Victory for Democrat Sen. Ruben Diaz, who led tireless campaign to defend natural marriage.
From LifeSiteNews
By Peter J. Smith
The measure, which would have amended New York State's Domestic Partnership Law, failed by a broad margin of 24 in favor with 38 against.
The Senate vote effectively means that same-sex "marriage" is dead in New York: a resounding victory for pro-family advocates in the state, and a heavy defeat for Gov. David Paterson and Democratic leaders, who were looking to deliver same-sex "marriage" advocates their first victory after their latest defeat in Maine.
Just moments before the vote, Sen. Tom Duane, the chief sponsor of the same-sex "marriage" bill, confidently told members of the Senate that he was looking forward to not just being "an old gay" but soon a "married gay."
However, those anticipations were dashed by a coalition of Democrats, who joined Sen. Ruben Diaz, Jr. (D-NY 32), the leader of the fight against same-sex "marriage" in the Senate, in voting their consciences with Republicans against the bill.
Debate began after a short noon recess with Sen. Duane arguing that this "legislation would provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers equal rights in New York State."
"It would make me equal in every way to everyone else in this chamber," declared Duane in his brief opening remarks.
In the final speech before the vote, Sen. Duane once more encouraged his colleagues to vote on same-sex "marriage" saying, "It's always the time to be on the right side of history!"
Only Sen. Diaz spoke on the floor of the Senate against same-sex "marriage" and he told the Senate that it was a supreme "irony" that the same gay lobby, which fought so hard and spent an enormous amount of money to wrest control of the Senate from the GOP in order to get a bill on same-sex "marriage," now "is depending on them to make this happen."
"The reality is that it has been the Republican Party and their traditional values, and the Republican Party with their moral values, and the Republican Party with their family values, that has been for years and years what has kept the values in this whole nation alive," declared Diaz. "And now they are being asked to throw away these values."
Diaz mentioned that adherents of the world's major religions - not just Evangelicals - oppose same-sex "marriage," including Jews, Muslims, and Catholics. Diaz specifically praised those Catholic bishops who signed the Manhattan Declaration as a testament of their opposition to same-sex "marriage."
"The majority of the people has opposed their will to same-sex 'marriage,'" said Diaz, pointing out that in 31 states where same-sex "marriage" was put to a vote, the people voted against it. By contrast, he continued, same-sex "marriage" was legalized in three states by court order, and by legislation in two states that have no right of referendum.
Diaz proposed that instead the Senate should let New Yorkers decide on same-sex "marriage" and appealed to the Republicans once again to hold fast to their principles and vote that the people, not the legislature decide the fate of marriage.
"Remember your rules, remember your values, remember your family values, traditional values, moral values. Go back to the defense of your traditional values, join me a Democrat, join me a Hispanic, join me a black, join me a Puerto Rican, and join me in bringing a referendum to the people," said Diaz.
However the rest of the speeches proceeded from Democrats speaking out in favor of the bill.
Sen. Malcolm Smith, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, told the Senate that at stake with same-sex "marriage" was "an individual's right to feel good about themselves."
"For the first time, all men and women will be created equal," said Sen. Eric Schneiderman, Deputy Majority Leader (D-NY 34) adding that, "This law will expand the central American ideal of equality."
Sen. Eric Adams (D-NY 20) politely accused Sen. Diaz of not speaking "from his head." Adams compared banning gay marriage to "reaching back to the most ugliest [sic] period of America," when states like Virginia had laws banning interracial marriages until the 1967 US Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia.The senator also told his colleagues that,
"When I walk through these doors, my bible stays out.
"The statement drew a sharp rebuke from Sen. Diaz, who stated that given the crime and state of society in America, "That is the wrong statement to send." Diaz, a Hispanic Evangelical minister, urged Senators to remember their Bibles before voting.
From LifeSiteNews
By Peter J. Smith
At about 3:00pm on Wednesday afternoon the New York State Senate voted to overwhelmingly reject legislation that would have legalized same-sex "marriage."
