Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Same Sex Marriage in NY


This week one of the most controversial topics was finally given a green light by the legislature, New York’s legislature voted in favor for same sex marriage in the state of New York. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the law making New York the nation’s sixth and most populous state to legalize same sex marriage.

New York Times cover on the historic same sex marriage did not just congratulate the event but also wrote about how those against same sex marriage will continue to fight against it and make sure it does not succeed in the other states. I felt that as the NYT continued to praise those that are getting married it also wanted to give the reactions of those against it. It gave sort of a history on how the gay rights activist pushed for the law in the very beginning and how they were being shot down. The quest for same sex marriage was very political and legal in how they were bills and laws that were against it and how voters rejected the legalizations. The focus of the New York Times was more on the process of how the bill became legalized and various states still fight on the topic. It also goes to show on how President Obama will face this issue. According to the NYT “Obama opposes same sex marriage as a Christian but describes himself as a “fierce advocate of quality” for gay men and lesbians. The New York Times comes across as a liberal biased newspaper.

USA Today came across as a liberal newspaper that goes on to define the positive prospect of the fight for same sex marriage. It is also noted that Gay rights activist praised Cuomo for signing a bill that has been controversial and something many politicians and parties have constantly stayed away from. The USA Today gives the point of views of both for and against same sex marriage in quoting and gay rights activist stating that gay rights will eventually be nationwide and that this is a stepping stone for something bigger and that its a matter of when it will be approved. While Brian Brown, president of National Organization for Marriage stated that they seek to defeat the bill that was passed and ban gay marriage. The USA today depicts a more positive outlook for the future of gay marriage.

Fox News was pretty moderate on the subject, it didn't really show to anything to conservative or liberal but saw New York's adoption of legal same sex marriage as "pivotal moment in the national gay rights movement. Rallies were in the streets protesting the bill and opponents are demanding for a "statewide referendum" But in other cases Fox was showing all the happy points of the event showing the people getting married after years of waiting, this was a big moment for them.

Yahoo news I found is very open on the subject regarding to same sex marriages, it portrayed a lot of happy people that are lining up to get married. Civil liberties activists states that "New York 's legalization of same-sex marriage sends a message that it must repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage as between a man and a woman. " Yahoo shows that New York is sending a powerful message to the rest of the nation fighting for equal rights.

In the end I thought that New York Times, USA Today, Fox News, and Yahoo News were rather open for the discussion on same sex marriage. Each post had its own feel and approach on the topic was rather open and agreeing that it should be allowed. I thought that they all felt that same sex marriage in New York was a big step for the activist being that it has the largest population.

New York times- http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html

USA today- http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-06-24-gay-marriage-new-york_n.htm

Fox News- http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/23/vows-make-new-york-largest-gay-marriage-state/

Yahoo news - http://news.yahoo.com/two-grandmothers-first-legal-gay-marriage-ny-051842577.html