...An eclectic mix of local Politics, Education, Community Affairs, Environment, History, Birding,Jamaica Bay, Ridgewood Reservoir, Forest Park, and other assorted items of interest...
Concentrating on the Borough of Queens in New York City...and the neighborhoods of Ozone Park, Howard Beach, Woodhaven, Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park...and Community Boards 5, 6, 9 and 10...
“History will define today as a pivotal moment in the fight for equal rights for all.
I applaud Governor Cuomo, the State Senators and Assembly Members who recognized the tenor of the times and heard their constituents' voices, and the LGBT advocates and activists and supporters who served on the front lines of this long-fought battle to ensure equality for all.
Today is long overdue. The passage of time since marriage equality was unsuccessfully introduced a year ago has yielded more open minds and open hearts. I commend our leaders for employing not only common sense but courage, and a conviction to do what simply is right.
On this day, we all should reflect not just on our own lives and the privileges and rights we have, but those of our sisters and brothers, colleagues and friends, and realize that the playing field doesn't favor everyone. There are still challenges ahead. All too often we hear about anti-gay attacks in our city, state and nation. Changing the law does not necessarily change all minds.
My true hope is that today's action will create a wave of acceptance and a recognition that where you love should not be determined by where you live.
As a longtime supporter of marriage equality, I shared the pain endured by my colleagues and friends who could not get married in New York, and now share the joy of progress.
I am proud that as a New Yorker I live in a State that acknowledges that the people you love should not define the limits of your rights. Instead, through today's vote, our State leaders have shown that love and the law can go hand in hand.”
Forty-two years ago at a small bar in Greenwich Village, New Yorkers took a stand against discrimination and the gay rights movement was born. Tonight, New York made history once again, becoming the largest state in the country to pass marriage equality. This victory was only made possible because of the tireless dedication and advocacy of millions of New Yorkers, some gay, some straight, all fighting to ensure that every person in our state is guaranteed the same rights and privileges. This historic day is also due in large part to the leadership of Governor Cuomo. I congratulate the Governor, the State Assembly and the State Senate for this historic step forward. I applaud those legislators who have fought on the front lines for years and also those legislators who courageously found it within themselves and in the voices of their constituents to vote 'yes' for the first time. Sincerely,
"By lifting this barrier to equal rights, our state has made a clear and forceful declaration that there must be no second-class New Yorkers.
"Today has been a day when our greatest ideals were on display – ideals like 'liberty and justice for all' and the unshakable belief that 'all men are created equal.’
"This struggle has been long, and change is always difficult. We are proud that New York has debated this issue in an atmosphere of respect. But as evidenced today, the march toward greater freedom and fairness, toward true equality under the law, cannot be stopped until all of us are truly free.
"There was another kind of history made today as well – the kind recorded not in history books, but in family photographs and genealogies.
"For too long, gay and lesbian couples like us were forced to live in the shadows. No matter how long we lived together, no matter how much we loved each other, no matter how committed we were to one another, gay and lesbian relationships rested on a legal house of cards under New York law.
"Today, at last, our state government has caught up with the truth that our families, colleagues and neighbors have long known: GLBT citizens deserve the same rights, recognition and respect as every other New Yorker.
"This historic moment may never have arrived in New York if it weren’t for the leadership of Governor Andrew Cuomo. History will recall his courage and determined support, along with that of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and those Assembly Members and Senators who stood up for what is right, particularly Senator Tom Duane and Assembly Members Danny O’Donnell and Deborah Glick.
"With today’s vote, New York has reclaimed its proper role as a beacon for civil rights and equality – a proud example that we hope may inspire our federal government and state governments around the country to follow suit."
--Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer & Dan Hendrick, Sunnyside, NY
Praises Democrats And Republicans For Coming Together To Uphold American Values Of Equality, Justice
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement tonight after the New York State Senate voted in favor of marriage equality for all New Yorkers:
“New York has always led the way for equal rights – from leading the suffrage movement, to Abraham Lincoln’s remarkable speech opposing slavery at Cooper Union - and we have done it again. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for his extraordinary leadership and unwavering commitment to marriage equality which brought home this great victory. I also want to thank the committed advocates who worked day in and day out, and all of the New York State lawmakers - Democrats and Republicans - who came together to uphold the fundamental American values of equality and justice for all.
