I did most of my growing up in New York. No, I didn’t live in the Big Apple or anywhere near as cool as Manhattan. I grew up in a tiny little village just outside of the Connecticut border called Port Chester.

Yes, I said village. Not even big enough to be a town - though, not through lack of trying. My recent visits to Port Chester have shown me a boom in its commercialization. Major businesses like Costco and even a huge mall have invaded what used to be a quaint, though kind of grungy little ‘burb.

What I also liked about being a New Yorker was my impression of New York. You see, New York was the epitome of “the melting pot”. Since most families came to the United States by way of Ellis Island, the state of New York was, to me, the melting pots of melting pots – an “it takes and we are all kinds” kind of state.

By now you may have heard that the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, has proposed granting same-sex marriage in the state. What has surprised me most about the fight for same-sex marriage was that New York wasn’t the leader in this regard. Even more surprising was that New York resisted this movement for equality. I thought, “How could a state that is so rich in diversity, that houses the single most accepting and vastly populated city in the world, be so close-minded?” It seriously baffled me.

Don’t get me wrong; New York has had its moments in the sun. For instance, when the mayor of New Paltz decided that he was going to perform same-sex marriages no matter the law, I applauded him and the stance he made. New Paltz remains a shiny light in the fight for marriage equality.

Now with Spizter’s marriage bill New York once again made a promise of being the leader that I know it can be. However Republican majority leader (aka The Christian Reich Right) of the State Senate would not hear of it:

The Republican majority leader of the State Senate, Joseph L. Bruno, said on Tuesday that he would not support Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.

His remarks came as thousands of gay rights supporters marched to the State Capitol to voice their support for the proposal and praise Governor Spitzer, who introduced the bill on Friday even as he conceded that it was unlikely to become law anytime soon. Mr. Bruno has indicated his opposition to the bill in the past; his counterpart in the Assembly, Speaker Sheldon Silver, has taken no position on it.

Asked if gay rights advocates should expect him to support a measure legalizing same-sex marriage, Mr. Bruno said, “I think they ought to discuss that with the governor, since that is a priority of the governor, and not a priority in the Senate.”

He added that the Senate Republicans were focused on property tax rebates and instituting the death penalty in New York for killers of law enforcement officers. Asked if he would support changing the law to allow for same-sex couples to marry, he said, “No, I would not.” (Read the full story here).

So, what lies ahead for the state of New York? Why same-sex marriage, of course. However, in the meantime the battle for marriage equality rages on. I know that some day all the silliness of discrimination will be put to an end and the right to marry will finally be granted to all as it should be. Of this I have no doubt.