Metro

Bill’s switch on gay nups

ALBANY — Former President Bill Clinton — who signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act so reviled by the gay community — yesterday endorsed marriage for same-sex couples in New York.

The about-face by the Democratic ex-president came as part of an escalating campaign by gay-rights advocates to get the Republican-run state Senate to make New York the sixth state to allow same-sex marriage.

“For more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free,” Clinton said in a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign. “In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.”

Clinton’s shift comes nearly 15 years after he signed DOMA, which allows states and the federal government to ignore same-sex marriages from states where they are legal. Repeal of the law has since become a national rallying point for gay-rights activists.