“New York State has sent a powerful message to the rest of the nation. The right to get married and start a family is a basic, human right that must be shared by all Americans. Every loving, committed couple in America deserves this right. And no politician should stand in the way of this fact.
“Marriage under the law is the foundation for strong families. I will continue to help lead the fight in Washington to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act so that all loving and committed marriages in New York are recognized by the federal government.”
New York will become the sixth state to allow gay marriage after lawmakers passed the measure on Friday, a key victory for gay rights ahead of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections.
New York state senators voted 33 to 29 to approve marriage equality legislation introduced by Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat in his first year of office. New York will now be the most populous state where lawmakers approved gay marriage.
"New York has finally torn down the barrier that prevented same-sex couples from exercising the freedom to marry and from receiving the fundamental protections that so many couples and families take for granted," Cuomo said in a statement.
After Cuomo signs the bill same-sex weddings can start taking place in New York in 30 days and religious institutions and nonprofit groups with religious affiliations are not compelled to officiate.
"I have to define doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality and that equality includes within the definition of marriage," said Republican Senator Stephen Saland, speaking before the bill was passed.
Cheers erupted in the Senate gallery in the state capital Albany and among a crowd of several hundred people who gathered outside New York City's Stonewall Inn, where riots following a police raid in 1969 sparked the modern gay rights movement.
"It's about time. I want to get married. I want the same rights as anyone else," Caroline Jaeger, 36, a student, who was outside the Stonewall Inn.
But New York Bishops said in a statement that they were "deeply disappointed and troubled" by the passage of the bill.
"We always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love. But we just as strongly affirm that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman," they said.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an advocate for gay marriage who lobbied state lawmakers in recent weeks, said the vote was an "historic triumph for equality and freedom."
"Together, we have taken the next big step on our national journey toward a more perfect union," he said in a statement.
ELECTION ISSUE
President Barack Obama, who attended a fundraiser in New York on Thursday for Gay Pride Week, has a nuanced stance of gay issues and could risk alienating large swathes of the electorate if he came out strongly in favor of such matters as gay marriage before the 2012 polls, experts say.
During the 2008 election Obama picked up important support from Evangelicals, African Americans, and socially conservative Latinos and Catholics -- who all oppose gay marriage, which has become a contentious social issue being fought state-by-state.
In California a judge last year overturned a ban on gay marriage, but no weddings can take place while the decision is being appealed. It could set national policy if the case reaches the U.S. Supreme Court.
Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, and Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey approved civil unions. The first legal same-sex marriages in the United States took place in Massachusetts in 2004.
But gay marriage is banned in 39 states, according to the The National Conference of State Legislatures.
In New York a recent Siena poll found 58 percent of New Yorkers support gay marriage, while nationally the U.S. public is nearly evenly split with 45 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed, according to a Pew Research poll released last month.
New York's Democrat-dominated Assembly voted 80 to 63 in favor of gay marriage last week and again passed the amended legislation on Friday 82 to 47.
A key sticking point had been over an exemption that would allow religious officials to refuse to perform services or lend space for same-sex weddings. Most Republicans were concerned the legal protection was not strong enough, so legislative leaders worked with Cuomo to amend his original bill.
"God, not Albany, settled the definition of marriage a long time ago," said Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a Pentecostal minister and the only Democrat to vote against the measure.
However fears of a slew of litigation arising from a possible religious exemption to New York's proposed same-sex marriage law are not borne out by experience with similar laws in other states, legal experts say.
