Mayors For Freedom to Marry Launches With Mike Bloomberg At The Helm

Being mayor of New York City is kind of like being president of the universe, so it's only fair that our very own Mike Bloomberg lead the effort in some national thangs, too. He already is one of two co-chairs for the coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns , and now he can add another "chair" to his mayoral resume (it's another cause close to home, folks!): Mayors for the Freedom to Marry.

Bloomberg went to Washington D.C. this morning to launch the same-sex marriage campaign, which thus far is a bipartisan coalition of 80 mayors from across the country. Though he shares the co-chair title with FOUR other mayors, we're glad to see him repping New York City in a D.C. setting. Bloomberg has a history rallying for this cause, notably with a big spectacle on Same-Sex Sunday over the summer when he married Jonathan Mintz, the city's commissioner of consumer affairs, and John Feinblatt, Bloomberg's chief policy adviser at Gracie Mansion.

But his work is not done!

This morning he stood at the Capital Hilton Hotel in D.C. to announce his latest project.

"Throughout American history, it has been the cities that have led the march of freedom. And I believe that the cities of America can do that again with marriage equality," he said in a copy of his speech emailed out this morning.

"For those who say it's just a mountain too high, for those who say, 'keep dreaming,' let me just tell you a little bit about what we have accomplished in New York." Yeah, listen up, kids!

If you're not sold on the whole civil rights thing and protecting stable families, you can count on Mike for the economics lesson. He explained how 700 same-sex couples are now getting married in the city every month, meaning money for our restaurants, banquet halls, caterers, and small businesses. Tourism even benefits! It's a question of when marriage equality will reach all 50 states, not when, he said.

But wait, can we hear more about New York City's superiority?

"As the Mayor of the largest city in the largest state in the union to have guaranteed marriage equality, let me tell you: The freedom to marry has only made New York stronger," his speech said. "New Yorkers, I'm proud to say, have always been at the forefront of movements to tear down barriers and expand opportunity, and so we've taken great pride in being among the first to guarantee marriage equality. But this issue isn't about one state's traditions and values. It's about our country's traditions and values."

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[SamTLevin / @SamTLevin]

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