Mayor Michael Bloomberg (holding the flag), Senator Tom Duane, Speaker Christine Quinn and Governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured left to right).

The state of New York has now become the sixth in the United States to embrace marriage equality. After much impassioned debate, and the insertion of a handful of religious exemptions to appease the right, the New York state Congress passed marriage equity legislation late Friday evening by a 33 to 29 vote. The law, signed by Cuomo, takes effect in 30 days.

Governor Andrew Cuomo was the star of yesterday’s 42d annual gay-pride parade in New York City, which became a joyful celebration of last week’s state Senate vote to legalize same-sex marriage.

Much of the cheering at the parade was aimed at Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, who made legalization of same-sex marriage a part of his election campaign and then led the fight for its approval in the Republican-controlled Senate.