Welcome to the Fray, Mr. Mayor (Bloomberg on gay marriage)

[struggle4progress]

By JOYCE PURNICK
Published: February 7, 2005

Mr. Bloomberg said he favored gay marriage. It was the first time, according to his aides, that he has so clearly stated his position in public. <snip>

Until now, as gay and lesbian couples challenged laws around the country and some mayors performed same-sex marriages in acts of civil disobedience, New York City's mayor would not say where he stood.

Though firmly in favor of gay rights, he said his job was to enforce state law, long interpreted as reserving marriage to a man and a woman.

This might be a reasonable position in some corners of the country. But it bordered on bizarre in New York, even for Mr. Bloomberg, a nominal Republican who needs both Republican votes in his own party's primary and Democratic votes to win a second term - but who had to get past the Republican convention last summer. <snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/07/nyregion/07matters.html?oref=login