Leaders in New York are showing their support for the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges on Friday.
“Dividing people into first and second-class citizens is not only wrong, it runs contrary to who we are as a nation,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. “From Stonewall to Edie Windsor, New Yorkers have always been on the front lines of the fight to ensure equality and fairness for all. Today, we are proud New Yorkers and proud Americans. Today, progress marches on.”
Cuomo said in honor of the Supreme Court’s decision and New York City Pride Week, the lights on One World Trade Center’s 408-foot spire will light up in a rainbow on Sunday night in Lower Manhattan.
State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher expressed the importance of the ruling for higher education institutions.
“Higher education thrives on an unequivocal commitment to diversity of ideas, beliefs, race, nationality, and sexual orientation,” Zimpher said in a press release. “Today we rejoice in that diversity with the countless students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have benefitted from a SUNY education and can now live their lives to the fullest no matter where they live in the United States.”
David Kilmnick, the CEO of the Long Island LGBT Network and a Stony Brook University alum, said that though there is still much to be done to reach complete equality, today’s decision is still symbolic.
“After decades of organizing, advocating and changing hearts and minds, today’s decision on Marriage Equality by the Supreme Court is a game-changer in the LGBT civil rights movement,” Kilmnick said in an email. “While this is not the end of our fight for full equality and justice, this victory is monumental. For thousands of married lesbian and gay couples, today’s ruling means that they can better protect one another and their families no matter where they live across the United States of America.”
The LGBT Network will host a Decision Day Rally and Celebration at 7 p.m. along with the annual LGBT Youth Prom at the Courtyard Marriott in Ronkonkoma to commemorate the occasion.
For a look at how Stony Brook students have debated same sex marriage over the years, click here.