(Additional reporting by Phil Wahba, writing by Michelle Nichols)
First and foremost – we thank and congratulate Sens. Shirley Huntley and Joe Addabbo for changing their position on gay marriage. The two were the only remaining Queens Democrats who had previously voted against gay marriage; this week they said they changed their minds. Yes, we recognize that they perceived the issue to be in opposition of their constituents, and we are glad to see that the people they represent spoke up in great numbers to convince them to change their position.
We certainly realize that this is not a fait accompli. As of printing, there were only 31 Senators committed to voting in favor of granting members of the LGBT community the right to marry one another; 32 are needed, and a vote was expected by Friday.
This newspaper has taken great pride in championing what we feel is the basic equality of civil rights for all New Yorkers. If, indeed, the measure does pass, it will be a historic day in New York – and one of celebration here in Queens, home to one of the largest organized gay communities on the East Coast.
We patiently await the vote of the Senate. Do the right thing. We all should be equal.
Same-sex marriage moved one step closer to being legalized in New York with Assembly's vote.. Justin Sullivan/Getty
The Assembly Wednesday passed a bill to legalize gay marriage while Senate Republicans battled over whether to let the measure come to a floor vote.
The measure passed 80 to 63, the lowest margin in the four times it has been approved by the Assembly since 2007.
"It feels different this time because I'm very hopeful it will pass the Senate and become law this year," said Assembly bill sponsor Daniel O'Donnell (D-Manhattan), one of a handful of gay state lawmakers.
Gov. Cuomo, who has made gay marriage a priority, crowed, "We are on the verge of a pinnacle moment for this state."
The fate of the bill is still up in the air in the GOP-controlled Senate, where 31 senators are on record as supporting it - one shy of the 32 needed for passage.
Senate Republicans discussed the issue behind closed doors for four hours Wednesday. Saying they were unable to decide how to proceed, they are scheduled to continue the talks today.
Just two of the 32-member GOP conference publicly support legalizing gay marriage. Four others are on the fence.
Sources said those who oppose the bill were split over what the Senate should do. Some senators argued against bringing the measure to the floor.
Others are said to have pushed for a floor vote to get the issue off the table in time for next year's elections as the GOP tries to maintain its slim majority.
Senator after senator were said to have spoken "passionately" about his feelings on the gay marriage issue at the four-hour conference.
Some expressed religious objections to the gay lifestyle. Others fear political backlash from conservatives that could cost the GOP the majority next year. Still others had legal concerns about the way the bill submitted by Cuomo was written.
Cuomo said his bill offers exemptions from anti-discrimination laws for certain religious groups and affiliated groups, like the Knights of Columbus.
Several Senate Republicans who are lawyers, including Stephen Saland, one of the four undecideds, have argued that under Cuomo's bill, those groups still could be sued under other parts of state law, sources said.
Senate Republicans are considering reworking the bill or asking Cuomo to amend his legislation, sources said.
"If there are any imperfections in the bill, it behooves us to address them and quickly clean them up," one senator said.
Human Rights Activists Celebrate word of Senator Addabbo and Senator Huntley changing their positions to YES votes on the Marriage Equality Act in New York State
On Friday, April 29th the Ridgewood Democratic Club held their regularly scheduled monthly meeting at their historic 100 year-old clubhouse on Putnam Avenue in beautiful downtown Ridgewood.
The meeting was chaired by the amicable Jim Grayshaw, President of the Club. Assembly Member Cathy Nolan led off the agenda with a recap of happenings in Albany.
The theme of the meeting was Earth Day and our environment.
The first speaker was Shiobhan Ciresi who spoke on the issue of chemtrails (geoengineering). Her presentation was entitled “Chemtrails Worldwide Phenomenon Happening in Long Island and NYC Skies”. It was a fact-filled, thought provoking talk on this insidious threat being posed against mankind and Mother Earth by this technology. For more on her work, visit her website, Operation Humanity Transcending. Sign her petition by clicking here.
Here's a YouTube video by a friend, Sallie Elkordy, from Queens,of the Peace and Freedom Party on this phenomenon over our area. Visit Global Skywatch, for additional information...
