Shoulders to Stand On

Senators Alesi and Grisanti

By Evelyn Bailey

This month and next month’s Shoulders To Stand On will focus on the four Republican Senators who turned the tide on passing Marriage Equality here in New York State.

They were not the only Senators who voted for Marriage Equality.  They are, however, the only Republican Senators and those with the most to lose. Those opposed to Marriage Equality are committed to defeating these men when they run for re-election. Their courage in standing and speaking out for what they believed was right needs to be acknowledged by publicly standing with them.

Senators McDonald and Saland

By Evelyn Bailey

This month Shoulders To Stand On focuses on the last two of the four Republican Senators who turned the tide on passing Marriage Equality here in New York State.

They were not the only Senators who voted for Marriage Equality.  They are however the only Republican Senators and those with the most to lose. Those opposed to Marriage Equality are committed to defeating these men when they run for re-election. Their courage in standing and speaking out for what they believed was right needs to be acknowledged by publicly standing with them.

History Corner: August 2011

by Evelyn Bailey

This month the History Corner will print the countdown hour by hour of the passage of the Marriage Equality Bill on June 24, 2011.

Prior to 4:58pm:  New York Times reports that Governor Andrew Cuomo and State Senate leaders reached an agreement on the religious exemption language that has kept the bill stalled in negotiations all week. Though this means the negotiations over the measure have cleared one hurdle, there is no news on when or if the bill will be brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

4:58 p.m - NYS Senate confirmed The Times report by releasing the updated bill.

History In the Making

by Evelyn Bailey

Whether or not the ruling by Federal Judge Vaughn Walker that the anti-gay marriage measure approved by California voters in 2008 violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution and therefore was illegal will be upheld is not the focus of this article.

The two couples whose courage, pride, and a sense of justice challenged Proposition 8 provide us with Shoulders To Stand On that will be recognized and recorded in our history as THE landmark case in our fight for equality.

Who exactly are Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier of Berkeley, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo of Burbank?