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Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned state lawmakers Thursday that if they oppose legalizing gay marriage they may be remembered as civil rights obstructionists similar to those who opposed the abolition of slavery and fought against giving women the right to vote. "The question for every New York state lawmaker is: Do you want to be remembered as a leader on civil rights? Or an obstructionist? On matters of freedom and equality, history has not remembered obstructionists kindly," Bloomberg said in his speech at Manhattan's The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.
Bloomberg argued that failing to legalize gay marriage in New York, which he called the birthplace of the gay-rights movement, would have economic consequences as well as human ones. "As other states recognize the rights of same-sex couples to marry, we cannot stand by and watch. To do so would be to betray our civic values and history — and it would harm our competitive edge in the global economy," he said. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been pushing the Legislature to make gay marriage legal, but has said he wouldn't bring the issue to a vote unless he felt it would pass. The mayor argued that the state's residents deserve to see where their legislators stand, whatever the outcome. Senate Republicans, who are key to the effort, also are closely watching polls, which for the first time in months are showing an apparent slight erosion of public support for gay marriage after months of steady gains. State Sen. Ruben Diaz, a Democrat from the Bronx, has been arguing against the measure. He said Thursday that legislators, rather than residents, imposed gay marriage in states where it is legal. "When people have been given the chance to vote, they have rejected it," Diaz said.more
