NY Ruling Update

The New York Times reports that Republican NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to appeal the decision legalizing gay marriage in New York, despite it being in conflict with his personal beliefs:

Mr. Bloomberg told reporters that the city would try "to expedite the appeal directly to the highest court," the state's Court of Appeals, "so that people will have a right once and for all to know where they stand."

With New York's highest court now likely to face an issue that has proved its political potency around the country, Mr. Bloomberg said he personally favored gay marriage. It was the first time, according to his aides, that he has so clearly stated his position in public.

He went further last night at a dinner held by the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, where he told the guests at the Waldorf-Astoria that he would "work with you to change the law" in Albany if the lower court ruling - which he called "something to celebrate" - was struck down.

Careful, Mr. Bloomberg. That sounds dangerously close to nuance; you might have your GOP card revoked.

As for why he’s decided to appeal the ruling:

In his remarks in Chinatown, the mayor said city lawyers had told him that the ruling "was incorrect, that the current state Constitution does not permit same-sex marriages."

I suspect the state Constitution doesn’t explicitly male provisions for construction workers yelling, “Yo baby, come hop on dis!” at female passers-by, or people making a living dressed as cats, or 6’2” drag queens walking down the street in nothing but a pink feather boa and black leather thong, either, but New Yorkers find as part of their world lots of things that might at first blush seem out of the ordinary, and I’m sure gay marriage will be no exception. There’s good reason I [heart] NY, you know.