Diversity Rules Magazine

Diversity Rules Magazine Editor’s Remarks at Marriage Equality Party James R. Koury, Editor Today is a momentous day! The arrival of legalized same-sex mar- riage is something we have all been waiting for patiently for a very long time. Its day has come, at least in New York State! Many loving couples throughout the state have gone to their respec- tive municipal clerk’s offices and gotten a license to marry. Many, like today here in Oneonta, have received waivers from the 24-hour waiting period requirement and tied the knot officially! I cannot express what is in my heart today. I cannot express enough gratitude to the 7 State Senators who changed their minds and voted to legalize same-sex marriage on June 24th; a day that will certainly go down in history in the annals of gay/lesbian equality. I also cannot express enough thanks to the New York State Assembly that led the way in voting for same sex marriage through the years. Most importantly, I cannot express enough thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who led the charge to get this done and all the activists throughout the state that worked with him to do it! Even though we celebrate today we must never forget that today’s celebration would not be possible without the efforts of our past LGBTQ pioneers. It is their efforts on that hot, summer night in Greenwich Village at the Stonewall Inn that cast the shot heard around the world that began the gay rights movement as we know it. The rebellion against police oppression and persecution was an amazingly bold move on the part of our LGBTQ brethren of that pe- riod gone by. As Winston Churchill stated, “NEVER, NEVER FORGET!” Additionally, full equality has yet to come to New York gay and lesbian citizens despite the passage of same sex marriage. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) still breathes its vile stench throughout this great nation and pre- vents married gay and lesbian couples from ob- taining all the federal benefits that come with marriage. This needs to change. This WILL CHANGE. Last, even though equality has come to gay and lesbian couples, our transgender compatriots Seven still are legally persecuted and can still be thrown out of the military, despite the impending demise of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” We must continue to fight diligently for the passage of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GEN- DA). bold step in passing marriage equality. I know it can do the same with GENDA. But today, we can bask in the glow of a huge advancement in gay and lesbian equality. Go get them licenses and be proud of who you are. Never let anyone tell you that you are a second class citizen because of your sexual orientation. You all rock and thank you for being here to- day to share in this HUGE victory. Raven's Eden Adult Home Parties/Toy Sales Meshoppen, PA Covering all of PA, NY, and parts of NJ, DE and MD Ravens_Eden@yahoo.com AIM: RVNSEDEN 484.550.9490 GENDA would prohibit discrimi- nation because of a person’s gen- der identity or expression. It would make it illegal to discriminate against an individual simply because that person does not fit society’s narrow vision of what it means to be a man or woman. New York State took a

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