Gay marriage rejected by state Senate

12/2/09 By Jason Fink

Gay marriage rejected by state Senate

The state Senate rejected gay marriage Wednesday in a decisive vote, dashing the hopes of advocates who had been pushing the bill for nearly a year.

Not a single Republican voted in favor of the measure, which needed 32 votes to pass and was defeated 38-24, while eight Democrats voted no. The tally was more lopsided than most expected, including Democratic leaders, who were surprised by the lack of any GOP support as well as by some no votes in their own caucus.

“This is a huge and magnificent win by an unexpectedly large margin,” said Maggie Gallagher, director of the National Organization for Marriage, which opposed the bill. “It puts the nail in the coffin of the idea that the culture is changing.”

Supporters vowed to continue to push for the bill — which was passed by the assembly and has the support of Gov. David Paterson — but it seems dead at least in the short term, especially with an election next year.

“Now we know where we stand, and where we need to concentrate our efforts in the future,” Alan Van Capelle, the head of Empire State Pride Agenda, said in a statement.
Only five other states currently allow for gay marriage.

State Sen. Tom Duane (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the bill, said he was “very angry.”
“Promises made were not honored,” he said.

One Senate source said Democrats were counting on yes votes from Sens. Joseph Addabbo and Hiram Monserrate, both of Queens, among others, and that once they decided against the proposal in a roll call vote, a few wavering Republicans figured the bill would go down and voted no as well.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is openly gay and has promised to get married in New York if the law is enacted, was in Albany lobbying for votes. She said her partner, Kim, e-mailed her Tuesday night to ask if she should go ring shopping.

“So no,” Quinn said Wednesday. “We’ll spend our holiday money on something else.”
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Gay marriage rejected by state Senate

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