By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed his vow Wednesday to fight to pass a Marriage Equality bill, following a meeting with key stakeholders in Albany.
"Same-sex couples deserve the right to join in civil marriage, and it is simply unfair to deny them the freedom to make this decision for themselves and their families," the governor said in a statement following the meeting, which he described as one in a series of discussions about legislation that would legalize same-sex marriages in New York.
The governor has been criticized by some for failing to make the bill a centerpiece of his legislative agenda. But the governor assured stakeholders Wednesday that he had no intention of abandoning the fight.
"To me this is more than just a piece of legislation. This is about the lives of people who I have known for many years, who currently are without the rights to which they are entitled," he said.
Among those in attendance was City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the city's first lesbian speaker, who described the meeting as "extremely positive and productive" and praised "the Governor’s deep commitment both to this issue and to the LBGT community in general."
New York came close to passing a marriage equality bill in 2009, but it was defeated in the State Senate.
