NYC RALLY TONIGHT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NYC RALLY TONIGHT TO PROTEST MAINE ANTI-MARRIAGE VOTE AND DEMAND MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN NY

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ron Zacchi, Executive Director (646)660-1906 or ron@meny.us
Cathy Marino-Thomas, Board President (516)302-5198 or cathy@meny.us

New York: This narrow defeat will not define the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community, just as the passing of Prop 8 only propelled us forward as a nation in the marriage equality movement. We will continue to urge the New York Senate, in a rally today in Union Square at 5:30pm, to vote on and pass marriage equality legislation, so New York state can join other equal marriage states in lighting the path to equality for the United States.

The people of Maine have temporarily closed the door on Maine’s equal marriage law. The will of the people has been used again to take away equal rights from Maine's citizens and create a second-class citizenship. “We are very proud of the courageous couples, in Maine and throughout the United States, who stepped forward and offer the truth of their lives to move us forward in our quest to secure marriage equality for all LGBTQ couples,” said Ron Zacchi, Executive Director of Marriage Equality New York. “We may have had a setback in Maine, but polls confirm that we are winning in the court of opinion in this country. Equality advocates will eventually prevail as has always been the case throughout America's civil rights trials.”

We know that those who believe in justice and the freedom for all committed couples to marry will continue to work toward fair treatment for all families. Polls conducted in Maine reveal that there is a significant percentage of Maine residents who support marriage equality.

“Basic human rights shouldn’t depend on the popular vote,” said Marriage Equality New York’s, Cathy Marino-Thomas. “If civil rights required a majority vote first, history confirms that many states would not have voted to allow interracial couples to marry, women the right to vote, or to abolish slavery.”

“Despite the handful of states providing a number of protections for LGBTQ couples, most state and federal laws persist in denying LGBTQ families access to the hundreds of state rights and 1,138 federal rights, benefits and protections that come with a civil marriage license. This is creating a second class citizenry in direct violation of the equal protection guarantees contained in the U.S. Constitution,” said Marino-Thomas.

Please join us at a rally on Nov 4th in Union Square on 14th Street side at 5:30pm urging the NYS Senate to vote and in response to the votes on marriage equality across the United States.

Please join us on Nov 9, across NYS, as we hold candle light vigils as a pre-session reminder to the NYS Senate on why marriage matters. Go to Lighting the Way To Equality for a location near you.

Marriage Equality New York is an all inclusive organization whose mission is to secure the right of all LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Queer) couples to enter into legally recognized Civil Marriage with all the benefits and responsibilities that entails through education and promotion of awareness.

For more information go to http://www.meny.us.