Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Cuomo Attends Empire State Pride Agenda Fall Dinner And Tells Attendees “I Want To Be The Governor Who Signs The Law That Makes Equality A Reality In The State Of New York”

The New York Daily News reports on Thursday evening’s Empire State Pride Agenda Fall Dinner, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo telling attendees “I don’t want to be the governor who just proposed marriage equality. I don’t want to be the governor who lobbies for marriage equality. I don’t want to be the governor who fights for marriage equality. I want to be the governor who signs the law that makes equality a reality in the state of New York.” Cuomo also addressed the anti-gay antics exhibited of late by Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino, Cuomo saying “We are looking at an extreme political agenda on the other side of the election, and you saw it this week with the LGBT community – but it’s not just teh LGBT community,” adding that the gay community needs to vote, saying “Take nothing for granted because people are afraid, people are anxious and these forces are looking to exploit that.” There was some speculation that Cuomo would not attend the event this evening and that he declined to fill out the Empire State Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, and in mid-summer, the New York Times ran an article questioning his dedication to advancing gay rights. That perception seems to have shifted somewhat dramatically. Also at Thursday dinner, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who, making his first appearance at the annual event, told those in attendance “I will fight with you until we achieve marriage equality for all New Yorkers.”