The fight for same sex marriage in America has been a long and strenuous one with only a few states in our country allowing homosexual couples to legally get married. As of today, the state of New York as been added to that list as the sixth state in America to legalize same sex marriage, making it the largest state in our country where homosexuals can wed. According to the New York Times, the bill was approved with a 33 to 29 vote. Outside of the voting area stood a crowd of protesters chanting and waving signs that stated, “support traditional marriage” while those in favor of passing the bill held signs that stated, “Love is love, Vote Yes”.

The law will go into effect 30 days after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signs the bill, allowing homosexual couples to legally get married by the middle of this summer.

This is a huge step toward equality for the gay community in New York- the place where the national gay rights movement was born, and with this weekend being “Gay Pride Weekend” in New York City, this couldn’t have happened at a better time.

President Barack Obama visited New York yesterday and addressed this issue. He explained to the gay community that having the right to get married would take time but stated,

“I believe that gay couples deserve the same legal rights as every other couple in this country”.

What do you think about gay marriage being legal in the state of New York?