BP MARKOWITZ STATEMENT ON 2ND U.S. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS D.O.M.A. RULING (10/18/12)
"Today I applaud the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for upholding the ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, and by doing so reaffirming what Brooklyn and New York City has already said loudly and clearly: love is love. It is only fitting that this ruling came right here in New York, in a city built on diversity and progressive thought. We are now one step closer to a country in which members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community will have the right to marry, just as my wife and I are able to celebrate our love and commitment through marriage. This decision and last year's legalization of same-sex marriages in New York State both serve as a reminder of the ideals on which our nation was founded: all people are created equal and deserve to be treated as such."