Albany, New York, June 15, 2009 – In a powerful public statement, former Majority Leader Joe Bruno has given his strong support for marriage equality for same-sex couples and calls for the Senate leadership to “allow this bill to move forward.”

In his statement, Joe Bruno said, “This is America and we have unalienable rights. Let everyone decide how to pursue their own happiness. I understand that this issue stirs great passion in many people . . . However, my instincts tell me that homosexuals who wish to enter into the union of marriage are just like the rest of us and they ought to be free to enter into it.”

“The Pride Agenda thanks former Majority Leader Bruno for standing with our families on this important human rights issue at this critical time in New York,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle.

As Majority Leader, Senator Bruno worked with the Pride Agenda to a pass more than a dozen pieces of legislation important to New York’s LGBT community, including hate crimes legislation in 2000, the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) in 2002, a bill providing hospital visitation privileges to same-sex partners in 2004 and a bill extending control of partner remains authority in 2005.

“The former Majority Leader has indicated his support today for marriage equality as part of an evolution in his thinking about the issue,” said Van Capelle. “We are grateful for his thoughtful consideration on something that is so important to so many New Yorkers. When former Senator Bruno led the Senate we saw this same careful deliberation and thinking about hate crimes, SONDA and other pieces of legislation that were important to our community. His support and leadership was critical to their passage. We hope his support for marriage equality will help others in the Senate reflect on what he was able to do, and that it will help them in their thinking as they continue to learn about the issue and examine what their position should be.”