Perhaps taking its cues from the top of the masthead, Tuesday's lead editorial [1]called gay marriage a "simple moral imperative."
New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is to introduce a bill to legalize gay marriage in the state, and the Times worried onlywhether Spitzerwould pushthe issue hard enough.
"The news that Gov. Eliot Spitzer will soon introduce a bill to legalize same-sex marriage - what he calls 'a simple moral imperative' - is welcome and could give new national momentum to this important cause. Mr. Spitzer would be the first governor in the nation to introduce a gay marriage bill. But if he is going to make a real difference, rather than simply checking off a box to fulfill a campaign promise, he will have to fight for the law vigorously."
Last year, Times Publisher Arthur [2]Sulzberger Jr. [2]used similar dramatic language when he called gay marriage one of the "fundamental human rights," alongside abortion on demand and unchecked immigration, at an unvarnished left-wing commencement address last year at the State University of New Paltz, in New York State.
Tuesday's editorial concluded by restating Spitzer's definition of gay marriage: "Now that he is ready to move, we are eager to hear him speak out more on this issue. There will be nothing easy about championing this simple moral imperative. But it is a fight well worth the governor's full efforts."