“Today is a very sad day for California and the entire country. Upholding Proposition 8 undermines one of the basic core principles of freedom – equality for all Americans. This is not a day of justice, but one that will be remembered as a day when civil rights were stripped from future generations of Californians. I stand with elected leaders in California like Mayor Newsom and LGBT advocates to pledge and help them in any way possible in their continuing fight for equality.

“We in New York will not be deterred in any way from our ongoing efforts to ensure civil rights for all people. We will continue to advocate, to write our legislators, to make our phone calls and to do all that we can to demand equal rights. This is not a time to give up, but a time to redouble our efforts. Now more than ever New York needs to join the states that have done the right thing granting equal civil rights to same sex couples.

“Twice in the past week I have traveled to Albany to talk with State Senators about the bill and how important this is for the countless number of LGBT families throughout the state. I believe strongly that with the continued work we will do in the weeks to come, Governor Paterson will put pen to paper and ensure the basic civil rights for all New Yorkers by making marriage equality a reality.”