The Cornell Democrats and the Cornell Republicans debated social issues Thursday night.

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The repeal of DADT may foster better realtions between ROTC and the LGBT community at several Ivy League universities.

The National Equality March drew an estimated 150,000 people to Washington, D.C. Sunday in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered rights. Twenty Cornell students rode buses through the night to arrive in Washington in time for the march. They were among about 80 people from the Ithaca area who made the trip to lend their support and show their solidarity with the LGBT rights movement.

Gov. David Paterson (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill yesterday that would legalize gay marriage in New York.

“For too long, gay and lesbian New Yorkers — we have pretended they have the same rights as their neighbors and friends. That is not the case. All have been the victims of what is a legal system that has systematically discriminated against him," Paterson said at a news conference yesterday, according to the Associated Press.

The bill comes on the heels of recent victories for gay rights advocates in Iowa and Vermont, where a court and a legislature, respectively, approved same-sex marriage. Con­nec­ticut and Massa­chusetts are the only other states that permit same-sex marriage.

Over the past couple of days, my mind has not been on gay marriage; it has been on an operating systems project. But even with my reclusive studying habits this week, I still have caught wind off the recent controversy over the latest Newsweek cover story by Lisa Miller, which alleges that the Bible actually supports gay marriage.

Now I acknowledge that Newsweek has the right to print whatever it wants, but that right has never been conditioned on the quality of what they write, a fact which has become manifestly evident when I read the cover story.

At first glance, you may think I am referring to the general election, now that Obama has officially clinched the nomination. But to be honest, the shorter Republican primary was too long, so by now I have had my fair share of election politics. However, given the historical significance of Obama's candidacy, I will make a brief remark since he became the first black candidate to win either the Republican or Democratic primary.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gay rights advocates had reason to celebrate on both coasts Thursday, with New York set to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and California preparing to begin issuing marriage licenses to gay couples on June 17.

Hours after California issued a directive Wednesday authorizing that date, word came that New York Gov. David Paterson instructed state agencies — including those governing insurance and health care — to immediately change policies and regulations to recognize gay marriages.

For years, gay rights advocates have sought recognition for same-sex marriages so couples could share family health care plans, receive tax breaks by filing jointly, enjoy stronger adoption rights and inherit property.