Gay Couples Livid Over Vote

The New York State Senate voted 38-24 against a bill that would have legalized gay marriage on Wednesday, dashing the hopes of gay couples seeking the same legal rights that married heterosexuals enjoy in the state. One gay man engaged to his partner said the vote made him "feel like I've been hit in the face with a 10-pound anvil. He added that leaders from both parties made him feel "less than equal" and "subhuman to others." He called the vote "beyond discouraging. It's appalling." A longtime lesbian marriage activist said that she was sure New York would become the sixth state to legalize gay marriage, saying, "I don't get it. New York has been at the forefront of civil rights for centuries."