New Yorkers Celebrate the Legalization of Gay Marriage

A Republican Yes Vote
New York state Senator Stephen Saland, a Republican from Poughkeepsie, provided one of the critical votes in the 33 to 29 passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act. Saland had remained undecided until late in the process. In announcing his decision to support the bill, Saland said that an amendment that exempted religious groups from having to solemnize same-sex unions was a key factor in his decision to vote yes. "My intellectual and emotional journey has ended here today, and I have to define doing the right thing as treating all people with equality," he said.

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