New York Governor to Propose Bill Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage by January 2008

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Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY). Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.

Darren Dopp, press secretary to newly-inaugurated Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-NY), has promised that Spitzer will propose a bill legalizing same-sex marriage by the end of this legislative session. In New York, governors can write their own legislation and bring it up for a vote.

According to a 2005 poll, 53 percent of New York residents favor legalizing same-sex marriage. Spitzer was elected as a strong proponent of same-sex marriage, so strong that some activists were surprised and disappointed that he didn't specifically mention the issue in this week's State of the State Address (beyond saying that "the civil rights movement still has chapters to be written").

See also:

• Why You Should Support Gay Marriage