New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a monumental bill into law June 24 and made New York the sixth and most populous state in the United States to legalize gay marriage, a huge step for gay rights battle in the nation. However, North Carolina is still one of the more conservative states regarding gay marriage, and same-sex marriages and unions are not recognized legally. The New York bill may bring a national movement for legalization, but it is ultimately up to the activists in each state to push their state legislature toward legalization.
Nationally, 53 percent of Americans now say that they support gay marriage, when just 15 years ago, only 27 percent supported gay marriage. The number of Americans eligible for same-sex marriage more than doubled as a result of the New York bill. An almost identical bill was defeated in New York in 2009. The 2011 bill was a huge step for gay rights activists and brought hope that national same-sex marriage legalization was not only possible, but probable.
The legalization of same-sex marriage in New York brought celebrations nationwide, with the GLBT community and its supporters demonstrating their hope and pride publicly. In California’s Pride Parade in San Francisco, individuals explicitly displayed the newfound hope and fervor for eventually gaining gay rights throughout the nation. Many brandished signs bearing their love for New York, and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ popular song “Empire State of Mind” sounded from many floats. Though gay marriage is still illegal in California, the supporters have not given up and are continuing to show their colors year after year. New York’s legalization only increased their support’s intensity.
The movement increased acceptance and awareness of gay marriage and gay rights across the country, and undoubtably influenced supporters and opposition in North Carolina as well. The North Carolina Gay Pride celebration will take place in September in both Raleigh and Durham. Wake County is considered one of the most liberal pockets of North Carolina, and N.C. State rests in the heart of Raleigh.
For gay rights supporters at N.C. State, legalization in New York should serve as a wake-up call. If legislators in New York were impressed upon by supporters so significantly in just two years, North Carolina’s gay rights prospects are similarly unlimited. Students who support gay rights should show their support at the Pride celebrations in September and continue to protest the oppression against same-sex couples in the meantime. California’s perseverance and New York’s success are indicators that supporters of gay rights must persist until the final goal of national acceptance is realized.
