NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO—For the millions who joined in the nation’s two largest Gay Pride celebrations, the festivities were bittersweet.  New York’s same-sex marriage bill remains stalled in the state senate, while gay marriage supporters in California are still reeling over the passage of Proposition 8, and the deportation case of a lesbian couple that remains in limbo.

In New York, gay parent Glenn Magpantay, his partner, Chris, and their young son, Malcolm, came out for the city’s family day event.  Magpantay said the stalled legislation weighed on his family during the celebration.

“We’re hoping the legislature will actually act and to make sure that everyone who wants to have a family and have a strong, healthy relationship can have those relationships,” Magpantay said.
       
New York governor David Paterson, a supporter of same-sex marriage, was hoping a bill would pass before Gay Pride week, but political troubles in Albany halted all public policy issues until Republicans and Democrats reach an agreement on who will control the State Senate.

As the political stalemate wears on, volunteers handed out petitions to make sure the bill does not get lost in the shuffle.

“At the moment it really is at a standstill,” said Gerald Prosscer, a volunteer who gathered signatures for a petition.  “They aren’t really discussing it.  And we’re putting pressure that would really help it pass.”

Same sex marriage has been legalized in six states.  Magpantay, a longtime New York resident, is disappointed his state still has not legalized same-sex marriage but is not ready to move out of the state yet.

Meanwhile in San Francisco, Filipino Shirley Tan and her partner Jay Mercado, who have been fighting for equal immigration rights for LGBT families, sat and waved with their twin 12-year-old boys atop a convertible, as they led a contingent during the city’s Gay Pride parade.

Earlier this year, Tan faced deportation.  She would have been torn away from Mercado, a U.S. green card holder and their twin boys, both American citizens.  But after intense lobbying from immigrant rights groups, a private bill was introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein to keep Tan in the country until the end of 2010.

“It has been a rough year for us, but I am so overwhelmed with the support of people to keep my family together,” said Tan.

Tan and Mercado’s dilemma illustrates the inequity between same-sex civil unions and the right to marry, and they are not alone.  There are about 36,000 same-sex, bi-national couples in the country who are in danger of being separated because of immigration problems.

The passage of the United American Families Act would allow gay and lesbian Americans the same rights to sponsor a foreign partner for U.S. residency.