{"id":446,"date":"2007-07-22T10:43:29","date_gmt":"2007-07-22T10:43:29","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2007-07-22T10:43:29","modified_gmt":"2007-07-22T10:43:29","slug":"republican-lawmaker-i-knew-my-little-boy-was-not-the-same-as-the-other-little-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/proudparenting.com\/2007\/07\/republican-lawmaker-i-knew-my-little-boy-was-not-the-same-as-the-other-little-boys\/","title":{"rendered":"Republican Lawmaker: “I knew my little boy was not the same as the other little boys.”"},"content":{"rendered":"

She’s a New York state Assemblywoman with a gay son. Teresa Sayward<\/strong>, R-Willsboro is one of a few parents who recognized and embraced their child’s homosexuality at an early age.<\/p>\n

And her son’s sexual orientation is common knowledge in Willsboro, a town of about 1,900 residents in northern Essex County. A rainbow flag flies in front of the home that’s been in the family since the American Revolution<\/cite>.<\/p>\n

The assemblywoman is currently lobbying for her son’s equal marriage rights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The family’s story gained statewide notoriety when she spoke in an emotional appeal before the Assembly voted on a bill to legalize gay marriage. The bill passed the Assembly<\/a>, but did not pass the Senate. In order to become law, a bill must be passed by both houses of the legislature and then signed by the governor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Assemblywoman Sayward views the issue as one of civil rights.<\/p>\n

“They scream morality and stuff like that,” she said. “Well if two gay men can adopt a child, it would be nice if they can give a child one name or something like that.”<\/p>\n

She has grappled with the issue for years. Asked how she knew, Sayward said it was simply a mother’s instinct.<\/p>\n

“…I knew that my little boy when he went off to kindergarten was not the same as the other little boys,” she said.<\/p>\n

Sayward has taken some political heat for taking a position on gay marriage. She was one of only four Republicans in the Assembly who voted in favor of the gay marriage bill<\/a>. The Conservative party likely will not endorse her for re-election because of her stance on gay marriage.<\/p>\n

Watch video of Assemblywoman Sayward as she speaks on the Assembly floor about her son<\/a>, during a debate about gay marriage in New York.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She’s a New York state Assemblywoman with a gay son. 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