NOM Launches Hate Mail Campaign Against Pro-Gay New York State Senators

NOM has begun mailing flyers to voters in the home districts of seven New York state senators who voted in favor of marriage equality. Included in the mailings are the four GOP Senators who voted "yes."

FLASHBACK: Diaz Gets Smacked Down

In case you missed the unparalleled pleasure of seeing NY Sen. Ruben Diaz getting smacked down for violating chamber rules, the Senate has just posted this video of the final moments of Friday's marriage vote.

Final NY Senate Roll Call

Thunderous ovation. Chills. Tears.

(Via - Think Progress)

New York Marriage Reactions

Empire State Pride Agenda

“Love and fairness wins the day for all New Yorkers and our families. Today is a historic day and a victory for equality and justice – it is the culmination of many years of work by the Pride Agenda and others across the state,” said Ross D. Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “We are thrilled that finally all loving, committed New Yorkers will be able to make the commitment of marriage here in the Empire State.”

NY Sen. Thomas Duane

"There are rare moments when the historical significance of an action speaks for itself and words can’t capture the magnitude. This is one such moment. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) New Yorkers will no longer be denied the right to marry the ones they love. For the first time in New York’s rich history they will be granted equal protection under the law. I want to commend the incredible leadership and passion of Governor Andrew Cuomo who made good on his promise to make Marriage Equality the law in New York State. I also want to thank my colleagues in the State Senate on both sides of the aisle, and in the Assembly, who took a courageous stand when it would have been far easier for them to turn away from what I know for many was a difficult issue."

NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell

"Thomas Jefferson once wrote, 'our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions.' Today, the New York State Legislature has affirmed the truth of that fundamental principle with the passage of the Marriage Equality Act. I am proud to have played a central role in this crucial moment for our state. Once Marriage Equality is signed into law, our state will be the most populous in the entire nation with these rights. I hope that with this prominence, our great state will shine as a beacon of equality and lead other states from the darkness of injustice. I will never forget this day."

Freedom To Marry

"Winning the freedom to marry in New York truly is a transformative moment for committed couples and for our country, a triumph for love and equality under the law,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “Now that we’ve made it here, we’ll make it everywhere – and as Americans’ hearts open and minds continue to change in favor of the freedom to marry, the momentum coming from New York’s giant step forward brings a nationwide end to marriage discrimination closer than ever.”

American Foundation for Equal Rights

“New Yorkers have plenty to celebrate this Pride Month. There’s no doubt that today will be revered as a major turning point in civil rights history. A bipartisan group of legislators have affirmed that equal rights for every citizen is not a partisan issue, but an American value. Yet for millions of Americans who do not live in New York, Washington DC, or the five other states that have recognized the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian Americans, they are still suffering the injustice of discrimination every day. The freedom to marry is a constitutional liberty and the birthright of every American. Constitutional rights belong to every individual, regardless of the state you inhabit. This has recently been affirmed within the past year by federal courts in our nation’s most prominent civil rights cases."

NY SENATE APPROVES MARRIAGE!!!

The vote was 33-29!!!!

I love you, New York.

Now please excuse me as I slip away for some heavy drinking. Marriage equality in New York has been one of the top focuses of this here website thingy for a long, long time.

LIVE VIDEO: New York Senate

I'm moving this post to the top of the blog as we're hearing that a marriage vote is totally definitely going to happen any minute/hour now. For real real.

Anti-Gay Conservative Party Head Michael Long: Gay Marriage Bill Is Going To Pass

Rather encouraging.

Mike Long, the chairman of the New York Conservative Party and a leading opponent of the bill to institue same sex marriage in New York, tells THE WEEKLY STANDARD that the bill will likely pass "by the end of the night." "I'm sorry to say that the bill's going to pass," Long told me in a phone interview minutes ago. He said that the recently released religious liberty amendment would serve as an "excuse for some Sepublican senators to hang their hat on." "I know they've got the 32nd vote, and I think they've muscled two more people" to give the vote some cushion.

NYT: Consensus Reached On New York Marriage Bill's "Religious Exemptions"

Via the New York Times' City Room blog:

The Cuomo administration and legislative leaders have reached agreement on language to protect religious institutions from obligations to recognize same-sex marriage, two people involved in the negotiations said on Friday afternoon, potentially paving the way for a vote on the marriage legislation. Senate Republicans were still discussing the marriage bill in a closed-door meeting on Friday afternoon; it remained unclear whether — or if — they would permit a vote on the broader legislation. The State Assembly, which approved an earlier version of the same-sex marriage bill last week, would need to approve the new language before the full bill could become law.

UPDATE: There appears to finally be action on the bill. Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell tweet: "Just conferenced chapter amendments. Bill moving!"

Asshat Of The Day - NY Sen. Greg Ball

"Knowing that marriage equality was likely to pass, I thought it important to force the issue of religious protections. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the distinct opportunity of listening to literally thousands of residents, on both sides of this issue, by holding an undecided stance. I thought it was important to listen to all of my constituents and hold an undecided position until the actual bill language was written and everyone’s voice had been heard. Now that the final text is public, I am proud that I have secured some strong protections for religious institutions and basic protections for religious organizations. The bill still lacks many of the basic religious protections I thought were vital, and for this reason, and as I did in the Assembly, I will be voting ‘no.’" - GOP NY Sen. Greg Ball.

CNN On New York Marriage

This aired last night and includes an interview with Freedom To Marry's Evan Wolfson as well as some coverage of Obama's fundraiser speech in NYC.

NYT Rips New York Senate On Inaction

The New York Times tears into the GOP-led New York Senate for dragging their feet on marriage equality.

As we wrote this editorial on Thursday evening, we were still waiting for the New York State Senate to do what it should have done long ago — end a basic inequality under the law by allowing same-sex couples the full right to marry. The solution is obvious: Pass a clean bill that allows all adult New Yorkers to marry whomever they choose to marry, without unneeded exemptions for religious-affiliated organizations. [snip] In Albany, they say hidden talks are necessary to get anything done. Nonsense. The state’s leaders just don’t want public scrutiny. It’s a cowardly way to conduct the public’s business.

Right fucking on.

LIVE VIDEO: New York Senate

The Senate has reconvened for more late night work, but a marriage bill does not presently appear on the list of active items for tonight.

UPDATE: The Senate has adjourned for the night.