NYS Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson speaks on the Marriage Equality Bill

[Shotglass1362]

Thank you for your courageous vote Senator! I am proud of the New York Senate. Kudos from California!

[aaround]

Thank you very much Senator Hassell-Thompson. You make us proud. You made the deference. God bless you.

[abbybelladance]

Wow. Excellent speech!

[blkconvrtble]

Fantastic speech! Thank you.

[Klapcina]

Kudos to senator Hassell-Thompson for this great speech!

[clodelle]

Outstanding! thank you for existing!

[birdsofbalt]

Amazing speech, she's a great speaker and I love her explanation and thinking...maybe she'll be president one day, never know

[EquusFossil]

what a beautiful person and gifted orator

[TheNomorelockdoors]

Dam I just saw this beautfiul webcam girl squirting right in front of my monitor daaayum amazing. I saw it at

rockingvids,com

[sharinganclan213]

two dads and a foreign asian child. this is "our" new america.

[daltongang79]

Impeach OBAMA! Go to my channel, subscribe and find out why you should sign the petition. Please save Our country and stop the game playing all the lying!

[SexCyberGuideCom]

thanks

[Endoloid]

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[StirlingHawk]

Senator Hassell-Thompson,

As a young, gay man in middle-America, I can only wish more representatives around the country had your wisdom, eloquence and ability to discern what is right and what is popular. You are a credit to New York.

Thank you.

[b4k4chan]

I'm very pleased to see a lot of very sensible reactions to this. Coming from the first country to legalise gay marriage (The Netherlands) makes me very proud, and I hope you all can be as proud of your own country as well, and soon, about this matter. Although it does saddens me that we still have to have these discussions in 2009(!).... 2000 years after we first heard on record that love should be given to all, not just the people with who we agree.

[commongroundpolitics]

This was a really beautiful speech. Thank you so much for your courage and compassion - you shared a very personal and heartfelt story. On a side note, it is with much disgust, but no surprise, that I see in this video that the hateful homophobe DIAZ was not even listening to your speech (see 3.20). Typical!

[DillonX]

BEAUTIFUL SPEECH!

[danielkaderjak]

One of the most encouraging speeches I have ever heard... thank you from Europe

[feyeter]

The people in the background are the picture of ignorance. They look like they are playing the part of ignorant fools. Thank you Senator Hassell-Thompson for thinking this through and acting responsibly. Know that there are any that know that you did the right thing. Thank you for voting yes.

[commongroundpolitics]

Feyeter - I had the same reaction. Here we have a senator giving a very heartfelt and personal account of her position on this issue, and those arrogant fools in the background aren't evening listening. Diaz showed his true colors once again - he is a disgrace. When can he be ousted from government? He is a TOXIC!

[rsrchman]

could the guy behind her look any more bored? idiot.

great job Sen. Hassell-Thompson

[ChasingSatanAway]

What the hell goes on in the background? How is that guy waving and smiling like the Queen of England while the senator is giving such a touching speech?

[filmstocker]

Amazing speech.

And a sad day for equality and justice.

[Soren015]

2:02 - upper right corner.

Dude is like; "Lol - gays go to France"

[bungbung13131]

bravo ma'am... i can't believe some people in this world are still opposed to gary marriage being legalized. it sucks that ny voted no

[Linda0557]

I saw this today on a live feed. I was in tears by the time she was through. We need more brave and compassionate people like this.

[informatist]

All I can do is shake my head and then turn my head upward and thank God that at least there a few people like Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson in this world...

It seems that common sense is all but common today... we can only hope that it's contagious.

[diomiguel]

It's only a matter of time. This old-fashioned prejudices are dying out as quickly as those who hold them.

[thebeff]

@mrjiveyjr

why should i be forced to live behind closed doors because it is your OPINION that my lifestyle is "perverse"? your ignorance is astounding.

i live a life of love and faith, and spend my time trying to spread the same. your immediate rejection of my life, without even knowing the quality of my character or an element of my past, is the stuff of hate and war. it is people like YOU who are negatively affecting society, soaking it with fear and blind hate.

[INXSrocker]

May I say, you are my hero. :)

[mrjiveyjr]

The idea of 2 people of the same sex copulating is perversion. You have a right to be a pervert. However, civilized people should not have the government endorse the union of two men as somehting legitimate or good.

Tears for you beff, boo hoo. It is so easy to use an argument that if someone disagrees with you they are "volleying hatred" and they "bigoted."

no one is saying round up gays and throw them in jail, What I am saying is same sex marriage is loony.

[JDavis1982]

If the idea bothers you so much then perhaps you shouldn't think about two same sex people HAVING sex. Marriage equality and love have little to do with sex and so much more to do with equal rights and the protection of civil liberties. So that people, regardless of their gender/beliefs/sexual orientation/race/or otherwise, have the right to be protected by the law that governs us.

[pacloro]

i dont go against gay people but i do think that is wrong,its not suppose to be like that,atleast in nature

[stophthecomputerwiz]

Not supposed to be like that in nature? Scientists have extensively observed HUNDREDS of species that DO have homosexuality in them. It IS like that in nature.

[rg0057]

@mrjiveyjr actually, yes, in several places in the world (Iraq for one) people are rounding up gays. Except they don't go to jail. They are tortured and killed. Conservative US politicians and religious figures (Rick Warren) are actively involved in Uganda, where they intend to execute gay people for simply having sex twice. This is the natural conclusion to anti-gay thought.

