New York Delays Gay Marriage Vote 24 Hours

After hours of closed-door meetings, the Republican-controlled New York Senate gave up for the night on same-sex marriage, promising to return to the contentious issue Friday morning.

The sticking point remains exemptions to protect religious groups from civil lawsuits if they refuse to preside over or host same-sex ceremonies.

At the moment, 31 lawmakers in the Assembly – 29 Democrats and 2 Republicans – say they’ll vote for the same-sex marriage bill. But that’s one vote short of the necessary majority, and supporters would like to have more than 32 so that no single senator would be seen as casting the deciding vote.

"If there is an announcement prior to the vote, it will not be just one senator. No one wants to be the 32nd vote," Dan Weiller, a spokesman for Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's largest gay-rights group, told Reuters.

Coincidentally, as New York lawmakers were trying to work out a deal on same-sex marriage, President Obama was at a New York fundraiser for gay, lesbian, and bisexual supporters.

It’s a big part of his political base. Some exit polls show that as many as 70 percent of gay voters voted for Obama in 2008. Obama openly supported gay marriage as a Senator, then flip flopped when he became a Presidential candidate and wanted to appear more in the center.

Over time, support for same-sex marriage has grown throughout the electorate – especially among younger voters who were taught in public schools that gay sex was normal – to the point where it is essentially evenly split. In New York State, a recent Siena poll found 58 percent in favor of same-sex marriage. See Chick's THE GAY BLADE.