After running against gay marriage as a state Senate candidate, rookie Republican David Storobin is now trying to repeal it.
Ten days after taking office, Storobin has proposed a bill that would repeal the one-year-old law allowing same-sex couples in New York to marry, one of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s most important victories.
“The government has thrust upon the people of this state a definition of marriage that violates their religious and personal moral beliefs,” Storobin argues in the memo attached to the bill.
The effort isn’t likely to go very far. Storobin is the lone sponsor of the measure, and there’s no companion bill in the Assembly, where same-sex marriage has more robust support.
An attorney from Russia, Storobin defeated Democratic City Councilman Lew Fidler in a race so close it needed more than two months and a hand recount to settle. He assailed his rival for his support of gay marriage during the campaign, and the topic became an important wedge issue that helped the Republican make inroads among a large Orthodox Jewish bloc in the district.
Storobin replaced Carl Kruger, a Democrat convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. Kruger last year reversed his position on gay marriage and voted for the bill, which passed the Senate by a 32 to 29 vote.
(Source: WSJ)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
12 Responses
With all the economic tsoros facing NYS, its time to stop beating this dead horse and move on to important issues such as the economy, jobs, public pension reform, tax reduction etc. At some point, maybe there will be support to repeal gay marriage but we shouldn’t be wasting time debating what other people do in their private lives.
hopefully there is some sanity in ny government.
Gadolhadorah: It is not that he is beating a dead horse, it is that he is simply OUR voice in Albany. This is basic civics which our community has to start learning. David works for US, and he takes it very seriously! He understands OUR community wants the law repealed, so he put a bill up saying such. the fact that it goes nowhere is irrelavent. Albany now knows that our community OFFICIALLY wants the law repealed.
This guy is such a clown there have to be more important issues than this one, move on.
1. From your words, we see you are NO “Gadolhadorah.”
#1, you are only a gadolhadorah in foolishness and lack of understanding. This law is destroying the fabric of our society. I am afraid that Hashem will see to it that all our other problems will be intractable so long as the laws of our state violate His will.
Starobin knows well that he can’t repeal the law in the 2 weeks remaining in the session and in his term. His introduction is simply a campaiogn tactic. As much as we oppose the provisions of that law we must face the fact that it passed the Republican controlled State Senate. It seems that Starobin has only one issue.
1. Given the strong support for “Gay marriage” (and tolerations of sexual “diversity” in general) among non-frum persons of Jewish descent, and given that support for such is the litmus test for being a Democrat (hint to people like Hikind, Greenfeld, Felder, etc.), his proposal has no chance of passing at this time.
2. However it is important to draw a line, and be prepared to fight. In the near future, we can expect that persons who opposes such sexual practices (which includes our entire community) will be marginalized and stripped of many of their rights in a manner similar to how groups opposed to racial equality are treated (e.g. loss of tax exemption status, non-recognition for schools, exclusion from civil service, etc.). This is a front line in a war that will determine our communal future, and it is ironic that someone like Storobin has the courage to be the standard bearer.
Gadolhadorah, you and others who think like you are, unfortunately, gravely mistaken.
This (normalization and legalization of) toeiva is probably the greatest threat to our holy nation, Hashem Yishmor.
With our eyes open and not swayed by cultural immorality, it’s really quite simple to see why this is so:
We all are familiar with the various Maamarei Chaza”l that warn of the terrible danger that it is to NON-JEWISH countries who engage in legalizing this amoral behavior.
As the USA and so many of its citizens (both Jews and non-Jews) are in a very difficult financial position, it is thus quite illogical to anger the Creator, particularly in this terrible fashion, Hashem Yiracheim.
While (most of us) certainly know better than to condone this behavior as “legal marriage” and “normal” when the Torah has proclaimed it clearly as Toeiva, don’t think for a moment that the general societal influence will not spread all over, CH”V.
At least with technology, one can (make an asifa and) try to come up with practical solutions. But when the morals of the society you live in have rotted (and it’s not quite a picnic even now), you (almost in all cases) cannot help but be affected no matter how righteous you are or how good your upbringing is. Oy LaRasha Oy Lishcheinav is a lesson we learn in this very week’s parsha from those in Shevet Reuven who were affected by Korach’s rebellion simply due to their proximity to Korach’s camp.
The legalization of toeiva seems to be the clearest threat to our holy machane, CH”V, and anyone who doesn’t at least take notice of this is not being prudent in the least.
Even if this bill goes nowhere, it’s still a great idea. Any step like this is, at least, a step in the right direction and one that shows that we do not agree with legalizing this toeiva, (regardless of people’s individual rights to do what they wish behind closed doors).
“…there’s no companion bill in the Assembly…”
WHY NOT? WHERE IS ASSEMBLYMAN HIKIND?
However much time and effort Storobin put into this bill is nothing at all compared to all the time, effort, and money that was spent to pass this new form of marriage in the first place. So it was OK for its proponents to spend as much time as it took to get it passed, but now we’re supposed to accept it as a fait accompli and not spend even a few hours trying to repeal it?! What is this, a ratchet effect?