Vanessa Williams Supports New York Marriage Equality

Award winning actress and singer Vanessa Williams this week added her voice to the Human Rights Campaign’s New Yorkers for Marriage Equality initiative.

The Human Rights Campaign had this to say about Williams’ involvement:

“Vanessa Williams has been breaking down barriers for most of her life,” said HRC’s Senior Strategist for New York, Brian Ellner. “We’re grateful that she’s speaking out for our campaign, especially now that we’re so close to a vote in the legislature.”

Williams was the first African-American to win the title of Miss America, having competed in the pageant as Miss New York. She has been nominated for Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Awards, winning the latter for her song, Colors of the Wind. She currently stars as Renée Perry on ABC’s Desperate Housewives.

A survey by Gannett’s Albany Bureau suggests that the fate of gay marriage in New York may ride on how eight as yet undecided senators vote if and when a measure comes to the floor in the Senate. Read more on that here.

Governor Ander M. Cuomo has made passing a marriage equality bill a priority, but the legislative session ends June 20 and so far not a single Republican supporter has been found in the Senate where a similar measure was defeated in 2009. Bipartisan support will be needed if the bill is to pass the GOP-controlled chamber this year.

Polls suggest that more New Yorkers than ever support marriage equality at some 58%. Read more on that here.

For previous coverage of efforts to legalize marriage equality in New York, please click here.

Photo used under the Creative Commons Attribution License, with thanks to Save the Children.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Past Member .

8:26PM PDT on Apr 11, 2012

One more voice heard!

send a green star

Trent J.

10:30AM PST on Dec 8, 2011

Thank you, Vanessa Williams!

10:28AM PST on Dec 8, 2011

@Clarance M.
You are correct! There is only ONE marriage equality and EVERY loving couple, gay or straight, deserve access to it! What you were referring to, however, is parenting equality. And yes, that is important too! Both parents should be equal, regardless of their genders. It's a win-win situation when everyone is equal!

Michael M.

8:35AM PDT on Jun 15, 2011

@Clarence M.
although I agree that marriage equality between men and women is an important issue
don't come down on someone else's rights struggle
just because it's not the one that's most important to you.
they are all important man.
Gay people deserve the right to get married just like the rest of us and it effects their lives more than you know.
They are not entitled to the same benefits that strait couples are entitled too and it actually marginalizes them quite a bit.
No rights struggle is not important enough to pursue.

8:31AM PDT on Jun 15, 2011

kudos Vanessa Williams!

Parvez Z.

2:18AM PDT on Jun 6, 2011

Thanks for the post

Eternal G.

6:16PM PDT on Jun 5, 2011

Good on her!

Clarence M.

7:29AM PDT on Jun 4, 2011

There is only ONE marriage equality, that Father and Mother are equal. Why can't ALL STATES legislate PRESUMPTIVE EQUAL PARENTING? This is far more important and affect far more children than Gay's-- can live as they like, but it is not MARRIAGE, and has nothign to do with Marriage EQUALITY.

Jennifer M.

1:14AM PDT on Jun 3, 2011

Yay, Vanessa!

Alicia N.

8:11PM PDT on Jun 2, 2011

good for her.