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LGBT New Yorkers gain equality, second wind

This June marked the 42nd anniversary of the infamous Stonewall riots in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Next June will mark the 43rd anniversary of the riots, and the first anniversary of marriage equality in the Empire State.

On June 24, 2011, the New York State Senate voted to increase the number of US states where same sex couples can legally get married from five to six. The addition of New York to this group of states has doubled the amount of same sex couples in the US who can legally get married in their home state.

This was not an easy victory for LGBT New Yorkers, many of whom have fought tirelessly for the last 42 years to give themselves a voice in their communities and to de-stigmatize their same sex relationships.

Their continuous courage in the face of tremendous adversity has finally allowed them to break one of the last obstacles to LGBT equality. They should be applauded for their perseverance, and for giving the greater US LGBT community a much needed second-wind.

This victory will hopefully inspire LGBT individuals in other states to continue their fight for marriage equality until there is not a single state in the United States where they cannot marry their partners. And, this victory will hopefully teach bullied LGBT teens that perseverance, not suicide, is the answer to their current situations.

For the first time in our country’s history, a majority of Americans are in favor of same sex marriage. If the federal government continues to keep itself out of the issue, Texas will likely be one of the last states to legalize same sex marriage. However, that does not mean that UH students have nothing to be proud about.

UH students should be proud that they live in the largest US city to elect an openly gay mayor. UH students should also be proud that this University has an LGBT Resource Center and an LGBT Studies minor. This shows that even though our state is lagging behind, UH is pushing forward.

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