a child. Further, I am a sponsor of legislation (A. 5039) that has previously passed the Assembly prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression, and including offenses regarding gender identity or expression under the hate crimes statute.
As the fight for equal rights continues, I will remain committed to advocating for the LGBT community. It is my hope that the State Senate will follow the Assembly's lead on this issue, one which rests upon one very simple, yet incredibly vital, principle: equality for all New Yorkers.