Dueling gay marriage rallies in Manhattan on Sunday

Advocates and opponents of gay marriage took to the streets of Manhattan on Sunday. Among those in attendance on the "pro" side were Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon (speech in video above) and Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz.

From the article:

“There are 18 days left in the senate session,” Sen. Tom Duane, the lead sponsor of marriage-equality legislation, told the upbeat crowd gathered in the chilly gray weather. “I need your help," he said, urging people to contact their representatives in the chamber.

Marriage-equality legislation passed the assembly last Tuesday by a vote of 89-52, but its outcome remains uncertain in the closely divided senate, where Democrats hold a slim 32-30 majority. Current estimates put the number of affirmative votes for the legislation at around 25. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who did not attend either rally on Sunday, has vowed not to bring the legislation to a vote unless its passage is assured in advance.

New York governor David Paterson, who made a last-minute appearance at the rally in support of marriage equality, also stressed the time element, characterizing the issue repeatedly as a “race.”

“We’re in a race right now in New York,” Paterson said. “When are we going to admit that LGBT people do not have the same rights as straight people right now?”

Read the full article at The Advocate.