The New York state Senate on Wednesday rejected a bill that would extend marriage protections to same-sex couples. The bill was defeated by a margin of 38 to 24. GLAAD President and former Massachusetts state Senator Jarrett Barrios reacted to the loss in a statement on Wednesday:

This is a painful loss for loving and committed same-sex couples in New York who want the same things all American’s do: to take care of each other and their families. Today’s vote shows that some members of the State Senate believe in treating people unfairly and as a different class of citizens.

New York’s Empire State Pride Agenda expressed hope for the state’s LGBT community and its allies despite today’s loss:

While we are disappointed by today’s vote, we are pleased that the issue of marriage equality at last was debated in the New York State Senate. We had long called for a public debate on this matter so we could determine who was truly on our side. It is a step forward for our democratic process in New York that a debate and vote have now occurred. Now we know where we stand, and where we need to concentrate our efforts in the future.

GLAAD encourages media reporting on this story to ground their coverage in the stories of the New York couples whose love and commitment is at the heart of today's decision. Updates on marriage equality legislation in New York and across the nation can be found on GLAADblog.org