In his weekly
radio address Sunday, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced he supports marriage equality and urged New York's
highest court to rule in favor of five gay couples
seeking the right to marry. But regardless of the way
the New York State Court of Appeals rules in the case,
to be heard this week, Bloomberg said he expects same-sex
weddings to be performed in the city soon, reports local
television station NY1.
"If the Court of Appeals rules that same-sex
marriages are legal, then we'll perform them,"
Bloomberg said in the radio address, according to NY1.
"If they rule the other way, our administration will
begin working with the State Legislature for a new law that
establishes marriage equality for all New Yorkers, and will
do so in partnership with City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn and the growing number of elected and
civic leaders who stand with us."
Bloomberg, a Republican who was a Democrat until
he ran for the mayor's office in 2001, added that he
opposes a federal constitutional amendment to ban
same-sex marriage. "The U.S. Constitution should be
something that unites, rather than divides Americans,"
he said in the address, according to the New York
Daily News. "I do not believe that
government should be in the business of telling people who
they can and can't marry." (The Advocate)
