In case you haven't heard, New York Governor David A. Paterson recently declared that gay couples legally married in other states/countries are entitled to the rights of a married couple in New York state, even though they are not technically married while in New York. That's not exactly gay marriage, but still pretty cool. What's even better is that Paterson seemingly did this (gasp!) out of his own genuine commitment to equality and despite the complete lack of any coherent gay marriage movement in NY at the moment. How often do you see a politician do that?
A day or two after Paterson's announcement, the New York Times ran an article describing how Paterson became an advocate of gay rights.
"When David A. Paterson was growing up and his parents would go out of town, he and his little brother would stay in Harlem with family friends they called Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald."
ADORABLE!
David Paterson's gay uncles made a big impression on him, it seems. Turns out he has been fighting for gay rights for most of his career. He introduced New York's first hate crimes bill into the state senate in the '80s, and refused to support a compromise bill that did not include language about gays and lesbians. When the hate crimes bill finally passed--in 2000--Paterson reportedly said "Now I can die in peace." Luckily, he survived a few more years.
"In many respects...we only recognize our own struggles," Paterson said in a news conference announcing the decision. "I've wanted to be someone in the African-American community who recognizes the new civil rights struggle that is being undertaken by gay and lesbian and transgendered people."
BAM! Take that, don't-you-compare-gay-rights-and-black-civil-rights people! This dude is only the second black governor in the history of the US. And he's blind! And he's still on our side!
Of course, someone this cool could only become governor by accident. But all I have to say is, thank you, Eliot Spitzer, for being a giant douche.
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