New York Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage : 38-24, zero GOP votes

ALBANY — The State Senate defeated a bill on Wednesday that would legalize same-sex marriage, after an emotional debate that touched on civil rights, family and history. The vote means that the bill, pushed by Gov. David A. Paterson, is effectively dead for the year and dashes the optimism of gay rights advocates, who have suffered setbacks recently in several key states.

The bill was defeated by a decisive margin of 38 to 24. The Democrats, who have a bare, one-seat majority, did not have enough votes to pass the bill without some Republican support, but not a single Republican senator voted for the measure.

Mr. Paterson made an unusual trip to the Senate floor minutes after the last vote was cast, saying, “These victories come and so do the losses, but you keep on trying.”

The New York State Senate has voted down a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage by a vote of 38 to 24 after a dramatic, high-profile debate. The defeat is hitting marriage equality supporters hard, particularly given earlier predictions of the bill's passage. Here, the first round of reactions from the online opinion world:

• At Least We Had Debate  In an official statement, Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan van Capelle says that "while disappointed by today's vote, we are pleased that the issue of marriage equality at least was debated in the New York State Senate. We had long called for a public debate on this matter so we could determine who was truly on our side," he adds, somewhat darkly.

• 'Crushing Blow,' says Alex Koppelman, to those fighting for same-sex marriage. "The loss will be particularly disheartening [for them] ... because Democrats had been confident in recent days that they had the votes necessary to win." Furthermore, New York law does not allow for referenda on the matter, unlike California and Maine.

• Let's Get 'Em  Choire Sicha at The Awl has some choice words for New York Senator Hiram Monserrate, who voted against the proposal: "It is our editorial opinion," announces Sicha, "that he can go fuck himself. He was endorsed by, among others, The Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club of Queens, after a good deal of gay outreach," he explains. He links to the list of votes and tells readers to "pick an enemy."

• No Kidding  Sicha's colleague Alex Balk likewise says he's "more angry than ... resigned."

• What Happened?  Liberal Steve Benen of The Washington Monthly says he had "heard as late as this morning that the votes really would be there, and that some GOP moderates would break ranks and support equality. It's unclear, at this point, whether a) Dems in the chamber are just bad at counting; b) some Republicans went back on their word, or c) a little of both." He is disappointed.