[guice666]

@mrjiveyjr You're funny; "No is saying round up [blacks] and throw them in jail. What I'm saying is [mixed-race] marriage is loony"

Explain to us how this isn't history repeating itself? We should be /learning/ from history, not repeating it.

[pacloro]

i agree with you

[estrat1]

Is it perversion just because it bothers you or because you dislike it or find it disgusting? Let me tell you something, no-one wants to watch you have sex with someone of the opposite sex (and it is kinda gross to quite a few people); do they get up in arms about it and campaign for opposite-sex marriage to be abolished?

You can't simply state that something is perversion or lunacy and pretend that it is.

[EllipticEscher]

Britney Spears getting married is looney, too. What's your point?

[mrjiveyjr]

Gavel has been struck, and this group is not bringing it back in an election year next year.

Yes, it is perverse. My opinion, and probably your neighbors', co-workers, and supervisors' opinions.

[SolenmSerpent]

Probably; there are a lot of ignorant people in the world---so what?

Its is not a decision for you to make; if you don't agree with it, act like an adult and keep harsh, prejudiced words to yourself.

[hardcore4parkour]

Thank you for speaking out, and standing for Marriage Equality!

[Hdtexan]

What a brave and courageous woman.

[mrjiveyjr]

Boring speech. I am glad that there is no gay marriage in NY. There never should be gay marriage anywhere.

Men and women marry each other. People of the same sex do not marry, that makes no sense whatsoever.

[RileyRandom]

No. It makes to sense for people to deny other people happiness.

[mrjiveyjr]

No, it makes sense to sanction something that does not need to be sanctioned. If gay people want to do what they want behind closed doors, fine. But what goes on in city hall and the statehouse is my business, I do not want the government to sanction something that should not take place.

Mommies marry daddies, not mommies and mommies and daddies and daddies. It's not that hard to grasp.

[RileyRandom]

I think you just can't accept change, even if it is change for the better.

If they were voting on something that affected us all, such as a draft or something crazy like that, then yes. But allowing something that does not harm me or effect me in any way shouldn't bother me.

[mrjiveyjr]

Change can be good, but sanctioning perverse behavior isn't. Gay marriage lessens the value of marriage.

it's a lifestyle choice that has a negative affect on society, it should be tolerated not embraced and celebrated.

[PhantomKennel]

No, what devalues marriage is divorce, and infidelity, and game shows that treat marriage as a game

[chengc89]

Oops. My bad, I accidentally clicked on the thumbs down. Just wanted you to know I totally support this statement! Sorry! =(

[coolthomas2011]

@mrjiveyjr

Like sanctioning women's rights, integration, interracial marriage, and ending prohibition all are perverse behaviors that disagree with the contemporary status quo?

You claim that is a choice and that it negatively affects society come with no substantiation.

[Fendertastic]

Bahahaha the value of MARRIAGE?!?!?!?!

Marriage is a joke in itself.

Don't you fucking preach about the "sanctity of marriage" when theres shows like "The Bachelor," "The Bachelorette" and "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire".

The only reason marriages are starting to end in divorce more and more is because theres no reason to stay in a loveless marriage, thanks to something called a PRENUP.

[mrjiveyjr]

i will state my case, and I don't care about silly TV shows, that has nothting to do with the sanctity of marriage.

Your vulgar language is objectionable and proves my point about how gay marriage proponents act irresponsibly.

[Fendertastic]

Act irresponsibly?

It's Youtube pal, not a senate meeting.

[WillSubscribe4Food]

there is such a straaange thing like the value of marriage

and there is no such thing as a valuable loveless marriage

and because of shows like you mentioned, the people forget about the value

you cant have a loveless marriage if you take time to know a person, love is not a roller-coaster of emotions "hes pretty sweet today" "oh i hate him"

love takes time and if your too busy for it, or you think it just "happens" then your not the kind of person who knows what a valuable marriage is.

[PhantomKennel]

What about people who are infertile? Husbands who beat their wives?

[cckabab]

Her brother had every right to run away from this country but we will make it a country worthy of people with all reasonable sexual preferences. When the voters born before 1980's are begin to phase out, then the tide would turn.

[Ccd277]

I just want to say you have a huge fan in Harrisburg, PA. I was initially depressed after seeing the marriage equality bill defeated. Your speech and so many of your collegues who supported the bill have made me feel strength. Thanks for what you do. Your words have power all across the world today!

[godakakor]

Yet another eloquent speech. NYers should be proud of senators like Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson. Thank you Senator.

[xRapplex]

Beautiful! This was an inspiring speech, I must say! I am very pleased with her decision and the reasoning why she chose it... :)

[brad72287]

Today I am disgusted to be a New Yorker.

[GrimRoguePrince]

Beautiful speech.

[xcstacy2]

What a powerful speech, she is a strong speaker, I applaud her and envy her ability to articulate so well.

[PeppaLabeija]

Applause for Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson. She got to meat of the issue and was a true leader with this speech. Beautiful.

[ugboy1]

I feel so bad for gays that the bill to make gay marriage was voted against by NY senate. This is about people's civil rights to be afforded the same rights as a couple as heterosexuals. At one time interracial marriage was illegal in all states, what I hope is that one day we can say the same for gay marriage

[Coloradem]

Great speech. Great message. Great speaker.