NEW YORK CITY — The New York State Assembly on Tuesday night approved a bill to allow same-sex marriage in New York.
It is now up to the State Senate to act now and pass the marriage bill. The Empire State Pride Agenda (Pride Agenda) is launching an ad campaign that shows how real New York families are hurt when same-sex couples aren’t allowed to marry.
The Pride Agenda, will begin the first phase of a statewide advertising campaign today, May 13. The first advertisement is a 30-second television spot featuring a woman from Cicero, N.Y., just outside Syracuse. She explains that she would like her two daughters — one who is a lesbian, one who is straight — to be treated equally under the law. It will be broadcast in the Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo areas.
The ad features parents of adult children from Cicero, New York. Barb and Don Crawford tell a painful story that too many families in New York know well: while one child can get married to and protect the person they love, the other is denied access to the 1324 rights and protections that come with a marriage license in New York. The Crawfords are just one example of the tens of thousands of families across New York State—from Buffalo to Brookhaven—that are harmed by this inequality.
"It’s heartbreaking to see these families go through this painful struggle," said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle. "Any parent wants their child to have everything they have and more, but these parents of gay and lesbian New Yorkers live everyday with the knowledge that their children are not treated like all other citizens of this state. By continuing to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, our state deeply hurts families from all corners of New York. How many more tears from mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters of gay and lesbian New Yorkers will have to be shed before the State Senate finally puts an end to this injustice?"
—Staff
