Moving Beyond Race on the Gay Rights Debate

[apples and oranges]

Supporters of marriage equality were crushed last week when a marriage-equality bill in the New York Senate was defeated 24 to 38, despite high hopes that a few Republicans would cross the aisle and the bill, which had the support of New York's African American governor David Paterson, would pass.

Contrary to the stereotype established by California, in mostly black Washington, D.C., marriage-equality efforts were boosted by an integrated base of pro-marriage-equality activists. In New York, the defeat of the marriage-equality bill was driven mostly by white Republicans and Democratic defectors -- only two black Democrats crossed the aisle to vote against it.

The future of marriage equality in Washington, D.C., seems bright, with only two holdouts on the 13-member body, a mayor willing to sign the bill, and a Democratic Congress unlikely to intervene. The bill will need to pass a second vote before it is sent to Mayor Adrian Fenty to be signed. The bill will become law if Congress does not intervene within 30 days. The future of a marriage-equality initiative in New Jersey seems less certain, with the bill making it out of the state Senate Judiciary Committee by a single vote after eight hours of debate on Monday. Despite their defeat in the New York Senate last week, marriage-equality activists in the state have said the fight isn't over.

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=moving_beyond_race_on_the_gay_rights_debate
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Several months ago I made an unfair OP about the Maine election and I would like to take this time to apologize.

[apples and oranges]

1. kick?