The second presenter was Edie Cunningham who spoke on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) seeds and their wide-spread use in American agriculture by large corporate interests led by Monsanto Chemical Corp. Recently over at the Grist, David Roberts has published a provocative essay on the GMO's that I would recommend that anyone interested in the subject read.
Both speakers fielded numerous questions from the assemblage after their presentations.
The last speaker was Monica Sui a constituent of the 15th Senatorial District and an intern with the Human Rights Campaign, who provided details about her recent meeting with Senator Joe Addabbo on the Marriage Equality matter that may be considered during this legislative session. She informed the members that Senator Addabbo is looking for guidance on this matter from his constituents and she urged that everyone please contact his office voicing their support for this important civil rights initiative. Senator Addabbo can be reached by phone at 718-738-1111. For the record, local clergy and myself accompanied Monica during her meeting (pic from meeting) to Senator Addabbo's office.
The meeting ended with coffee, cake and pleasant post meeting conversation.
The Club's over 100 year old building recently sustained extensive water damge from the rainy spring and needs intensive repairs of the roof and ceilings. Therefore, I would urge one and all to attend the RDC's Annual Dinner Dance on May 18th at Riccardo's by the Bridge in Astoria.
Gay rights advocates gathered in Queens on Saturday to pressure state lawmakers into approving same-sex marriage in New York State.
Members of New Yorkers United for Marriage canvassed Democratic State Senator Joseph Addabbo's district in Middle Village, getting signatures to send to Albany.
Addabbo is considered to be a crucial swing vote for same-sex marriage, and he voted against the issue in 2009.
Advocates said they are turning up the heat to get same-sex marriage legalized.
"New Yorkers all across are really speaking up and telling their senators that support is strong," said one canvasser.
"This is democracy in action. This is what needs to happen to change minds of political figures who don't perhaps have the courage to come out and do what's right," said another.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has been a vocal supporter of legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.
The state already recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states and does allow gay couples to enter into domestic partnerships.
Same-sex marriage advocates, who have been coordinating their efforts with Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo, announced they're bringing their Republican counterparts into the fold.
"We are thrilled to have Log Cabin Republicans join the coalition" said Brian Ellner of the Human Rights Campaign.
What impact they will have on Republicans—many of whom voted against the bill two years ago in the State Senate— is unclear.
A spokesman for the Republican State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said it's not clear when a vote on this will take place. Cuomo reportedly wanted a vote by June.
"Senator Skelos makes it a point to meet with advocates on both sides of this and every other issue," Skelos spokesman Scott Reif emailed me to say. "At the appropriate time, the conference will discuss whether or not this bill should come to the floor this session."
One Republican who may be changing his vote is State Senator James Alesi of Monroe county. He "agonized" over the issue right before voting no, back in 2009. Now he is saying he's undecided. Democrats from Queens who voted no - Joe Addabbo and Shirley Huntley - are also reconsideringthe issue.
Update: Ellner elaborates. "It's clear we are going to need a bi-partisan coalition to get this passed" he said in a brief interview just now. His coalition, and the Log Cabin Republicans will be "sharing resources and relationships and intelligence" which "did not happen in the past."
In 2009, only 24 State Senators voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Currently, 26 state senators are on the record saying they'll vote for it. Advocates estimate they'll need a handful of Republicans to cross over and support the measure. An April 11 Siena poll said Republican voters were "nearly evenly divided" on the issue.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have joined HRC’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign. Today HRC launched two new videos where both senators proudly support full marriage equality in the Empire State. The new videos and our entire campaign can be viewed online at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage. The two politicians join other prominent New Yorkers, from leaders and advocates, to actors and musicians who are letting America know that New York supports marriage equality.
He is not the only one. State Sen. Joe Addabbo—whose “no” vote at the beginning of the roll-call in 2009 has been tagged by some as setting off a domino effect of “no” votes that led to the bill’s failure—said he is back on the fence as well.
“You can probably be listing me as undeclared. I mentioned to pro-marriage equality groups and those in my district, I’m going to talk to the people in my district and get a consensus on where they are,” Addabbo said. “I have actually said we’ll make a better effort this time, to get a more clear idea of where the constituents are.”
