Cuomo embraces gay politics in run for governor

Cuomo embraces gay politics in run for governor

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo isn’t new to New York politics.  His first taste of it came at age 19, when his father’s political supporters allegedly plastered a mostly Italian neighborhood with posters that read, “Vote for Cuomo, not the Homo.”  Mario Cuomo was running against New York City Mayor Ed Koch in the 1977 Democratic primary.  Both Cuomos deny involvement in the smear, according to an extensive New York Times article exploring Andrew Cuomo’s relationship with the state’s LGBT community.

At 52, supporters say, Cuomo is comfortable in his role as an advocate for LGBT equality, even if he isn’t always as vocal as some would like, according to the Times:

In his understated way, aides and friends said, he has advanced gay causes by appointing gay men and lesbians to key positions and, as attorney general, cracking down on two companies accused of discriminating on the basis of sexuality. He has frequently sought the counsel of gay elected officials like [New York City Council Speaker Christine] Quinn. And he has made clear, since announcing his candidacy for governor in May, that he supports same-sex marriage.

In fact, Cuomo told a reporter in June that passing a marriage equality bill in 2011 will be a priority of his administration, and one he thinks will happen.

“To me, that’s extremely encouraging. For the guy to say it’s a priority and then for him to say he may very well be able to get it done in his first year, it’s terrific,” said Ethan Geto, a New York political strategist who spoke to the Wall Street Journal about Cuomo’s commitment on marriage equality.

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