10:09
societynews[dot] org
NEW YORK – was a weekend marriage proposals, wedding plans and sincere thanks. The contrasted to same-sex marriage in the State of New York gave way to joyous thoughts of travel along the corridor, becoming a reality, not just a dream for many thousands of gay couples.
"New York sent a message to the nation," gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday before the colorful extravaganza that is the city's annual gay pride parade in New York. "It's time for marriage equality."
When Cuomo signed the Bill on gay marriage, just before midnight Friday, New York became the largest State and sixth in the country to legalize gay marriage, new impetus for the national gay rights movement that had been blocked on a nearly identical Bill in New York two years ago. 33-29 State Senate Vote followed days of contentious negotiations, the wooing of undecided Republicans and opposition from influential religious groups. Pending any court challenges, the law takes effect in 30 days.
"We have waited for a wedding in Central Park, for years, and now we got here just in time for the story to be made," said Bryce Croft in Kettering, Ohio, who attended the festivities parade with his girlfriend, Stephanie Croft.
The two women are not yet legally married even though they share the same name, and are in the process of moving to New York and get married. They were at a restaurant in Manhattan late Friday when they learned that the Bill was passed.
"We cried during dinner, mozzarella sticks right in," Stephanie Croft said, adding that already had chosen a place in Central Park — the boulder she had marked with the name Bryce two years ago.
As he joined the procession of the parade, John Haracopos was wearing a shirt that said, "some dudes marry other dudes. Get over it ". He and his partners consider the new law as a legal endorsement of what they did years ago.
"We got married in the oldest church in Paris. And it was just us and God, "said Haracopos, a hairdresser in 46 years. Still, the couple plans to hold another ceremony in New York to ensure that their relationship is fully recognized by law.
His partner, Peter Marinos, a Broadway actor of 59 years, wearing a t-shirt of his saying "marriage is so gay".
"Thank you, Governor Cuomo" and "Promise kept" read signs lining both sides of Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
"I'm really, really proud of New York," said Hannah Thielmann, a student at Fordham University in the Bronx, who attended with his girlfriend, Christine Careaga.
The couple, both 20, were dressed as brides, with Careaga in white headscarves and Thielmann wears a top hat and a black belt who said, "bride to be."
Careaga, said her mother calling cry tears of joy after the New York Senate has voted on the Bill of marriage.
"Every mother wants her baby to be happily married," said Careaga.
Also same-sex marriage licenses granted by the Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, plus Washington, D.C. and the Coquille Indian tribe in Oregon.
"Gay pride parade this year is different — it's electric!" said the longtime companion of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Diana Taylor. "It really feels, is so exciting."
Cuomo marched with his girlfriend, Sandra Lee Food Network personality, Bloomberg and openly gay elected officials, including New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell — gay brother of Rosie O'Donnell — who presented the Bill last month.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly marched a group of officers of NYPD gay, just behind the band police officer. At the end of the parade, a female officer proposed publicly to his girlfriend, also an officer, who accepted. They quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Parade in New York ended near where gay rebelled against repressive laws and authorities outside the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village on June 28, 1969 — an event that gave rise to the gay rights movement.
"If New York can do it, it's good for everyone else in the country to do so," Cuomo said before the parade.
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