There were 24 yes votes in 2009, and with the various changes from the 2010 elections, there are now 26.
Addabbo was one of eight Democrats who voted no on the measure two years ago, along with State Sens. Ruben Diaz Sr., Darrel Aubertine, Shirley Huntley, Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate, George Onorato and Bill Stachowski. Aubertine, Monserrate, Onorato and Stachowski are no longer in Albany. Kruger, who also voted against the bill, is reportedly turning himself in to the U.S. Attorney on possible corruption charges, leaving unclear where he will be if and when a new vote is called on gay marriage.
State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is still a no, and an ardent one.
“How can the issue of homosexual marriage demand the governor’s attention at this critical time when we are supposed to be dealing with the Budget to protect the poor and the needy?” Diaz said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon.
That leaves State Sen. Shirley Huntley. The Queens Democrat once said she would not vote for the bill even if someone were to give her a million dollars, avoided that kind of rhetoric when asked for her stance on the measure Wednesday evening.
“I don’t have any thoughts,” she said. “I’m thinking about the budget and senior centers in my district. When it comes up, I’ll think about it.”
For years, marriage equality advocates have said that several Republican Senators might be willing to vote yes on the issue if enough Democrats supported it. Possible swing votes were once thought to be State Sens. John Bonacic, John Flanagan, Betty Little, Joe Robach, Kemp Hannon and Ken LaValle.
But they do not seem to be swinging yet.
A spokesperson for Bonacic said “he voted no on it in 2010 and we don’t see a change in that position right now.”
Similarly, a spokesperson for Sen. Betty Little, who also voted no, said the Senator’s position “had not changed.”
Attempts to reach Sens. Flanagan, Robach, Hannon and LaValle were unsuccessful.
Greg Angelo, chairman of the New York Log Cabin Republicans, said, “I can say what we’ve always said. Republicans will vote yes if there are enough Democrats in favor of the bill. We’re still working closely with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on this.”
Skelos last year pledged to bring the issue up for a vote again, though he remains a no himself.
Republican State Sen. Mark Grisanti’s position remains unclear, even after being called out by Lady Gaga over the weekend for his position on gay marriage, while she played a concert in his district.
Music fans noted that she is set to play a concert in LaValle’s district, at the Nassau Coliseum, in late April.
In New Video, Daughter of President George W. Bush Adds Voice to HRC’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign
Washington – Today the Human Rights Campaign – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization – released a new video in the “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality” campaign featuring Barbara Bush, the daughter of President George W. Bush. In the video she says, “I’m Barbara Bush and I’m a New Yorker for marriage equality. New York is about fairness and equality and everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love. Join us.” View the video at www.hrc.org/NY4marriage.
“Americans from all walks of life are increasingly supportive of the basic right to equal marriage,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Barbara Bush’s advocacy shows that equality knows no party label.”
The video comes on the heels of two New York polls showing a majority of New Yorkers support marriage equality. A Siena Research Institute Poll earlier this month found 57 percent of New Yorkers support marriage for same-sex couples and another poll last week by Quinnipiac University had support at 56 percent.
Barbara Bush joins prominent Republicans like her mother Laura Bush as well as Dick Cheney and Ted Olson as supporters of marriage equality. Her position also reflects her generation with 68% of New Yorkers between the ages of 18-34 supporting marriage for same-sex couples.
The New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign is centered on video testimonials from New Yorkers who support the right of same-sex couples to marry. The ads are running online with possible placement elsewhere when the legislative fight for marriage equality heats up in Albany. To date, HRC has released videos from Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, Moby, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Julianne Moore and Kenneth Cole – with more to follow in the coming weeks and months.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand finds herself gracing some very prominent real estate this morning: The front page of the NY Times. Above the fold, no less.
The story, accompanied by a photo of the junior senator, focuses on her unlikely and rapid rise from a relatively obscure upstate congresswoman to an influential senator who played a big role in two major lame duck session victories this week: The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and passage of the 9/11 health care bill.
