WATCH: Simon Fights Back Tears During Gay Marriage Debate

Hopkins and St. Louis Park Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-District 46B) choked back tears as he told a parable during debate Thursday on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Simon described a rabbi asking his students what is the precise moment when night ends and a new day begins. 

“The moment when night ends and a new day begins is the moment when you look into the face of a stranger and see the face of your brother,” Simon said in between long pauses. “Until that moment, no matter what time it is, it’s still night. But at that moment, that’s when the new day begins. I like the sound of that—a new day—and I hope we can all go there together.”

In the often-emotional five-minute speech, Simon described how the gay rights movement began as something separate from the rest of the society. But he argued that the current debate reflects how the homosexual community is urgently seeking to be a part of society’s most-cherished institutions.

“I don’t think we should scorn that. We should embrace it. We should embrace their embrace,” Simon said. “I think slowly as a society we’re going to the realization—some faster than others—those in the GLBT community do not have some condition to be pitied or prayed away. What they have is a God-given orientation, which should be celebrated and welcomed.”

The bill passed 75-59.