Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York released a video Monday morning in support of gay rights, asking his constituents to call their legislators and tell them to vote yes on marriage equality. After being shot down in 2009, a measure to allow gay marriage in New York should resurface before the legislative session ends on June 20.
Cuomo sounds like a marriage-equality pro, drawing comparisons with interracial marriage and saying the issue is not one of religion. Check it out:
newyorkstateofficeofthegovernor on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
It is not often that governors directly lobby the people of their state to get a bill passed, which shows just how much Cuomo is willing to stick his neck out on this issue. He has decided to make it one of his top priorities in the next few months, and the switch from behind-the-scenes lobbying to personal support seemed necessary in the final push.
It’s hard to tell where the battle stands right now. One recent poll shows that almost 60% of New Yorkers support same-sex marriage, though the Wall Street Journal has stated that the split is much more even than previously thought. The WSJ also reports that partisan tensions have made it difficult to predict how the vote will go down in the legislature. To pass the bill will require some Republicans to cross the aisle, which they aren’t willing to do until they know that all of the Democrats will vote yes. A handful of Senate Democrats voted against their party last time, roundly defeating the bill in 2009.
Meanwhile, in Minnesota, where an anti-marriage-equality amendment will appear on the November 2012 ballot, Nate Moydole, a close friend of Madeline Koch, the Republican who went viral a few weeks ago with her powerful testimony, made what Queerty is calling “the single best ad for marriage equality in recent memory.”
Queerty asked Nate a few questions:
Q: Why doesn’t the video identify any of the speakers?
N: I wanted it to feel like it was one voice without any other distractions. The goals were to make is simple, powerful, and short. The respect to the speakers, I did add all of their credentials and links to their videos within the description.
The White House has released its statement on the vote in Minnesota:
“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples or to take such rights away. While he believes this is an issue best addressed by the states, he also believes that committed gay couples should have the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple in this country.”
