York City marriage bureau. Those activists then increased the number of direct action protests, such as blocking traffic, and they succeeded in putting the issue of marriage equality on the social and legislative agenda for over a year. Queer Rising inspired the creation or actions of other LGBTQ or civil rights groups that, likewise, put pressure on the Government to enact marriage equality. When it was revealed that the Catholic Church was lobbying against passage of marriage equality, activists protested outside St. Patrick's Cathedral to demand marriage equality. Some of the activists, who led or participated in the direct-action that was key to the movement for marriage equality, included Alan Bonville, Iana Di Bona, Bob the Drag Queen, Honey La Bronx, Jake Goodman, Rich Murray, Natasha Dillon, and many others. Activists created an environment of urgency for the Government to act. Against this backdrop, the activists themselves began to exert pressure on Government Officials to pass marriage equality legislation in New York State. In 2009, one of the Electeds, who had voted against the marriage equality bill, such as then State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens), was targeted for a direct action protest by the group Connecting Rainbows in April 2011. As the New York State legislative session approached the end of its legislative year, some lobbying for final votes took place. Legislative activity Same-sex marriage legislation passed the New York State Assembly for the first time on June 19, 2007. On March 12, 2008, Eliot Spitzer resigned from his position as Governor of New York. Following Spitzer's resignation, Lieutenant Governor David Paterson was sworn in as the 55th Governor of New York on March 17, 2008 by New York Chief Judge Judith Kaye. On April 9, 2008, Paterson pledged that he would continue to push for same-sex marriage legislation. He said he was "proud to have run on a ticket with now-former Governor Eliot Spitzer that was the first in the country to advocate for marriage equality and to win on that premise." "We will push on and bring full marriage equality in New York State", Paterson said. On November 4, 2008, the Democratic Party gained a majority in the New York State Senate. Following the elections, three dissenting Senate Democrats declined to assure Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith that they would vote for him as Senate majority leader when the Senate convened in January 2009. In December 2008, an