Supporters and opponents of same sex marriage made their last minute appeals last Sunday as state legislators are set to vote on making New York the sixth state in the United States to make gay marriage legal.
Governor Andrew Cuomo introduced the measure that would make same sex marriage in New York legal. At present it is one vote away from approval in the Senate. The New York Congress already approved the bill last week. Monday is the last day of the legislative session before it goes on summer recess.
The Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, maintained that the Catholic Church is against same sex marriage and vows to block any bill that would redefine the meaning of marriage. He asks for a referendum on the issue. But recent polls show that there’s an overwhelming support for same sex marriage in New York. Dolan added that the bill would redefine the meaning of father, mother, husband and wife.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said that there are concerns about how the religious clauses and exemptions in the bill. Though the bill doesn’t force the clergy to conduct gay marriages, the Republican lawmakers in the Senate are concerned about the legal protections.