To the Editor:
As one of the thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of New York who long to get married in their home state, I applaud Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s renewed push for marriage equality (“Marriage Equality in New York,” editorial, April 26). For far too long, gay and lesbian New Yorkers have watched with disappointment as the tide of equality rolled in for our neighbors in states near and far.
Through the years we’ve been on a frustrating roller-coaster ride of emotional highs (the eloquent lower court ruling in Hernández v. Robles) and crushing lows (the State Senate defeat of the marriage equality bill). During this time, there has been an unprecedented rise in public support for gay marriage. This change, along with the tireless work that gay rights advocates have put into this effort, may just yield long-overdue results.
My partner of 29 years and I could have easily gone to a nearby marriage-friendly state to tie the knot, but we are holding out for New York. With luck, our wait will soon be over.
JO-ANN SHAIN
Brooklyn, April 27, 2011
The writer and her partner were one of five plaintiff couples in the Hernández v. Robles marriage equality case.
Note from KBJ: The letter writer uses the word "equality" three times. Justice requires that likes be treated alike and unlikes differently (in proportion to their differences). With regard to marriage, homosexual couples are unlike heterosexual couples. To allow them to marry, therefore, would be unjust, for the same reason that it would be unjust to allow a human to marry a dog.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 