In an interview published by Gay City News over the weekend, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg put the chances of passing a marriage equality bill in New York at zero.

“I don’t know how to get it to come up,” he said, explaining his view that having the issue move to the Senate floor may prove more difficult than rounding up the votes. “If you want my honest opinion,” Bloomberg continued, the Senate leadership is unlikely to move a gay marriage bill “when I don’t see these guys willing to stand up for less controversial issues.”

Despite the fact that the number of states with legal gay marriage quickly shot up to six this past spring, the mayor said, “I ‘m scared to death that the country is going in the wrong direction… I think on other LGBT issues they are clearly moving in the direction that I think they should go and you probably do too. It’s the marriage thing that I don’t see.”

Even in New York, where Paterson and his predecessor Eliot Spitzer have been outspoken in supporting gay marriage, Bloomberg argued, “Whether anybody who runs for governor next year will stand up for gay marriage, I’ll bet you 25 cents no.”

Though the Democrats did finally achieve a majority in the State Senate last November, the mayor who vows to deliver Republican votes views the composition of the Democratic caucus as a bar to action.

“There are a lot of traditional Democratic communities that are very conservative,” he said. “The black community is very conservative. The Latino. You know, I don’t win any points with these communities when I go in their churches and point out I’m very pro-choice. I’m very pro-gay rights. I’m anti-gun. I’m very pro-immigration. I believe in Darwin.”

Considering the ineptness of the NY State Senate, it’s difficult to disagree with the mayor. So Bloomberg is seeking a third term… as a Republican. A gay loving, pro-choice, anti-gun, pro-immigration and evolution believing Republican.

Is the end near?

Despite yesterday’s events which saw the New York State Senate swing back to a Republican majority as two senators crossed party lines, new Senate President Pedro Espada Jr., still wants to bring gay marriage up for a vote. From the NY Times City Room:

“I am for same-sex marriage,” Mr. Espada said. “There will be no guarantees and no quid pro quos, I think there will be a vote of conscience of the senators. And with my partner in government, Senator Skelos, we have not discussed bringing it out to the floor. I’m expressing my own personal desire to see a full debate and decision on this matter.”

The Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay rights organization in New York is still hopeful that gay marriage will be voted on before the end of legislative session, regardless of which party is in power.

New York State Senator and evangelical minister Ruben Diaz has come out strongly against NY Governor Patterson’s support for gay marriage, asking the governor to step down.

From Senator’s website:

“The Governor is also being disrespectful to the new Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan and to every Catholic in New York City by pushing a gay marriage bill the same week that Catholics are celebrating welcoming ceremonies for his arrival; If I were Governor Paterson, I would abstain from going to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the welcoming ceremony and to celebrate Mass.”

Senator Diaz will also be organizing a rally in May to ask the governor to step down. Audio from WNYC.org.

Here’s hoping the response from the gay community is swift and unrelenting. This is New York we’re talking about.