In the piece, Gillibrand says she’s long been a supporter of gay rights. Writes David Halbfinger:
(I)n an interview, she said she had realized from an early age that discrimination against gays was wrong.
Her mother – a black belt in karate who the senator said “did things differently her whole life” – worked in the arts and surrounded herself with gay friends. During the height of the AIDS crisis, Ms. Gillibrand’s sister, a playwright and actress, volunteered to help children with AIDS.
And when Ms. Gillibrand was a young associate, working long nights at the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, she recalled, “the straight men found time to date and get married and have kids and went home at six every night, and the only ones left were the women and gay men.”
So she wound up vacationing with gay colleagues on Fire Island and in the Hamptons, and forging lifelong friendships. “A lot of them are now having children,” she said. “And it never occurred to me that they should not have every benefit that I have.”
One of the first things Gillibrand did in the 24 hours after news broke of her selection by Gov. David Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton in the US Senate was to promise the Empire State Pride Agenda she would support the legalization of gay marriage.
This was a big switch for the former Blue Dog congresswoman, who had previously supported civil unions – much like Sen. Chuck Schumer (although he has since changed his position, too) and President Obama, who now says he’s still struggling with this subject, but his views are evolving.
Gillibrand later said she had always personally supported gay marriage, but thought the question of legalization should not be dictated by the federal government, but rather left up to individual states to decide. (New York, thanks to the state Senate, has so far failed to pass a same-sex marriage bill).
The newly-minted senator quickly latched on to the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” issue, becoming an outspoken champion for its repeal. Gay advocates were wary of Gillibrand’s zeal, wondering if her newfound activism had more to do with political expediency and a need to curry favor with the left than an ideological shift.
Richard Socarides, a former aide to President Clinton and founder of Equality Matters, a gay advocacy organization, told the Times he was initially skeptical of Gillibrand, too, but was won over by her tenacity.
“If she has decided she’s going to get something done,” he said, “don’t get in her way, because you will get run over.”
So, Gillibrand has managed to turn something that was once viewed as a character flaw and political liability – her absolute refusal to take “no” for an answer – into a big plus.
At yesterday’s Zadroga press conference, Schumer said some of his colleagues contacted him to beg for mercy, asking him to get Gillibrand off their respective cases. He recalled, “I said: NO! And the result of all that hard work we see today.”
“What a great victory for a new legislator,” Schumer continued. “Isn’t that fabulous? For any legislator, but for someone this new to do so much so soon is utterly amazing.”
Mayor Bloomberg signed a bill into law just now requiring the city clerk to give same-sex couples information on how to get married in jurisdictions where it's legal. Bloomberg supports same-sex marriage, and Queens Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer thanked him for signing the bill -- prompting the mayor to reminisce on how he's used his legal authority to marry couples in the five boroughs.
Van Bramer: "This is an important step forward. One day we will have marriage equality, and I don't know if you'll be performing any of those ceremonies one day."
Bloomberg: "I've said I will not perform marriage ceremonies, because once you do one you have to do lots. There's a lot of people in the city who want to get married. I ran into Matt Damon's father about two weeks ago on a golf course when I was in Martha's Vineyard with the president. And he said, you married my son. And I said no, I did not. I was a witness.
"But I have not done any marriages, with two exceptions. One was Rudy Giuliani, who wanted to get married at Gracie Mansion and made an enormous gift to the Gracie Mansion Conservancy and paid all the expenses. I thought that was a good deal for the city. And then the other one, I did in all fairness break my rules and I married my older daughter. Now the younger one isn't married yet, but if she asks me I suppose I will do that one as well. And in fact, in marrying my older daughter I had to marry her in the city, and then we had sort of a fake ceremony up in Westchester where I don't have the authority to do it.
"So I've done two weddings. Sorry."
Van Bramer: "Well, if you'd like to adopt me, Mayor Bloomberg, that might work out well. My partner might appreciate that."
