MARKET WATCH COLUMNIST
“Change coming on gay marriage in NY”, Ellis Henican Column, Newsday, June 19, 2011
Clearly, the moment has arrived in New York. —
One by one, Republican senators are coming around on gay marriage. And it isn’t the rhetoric of equality or any constitutional argument that has swayed most of them. It’s politics – and a grudging, practical understanding that is hard to resist: Like it or not, some people is this world are going to be gay. There isn’t much anyone can do about that. Lord knows, it’s been tried.
So isn’t society better off when all people have a right to be a part of stable, legal – and let’s say it, monogamous – relationships?
Yes, in marriages, to use what is still emotion-packed word.
New York hasn’t been a leader in this equality struggle. But, if Gov. Andrew Cuomo gets his gay-marriage bill through the Legislature, New York will be only the sixth state to do so.
There are many ways that this fight against discrimination has been tougher than the battles over race and religious 
equality – tradition, religion and Conservative Party chairman Mike Long being only the most obvious.
But there are gay people in almost everybody’s family, in almost everybody’s office, on almost everybody’s block. They are us, even the opponents of gay marriage are learning, in ways that were never quite as true or obvious when those earlier battles were fought.
And this time – as that time, the change is coming with all deliberate speed.
THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN SONG:
“I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry
OOPS, I FORGOT TO RUN
- Calista Gingrich
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Professor X
- Ali Abdullah Saleh
- Stephen Colbert
ASKED AND UNANSWERED:
One plus one equals one? Is that the New Math at Malverne High? When it comes to picking valedictorians, it is…How 
many of the Costco 20 will have any of their Powerball winnings still in the bank five years from now? All of them intend to, of course. But lottery history urges skepticism…Will the extra $20,000 in reward money shake loose any fresh info on the Ocean Parkway body dumper (or dumpers)? Pot is now up to 25-thou…Even though the bacteria level has been
judged “acceptable” at Fleets Cove in Huntington, how many beachgoers are dipping into the water again? Are they ready to dunk their heads yet?…With the LIRR platform about to be added to the lengthy no-smoking list, wouldn’t it just be easier to publish the last few places you MAY light up?… How ’bout this backyard reminder before summer’s officially begun? If you have a pool, keep an extra eye on the kids. Far too many drownings on LI last summer…Where was homegrown WWE star Zach Ryder when “Monday Night Raw” hit the Nassau Coliseum? Oh, that’s right. Relegated to a meaningless Superstars match by a jealous-seeming Vince McMahon….Thursday night, was that the loudest lightning you ever heard in your life? Even the LIRR signals were blinking, “What the hell was that?”
LONG ISLANDERS OF THE WEEK
THE WEST-NILE HUNTERS
The recent rain reminds us: As summer arrives on Long Island, so will infected mosquitoes and the West Nile virus. 
The Nassau and Suffolk County health department have re-activated their West Nile Hotline, 516-571-6900 and 631-787-2200. And that’s good. But as Suffolk Health Commissioner James Tomarken points out, there’s only so much the professionals can do. Much of the fight against the deadly virus is up to us. So please, eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes can lay their eggs – in the yard, on the roof, anywhere. With few flying pests, next weekend’s barbecue will be that much more pleasant. Who knows, with sufficient vigilance, we could actually make this summer West Nile-free.
E-mail ellis@henican.com.
Follow him at twitter.com/henican
Related posts
When I got married in 1981 I was a sales and operations representative
for Burns International Security Services, a $250,000,000 firm with offices all over the world. I enjoyed a full benefits package, health, Life, retirement opportunities, sick days, personal days and more. My wife had just lost her job with a public relations firm. Our children were not born yet. I distinctly remember that she was able to refuse Cobra and get the same benefits package by virtue of our marriage. My bet is that gay marriage will go through and gays will be issued the same certificate that my wife and I obtained. Once it is filed in the County Clerk’s office as constructive evidence, does this mean that entitlements will work the same way that it did for my wife and I?