Mayor Michael Bloomberg Stands Up for Gay Marriage

Mayor Michael Bloomberg Stands Up for Gay Marriage

By Jonas Oliver | Article Date: 3/26/2009 2:20 PM

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has long been a advocate of gay and lesbian rights, but on Wednesday night he took his support to a new level by announcing at the annual dinner of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center that he was prepared to ask the State Legislature to allow gay marriage in New York State when the time is right.

"We see that the tide is turning, that support is mounting," Bloomberg told more than 350guests at the Center Dinner. "Make no mistake, the time will come ... and we will pass this bill."

Bloomberg's announcement is only the latest affirmation of his backing of same-sex marriage.

Bloomberg has made similar pledges to testify before the Legislatur in Albany for almost three years, but the GOP-run state Senate blocked any such bill, reports the New York Daily News.

With Democrats now in control of the Senate, however, the mayor may now have the opportunity to finally make good on his pledge of support for the passage of a gay marriage bill though he reportedly acknowledged before his speech that he didn't "know whether it's more likely or not" to come to fruition this year. That said, Bloomberg added that if the legislature did consider the bill , he "would be happy to testify for it."

Wednesday's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center raised over $400,000 and featured special guests including out City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and was attended by Marc Jacobs, Rufus Wainwright and Margaret Cho, among others