The measure, which would have amended New York State's Domestic Partnership Law, failed by a broad margin of 24 in favor with 38 against.
The Senate vote effectively means that same-sex "marriage" is dead in New York: a resounding victory for pro-family advocates in the state, and a heavy defeat for Gov. David Paterson and Democratic leaders, who were looking to deliver same-sex "marriage" advocates their first victory after their latest defeat in Maine.
Just moments before the vote, Sen. Tom Duane, the chief sponsor of the same-sex "marriage" bill, confidently told members of the Senate that he was looking forward to not just being "an old gay" but soon a "married gay."
However, those anticipations were dashed by a coalition of Democrats, who joined Sen. Ruben Diaz, Jr. (D-NY 32), the leader of the fight against same-sex "marriage" in the Senate, in voting their consciences with Republicans against the bill.
Debate began after a short noon recess with Sen. Duane arguing that this "legislation would provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers equal rights in New York State."
"It would make me equal in every way to everyone else in this chamber," declared Duane in his brief opening remarks.
In the final speech before the vote, Sen. Duane once more encouraged his colleagues to vote on same-sex "marriage" saying, "It's always the time to be on the right side of history!"
Only Sen. Diaz spoke on the floor of the Senate against same-sex "marriage" and he told the Senate that it was a supreme "irony" that the same gay lobby, which fought so hard and spent an enormous amount of money to wrest control of the Senate from the GOP in order to get a bill on same-sex "marriage," now "is depending on them to make this happen."
"The reality is that it has been the Republican Party and their traditional values, and the Republican Party with their moral values, and the Republican Party with their family values, that has been for years and years what has kept the values in this whole nation alive," declared Diaz. "And now they are being asked to throw away these values."
Diaz mentioned that adherents of the world's major religions - not just Evangelicals - oppose same-sex "marriage," including Jews, Muslims, and Catholics. Diaz specifically praised those Catholic bishops who signed the Manhattan Declaration as a testament of their opposition to same-sex "marriage."
"The majority of the people has opposed their will to same-sex 'marriage,'" said Diaz, pointing out that in 31 states where same-sex "marriage" was put to a vote, the people voted against it. By contrast, he continued, same-sex "marriage" was legalized in three states by court order, and by legislation in two states that have no right of referendum.
Diaz proposed that instead the Senate should let New Yorkers decide on same-sex "marriage" and appealed to the Republicans once again to hold fast to their principles and vote that the people, not the legislature decide the fate of marriage.
"Remember your rules, remember your values, remember your family values, traditional values, moral values. Go back to the defense of your traditional values, join me a Democrat, join me a Hispanic, join me a black, join me a Puerto Rican, and join me in bringing a referendum to the people," said Diaz.
However the rest of the speeches proceeded from Democrats speaking out in favor of the bill.
Sen. Malcolm Smith, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, told the Senate that at stake with same-sex "marriage" was "an individual's right to feel good about themselves."
"For the first time, all men and women will be created equal," said Sen. Eric Schneiderman, Deputy Majority Leader (D-NY 34) adding that, "This law will expand the central American ideal of equality."
Sen. Eric Adams (D-NY 20) politely accused Sen. Diaz of not speaking "from his head." Adams compared banning gay marriage to "reaching back to the most ugliest [sic] period of America," when states like Virginia had laws banning interracial marriages until the 1967 US Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia.The senator also told his colleagues that,
"When I walk through these doors, my bible stays out.
"The statement drew a sharp rebuke from Sen. Diaz, who stated that given the crime and state of society in America, "That is the wrong statement to send." Diaz, a Hispanic Evangelical minister, urged Senators to remember their Bibles before voting.
1 comment:
Kudos on the Manhattan Declaration link! I was finally able to sign that puppy here after numerous attempts at other sites, such as CBN.
Thanks, Dan!
You are truly one of the more useful Christians!
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