[NY Daily News] Bloomberg Hopes World Will Be Watching New York’s First Same-Sex Marriages This Sunday

Mayor Bloomberg hopes the world is watching on Sunday when he officiates the same-sex marriage of two of his top aides.

Erin Einhorn reports:

“It sends a message,” Bloomberg said Friday on his weekly WOR radio show. “This will get a lot of publicity around the world. It says New York is open to everybody, that in New York, you can practice your religion the way your religion asks you to practice it, or not, but you don’t have to abide by somebody else’s religious beliefs.”

Top Bloomberg policy advisor John Feinblatt will tie the knot Sunday with Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz in a ceremony at Gracie Mansion.

It’s the first day that same-sex marriage will be legal in New York.

The mayor has officiated just two weddings since taking office in 2002 – for his eldest daughter, Emma, and for former mayor Rudy Giuliani.

He otherwise avoids ceremonies that would take up too much time and force him to choose between friends and colleagues. He said he’s making the exception for his top advisers because of his relationship with them – and to mark the historic day.

“It will be a nice ceremony,” he said. “Cameras will photograph it. There will be some drinks.”

He adds that Feinblatt and Mintz will be picking up the check. “It doesn’t cost the city any money.”

More than 800 couples – including a handful of straight couples — have registered to marry in the five boroughs on Sunday. Bloomberg said they may have to wait in lines while city officials issue licenses, connect them with judges to waive the state’s 24-hour waiting period and, for some couples, perform the ceremony.

He predicted most won’t mind.

“You know, when people get married, they tend to be in a good mood,” he said. “If they’re in a bad mood, they’ve got a problem. Maybe they should rethink the whole thing.”