U.S.

New York GOP Senator Hailed for Saying 'F- It,' Legalize Gay Marriage

The conservative politician is now a new hero of the movement

By Ujala Sehgal
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With only one more vote needed to make New York the sixth state to legalize gay marriage, on Friday the Senate postponed the vote to next week. When -- and even whether or not -- there will be a vote remains unclear, as the 2011 Assembly session is scheduled to end Monday, although Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo can keep the legislature in a special session. Meanwhile, Republican New York State Senator Roy McDonald has been gaining massive favor with proponents of same-sex marriage for a colorfully frank statement he gave to reporters:

"You get to the point where you evolve in your life where everything isn't black and white, good and bad, and you try to do the right thing. You might not like that. You might be very cynical about that. Well, f--k it. I don't care what you think. I'm trying to do the right thing.

I'm tired of Republican-Democrat politics. They can take the job and shove it. I come from a blue-collar background. I'm trying to do the right thing, and that's where I'm going with this."

McDonald was hailed as a hero following his comments. According to the New York Daily News, "after he changed his vote on gay marriage, the state senator who barely rated two paragraphs on Wikipedia was suddenly being lionized online."

"You are a hero! You are a patriot!" New York actor Jason Bennett wrote on McDonald's Facebook page. "Thank you for honoring me, and my Republican family, as a FULL American, with equal rights."

His office has clearly picked up on his new-found popularity, and unveiled a "Stand with Roy" Facebook page and initiative. But McDonald's comments haven't only been met with praise "I'm disappointed. He switched to a yes vote because it's the popular thing to do," one of his constituents told the Times Union. A Republican political consultant also said that "Roy could potentially see a primary from the right for this vote. I'm not sure it gets him votes, but it could cost him."

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.