“I can’t imagine myself being 60 years old thinking that I sat back
at this moment and did nothing,” said Daniel Bracciali, an organizer from New York City who energetically led a group of protesters calling for marriage equality in New York State. With chants of “Right here, right now, I am somebody! I demand full equality!” and “Hate go home, love will win!” activist organizations like Queer Rising, New Yorkers for Marriage Equality, and Empire State Pride Agenda joined with hundreds of protesters from New York State and beyond to demand equal rights for gay, lesbian, and transgender New Yorkers.
If passed, the bill would make New York the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill is being held up by a handful of Republican lawmakers, including senators Stephen Saland, Andrew Lanza, Mark Grisanti and Greg Ball. The senators believe that there should be more “religious exemptions” built into the bill in addition to the ones that currently allow for clergy to opt out of performing same sex marriages.
According to the Republican senators, the rights of same-sex couples should be further restricted in the bill, allowing marriage counselors,
adoption agencies, and other organizations and agencies to “opt
out” of recognizing the rights of LGBT people. In response to this,
Bracciali pointed out the many restrictions already present in the
bill saying, “Bigotry, fear, and ignorance are holding up the process of guaranteeing marriage equality for all New Yorkers.” Despite the exemptions, the bill would be a major step forward in furthering the rights of gay and lesbian New Yorkers.
Janice Seu from the organization Queer Rising expressed similar sentiments. Members of her organization, who fight for marriage equality through arrestable civil disobedience, have been camped out with others at the capitol for days. This diverse range of protesters is a vocal and inspiring cross section of the 58 percent of New Yorkers who favor equal rights for same sex couples. Her voice sore from chanting since last Friday, Seu demonstrated the resolve of the protesters, stating
that “We are here until we get the vote for marriage equality.”
