No one said this was going to be easy, but we must keep our eyes on the prize. The gay marriage issue, which seemed so close only a month ago, is now caught up in the maelstrom that is Albany politics. "I had hoped today's march would have been a bit of a wedding march. It's not," Christine Quinn, the gay speaker of the New York City Council, told Reuters at Sunday's Gay Pride parade in Manhattan.

Some are saying that in the thick of Albany's meltdown, gay marriage in New York might have to wait. Although 42 U.S. states explicitly prohibit gay marriage, Congressman Barney Frank recently predicted that within five years thirty states will have legal civil ceremonies. Frank included New York in his prediction. Gay couples presently can marry in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Iowa and they can marry in New Hampshire in January and in Vermont starting in September, just in time for lovely foliage season. In the last week pressure has been exerted against the President from his progressive base regarding the languid pace of his campaign promises to the gay community. And Obama's listening.

There is reason to be optimistic on gay marriage, even as the New York State Senate dithers. May's Quinnipiac poll showed that the demographics are on the side of gay marriage activists. Survey participants aged 18-34 backed same-sex marriage by a 61-33 margin. Participants 35-54 support it by a 48-44 margin. It was voters 55 and older that oppose gay marriage, 55-37. What does this tell us? "Young people are for this," Quinnipiac University Polling Director Mickey Carroll said. "If the gay advocacy groups are patient, they're going to win." No one said it was going to be easy.

[Image: Monkfish-Abbey.org]