“For the second time in less than a week, we have seen a great victory for civil rights. I applaud the Vermont State Legislature for their vote today, which made Vermont the fourth state to offer full legal marriage equality to all of its citizens.

“This is truly a cause for celebration, and further proof that our nation is marching inevitably towards justice. We must seize upon this momentum, join with advocates and redouble our efforts toward making marriage equality a reality here in New York.

“New York has always been at the forefront of the struggle for civil rights, and we have a real opportunity to join the ranks of those states that have made a stand for equality. I urge the New York State Legislature to place marriage equality on their agenda, and finally put an end to discrimination against same sex couples.”