NY: Greens See Influence in Passage of Gay Marriage Bill

A letter from the New York Green Party Co-Chair to the Green Party of Monroe County:

The New York State Senate gave final approval Friday night to legalize same-sex marriage. A big thank you and congratulations to everyone who help make this change including countless Greens.

In the past few months The Green Party of Monroe County has been active advocating for the passage of this bill through lobbying state Senators and state Assemblyman, phone banking, hand delivery literature, and of course attending rallies.

For the Green Party this journey started a very long time ago, legalizing same-sex marriages has been in the Green Party's platform since it's inception. Over the years we have been steadfast in our call for marriage equality, and full LBGTQ rights.

On February 27, 2004 our advocacy turned into real action when Jason West, the first Green to be elected mayor in New York State, began performing marriages of same-sex couples outside the village hall in New Paltz. Mayor West was on the Rachel Maddow Show, the day before this historic legislation was past, to talk about marriage equality in New York, and what role his actions had in moving the issue to the forefront on political debate.

Alison Duncan, the 2006 Green Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York and the first openly gay candidate for a gubernatorial office in New York, toured the state speaking on a wide range of LBGTQ issues, and pushing marriage equality in the political discourse here in New york.

Today I thank Mayor West, Alison Duncan, the founders of the Green Party, and the countless Greens and the countless New Yorkers, and advocacy groups that helped change happen in New York. Today we celebrate, tomorrow we continue to fight for equal rights for all.

-Jason Nabewaniec
Co-Chair of the Green Party of the United States