People of different faiths making a powerful statement in Troy on Sunday, standing together and saying it's time the government stops defining marriage by gender. In anticipation of what could be a historic day for New Yorkers this week, as the legislature comes closer than ever to passing a marriage equality bill, people across the state are rallying for support.
On Sunday, faith leaders and dozens of community members gathered at the First United Presbyterian Church in Troy to keep the momentum going.
“One nation, under God, with liberty and justice, not just for some, but for all,” Reverend Alexandra Lusak said as she spoke to a passionate group outside the church.
Men, women, and children put their religious differences aside on Sunday to stand together with one message.
“We don't want to see the state defining marriage according to a very old religious standard of who can and who can't get married,” said Robb Smith, Executive Director of Interfaith Impact of New York State.
And for the first time, a record number of Republican Senators agree - giving hope to couples like Nora Yates and Erica Lewis.
They've been together for 12 years. They traveled to Canada six and half years ago to get married.
“It was a very hard time to cross over the border into Canada, which welcomes our family, and then a few hours later, cross back and lose all those rights,” Yates said.
Faith leaders saying it’s time for the state to stop defining marriage by gender, but rather, by commitment.
“The same sex couples are pillars of our community and they deserve respect, their families deserve respect and they deserve the protections under the law,” Smith said.
Geri DeSeve is a mother of four who echoes that sentiment, saying she's tired of watching her gay son fight for the rights his siblings can take for granted.
“Please, please Legislature, give my son, Jim, the same right that my other three sons have,” she said.
That plea made by everyone at Sunday’s event, as people from all religious backgrounds pray for a historic decision at the Capitol this week.
“There are multiple faiths and what we're talking about is civil marriage, the license and allow faith to define their own,” Yates said.
The Assembly passed their same sex marriage bill on Wednesday.
The sticking points for some Republicans in the Senate are the religious exemptions.
They say the Governor seems flexible and willing to work on religious protections.
One concern is religious organizations or people being opened up to litigation because of a new set of laws.
Monday is the final scheduled day of the 2011 legislative session and Governor Cuomo says he remains cautiously optimistic the Marriage Equality Act will pass.
