Panto Joins Other Mayors in Supporting Gay Marriage

Easton Mayor Sal Panto is one of 100 mayors around the country involved in the national Mayors for Marriage Equality campaign, the said Monday.

The campaign's website says the group wants to "win the freedom to marry in more states, grow the national majority for marriage, and end federal marriage discrimination."

So far, the group has gotten mayors from all over the country to sign on, from larger cities like New York and Houston, to smaller communities like Easton, Princeton, NJ and Macungie.

"No government has the right to tell its citizens who they can marry," Panto said in a news release from Equality PA.

Last year, Panto signed into law a measure that gives benefits to the domestic partners of

Equality PA's announcement came on a day marked by national victories for the gay rights movement. In Washington state, Gov. Chris Gregorie signed legislation that legalized gay marriage.

And in New Jersey, the , although Gov. Chris Christie has promised he would veto any such legislation, arguing the issue should be decided by voters with a referendum.