Marriage Victory in Connecticut! Help Us Win in New York

Today is another historic day in our community’s movement to win marriage equality. Connecticut’s Supreme Court has just ruled in a 4-3 decision that our families must be given the freedom to marry.

Click here to read the statement we just put out on this monumental decision.

We thank the eight couples in Connecticut who allowed their private lives to be examined under the public microscope while the court considered their claim, and we congratulate Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders and Love Makes A Family for the tremendous job they did in winning this important decision.

There are now three states that have clearly stated that discrimination against same-sex couples and our families is wrong and must be struck down. The biggest thing that prevents New York from being the next state is the State Senate led by Dean Skelos. This Senate leadership has stated time and time again that they will not allow the marriage bill to come to a vote in their chamber.

We need your support to remove this roadblock!

As you know, the New York State Assembly—in a bipartisan vote—passed marriage equality legislation. Governor David Paterson recently instructed all state agencies to revise their policies to respect the legal out-of-state marriages of our families, and he has said he is ready to sign a marriage bill into law once the Senate passes it. 

To do this we only need to win two Senate seats this November. Two seats means replacing the current anti-LGBT leadership in the State Senate with a new leadership that has already promised to work with us to make marriage a reality for the tens of thousands of same-sex couples who live in New York.

We can win with your support. By giving to our PAC, you strengthen our efforts to win in November. The victory in Connecticut today shows momentum continues to shift in our favor and that marriage for our families is going to happen in America. Massachusetts and California are no longer the only states where our families can marry. The dominoes are falling in favor of our equality, and New York can be next.

Let’s use the inspiration of this amazing day to put more pressure on those who stand in the way of our equality here at home. Our families are so close to finally having the 1324 state protections and responsibilities that come with a marriage license in New York. Only together can we take the final step and create the needed change in Albany that will make our equality a reality. We’re almost there.