Of course in this day and age, marriage between two people of the same sex or gender isn't just a matter of love, like it or not it's a matter of politics. The Dutch parliamentarian Boris Dittrich, who in 1994 introduced the Netherlands' first gay marriage bill and now is an advocacy director at New York's Human Rights Watch, was on hand for the festivities and kept the light of reality shining. "We want to show to the American public that gay couples cannot get immigration, cannot get equal rights like heterosexual couples can" Dittrich said. Uniteing American Families Act, anyone?
Although these newleyweds' civil marriages won't be recognized by the US federal government or most state governments, they will be recognized by New York state thanks to Governor David Patterson's executive order of May 14, 2008. Marriage equality legislation already passed in the New York Assembly this May 89-52, but is stalled in the Chamber of Chaos Senate.
"We are hoping our efforts and our visibility will change some people's minds about how important marriage equality is in New York" said Stephan Hengst (pictured above). Hengst is communications director at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. A recurring Siena Research Institute poll shows that about 50% of New Yorkers want the NY Senate to pass the marriage equality bill.
Old Amsterdam sends New Amsterdam a love note (Pams House Blend)
Posted by
DividedByLaw 1020 days ago
(http://www.pamshouseblend.com)
Who Voted for this Story
Feedburner
Promoting public awareness of the need for fairness in immigration policy particularly as it relates to the rights of same-sex bi-national couples in the United States who seek equal immigration rights; Providing information regarding political issues relating to gay immigration equality issues, rights and policy.
Comments