In 1995, the Supreme Court ruled in Romer v. Evans, striking down a homophobic constitutional amendment in the state of Colorado:

We must conclude that Amendment 2 classifies homosexuals not to further a proper legislative end but to make them unequal to everyone else. This Colorado cannot do. A State cannot so deem a class of persons a stranger to its laws. Amendment 2 violates the Equal Protection Clause, and the judgment of the Supreme Court of Colorado is affirmed.

Since Romer, the LGBT rights movement has been able to focus, the fight over whether we have any rights before the law having been won, on what the scope of those rights will be. In essence, this has involved identifying and then advocating for change in all aeras of the civil law where sexual orientation is relevant; chief among these is marriage. Yesterday, the New York State Assembly voted to include gays and lesbians in the protections of law already extended to straight New Yorkers.

After more than three hours of impassioned debate, the Assembly on Tuesday night approved a bill to allow same-sex marriage in New York.[...] "I'm very proud of my colleagues," said a buoyant Daniel O'Donnell, D-Manhattan, an openly gay lawmaker who carried the bill on behalf of Gov. Eliot Spitzer. The bill passed 85-61, more than he'd expected.

Astonishingly enough, the bill garnered the support and vote of Speaker Sheldon Silver. It was a most unusual bill, prompting open debate in a chamber known for its lockstep approach to legislating.

"This was one of those nights where the debate changed votes," said Assemblyman Ronald Canestrari, D-Cohoes. "It doesn't happen that often."

Now, of course, the bill will die in the Senate, where the republican majority seems inclined to repeat the failings of American conservatism on every civil rights issue ever to confront this country. A special dishonorable mention goes out to bigoted shitbag Ruben Diaz, Democrat of The Bronx, who said in a press release:

As a legislator of Hispanic origin, today I am very disappointed with those members of the Hispanic delegation in the State Assembly for supporting homosexual marriage in New York. [...] This is against the Jewish Religion, the Islamic Religion, and Christian Religions. These religions do not support the belief in or practice of homosexuality. Even though the members of the New York State Assembly, controlled by the Democratic Party and guided by the Speaker Sheldon Silver, today will approve and authorize gay marriage in New York State, I am confident that the New York State Senate, controlled by the Republican Party, will not allow this to come to the floor of the Senate.

On this, bigoted shitbag Diaz is probably right. This once again makes clear, starkly and with all the clarity one could hope for, that Democrats need to retake the New York State Senate if there is to be any hope of moving this state forward.