New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will officiate at the wedding of two city employees — one his longtime adviser — at his official residence, Gracie Mansion.
What's more, Bloomberg popped the question.
The wedding is reportedly to take place on Sunday, July 24, the first day gay marriage will be legal in New York.
According to the New York Times, Bloomberg offered to officiate at the wedding of his top policy adviser John Feinblatt, 60, to city commissioner for consumer affairs, Jonathan Mintz, 47. The couple have been together for 14 years and have two daughters.
But there was a hitch: Feinblatt and Mintz hadn’t even decided to wed.
Mintz later said, "the mayor and John popped the question."
The New York Times writes:
Bloomberg, who delivered speeches, held fund-raisers and lobbied lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, is now punctuating his official advocacy with a personal gesture: hosting and presiding at a gay wedding on the first possible day, in one of the grandest possible settings.
Bloomberg has officiated only two weddings — that of his daughter and that of former mayor Rudy Giuliani's. He said Feinblatt and Mintz personalized the issue of gay marriage for him.
"John and Jonathan are two of the smartest and hardest-working people in our administration,” the Times quoted Bloomberg as saying Thursday. "This just felt like the best way for me to say thank you."
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