MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG (1942–)

 

Mayor Bloomberg first came out in support of gay marriage at a Chinatown press conference in February 2005, where he said, simply, “I think anybody should be allowed to marry anybody.” His endorsement came six years before same-sex marriage passed the New York legislature. Mayor Bloomberg’s commitment to civil rights for gay people and marriage equality has stayed strong and practical over the years, as when he remarked in July 2012, “Marriage equality has made our city more open, inclusive, and free—and it has also helped to create jobs and support our economy.” The following are Mayor Bloomberg’s most comprehensive remarks about gay marriage as a civil rights struggle of this era, prepared for delivery at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art.