Same Sex Marriage
On June 24th, 2011 New York became the 6th state in the US to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill was approved after a 33 to 29 lawmakers vote, making New York the largest state where gay and lesbian couples can wed, and giving the national gay-rights movement new momentum from the state where it was born.
Dozens of thousands of New Yorkers celebrated the announcement through the night mostly around the famous Stonewall Inn and took part in the annual Pride Parade held two days later. A month later, on July 24th, 2011, thousands of same-sex couples got married in the city municipalities in the five borrows of New York City supported by family members, friends, and the general public. The celebrations continued throughout the following week with ceremonies being held in various locations around the city including Washington Square and Central Park.