New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx, right, speaks during a debate over same-sex marriage in the New York state Senate at the Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Tim Roske)
Are black gay marriage haters being hypocritical?
By Edward Wyckoff Williams
The Grio
Mildred Loving, the iconic matriarch of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which ended the criminalization of interracial marriages, issued a statement in 2007 before her death, in which she boldly declared support for the right of gays and lesbians to marry:
"My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right...I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights...I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about."
Mildred Loving's words are a wonderful reminder of how far America has come on matters of racial equality, but a subtle warning that the work is still incomplete.
Last week the New York State Assembly approved a bill that would offer marriage equality to gay and lesbian couples. The bill faces one final hurdle: passage in the Republican-led New York State Senate where it is currently one vote shy of being successful. Today is the final day of the legislative session, and so the debate has come down to the bitter end.
Though gay marriage is legal in 5 states and the District of Columbia, New York's unique position as the de facto cultural and financial capital of the nation, makes the realization of marriage equality here a significant symbol of social progress.
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