In accepting his
New York Leadership Award from the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force on Monday night, newly installed governor
David Paterson announced that he would continue to
push for full marriage equality for LGBT New Yorkers,
according to a Task Force press release.
Paterson also
said he favors legislation that would deter bullying in
schools, promote transgender rights, and extend affordable
health care to all residents.
He told the crowd
he was "proud to have run on a ticket that advocated
for marriage equality and to win on that premise."
Paterson also
acknowledged the 40th anniversary of the Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr.'s death, remembering him as someone who
would "go beyond the issues of his neighborhood,"
adding, "New York's civil rights leaders
recognize that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
communities deserve equal rights as well." (The
Advocate)