If Argentina Can Pass Same-Sex Marriage, Why Can't New York

Legislators in Albany should watch this and think about their previous vote on the issue, and then ask themselves why too many are intolerant of men and women who wish to love and care for another human being who happens to be the same gender.

D.O.M.A. Is Done!

Every once in a while the judicial branch comes through and slaps down a Congress that legislates contrary to the principles set forth in the Constitution. Striking down the Federal Defense of Marriage Act yesterday is one of those times I smile at this particular aspect of the balance of powers.

More from the Rachel Maddow Show:

NY Blade For Bloomberg??

The New York Blade has already endorsed the main opponent of Bloomberg's chief ally in the City Council, so why on Earth would they think about endorsing the Mayor's re-election? It is a potential endorsement that Matt Arnold of the NY Liberal Examiner thinks is bizarre given Bloomberg's record on LGBT issues (before the beginning of election season of course). Arnold makes the case for the Blade to think again before sending that issue to print.

From The NY Liberal Examiner:

I’ve heard from a reliable source that the New York Blade, one of the city’s main LGBT newspapers, plans to endorse Mike Bloomberg for re-election. Which would be pretty bizarre, unless they’re wanting to narrow their readership to Log Cabin Republicans.

Mike Bloomberg could never be mistaken as an advocate for the LGBT community. When Gavin Newsom was marring gay couples in San Francisco in 2005, Bloomberg instead appealed against a court ruling that would have allowed gay marriage in New York City, and he won, which is why gay people are now forced to look to the State Legislature to make marriage equality happen. And when the city council passed the Equal Benefits Law, requiring that contractors who do work with the city avoid discrimination and offer gay employees the same work benefits offered to straight couples, Bloomberg again sued to prevent that from being enforced, and again he won.

So Bloomie has damaged the LGBT community in very concrete ways. It’s nice that Bloomberg has had an election year conversion and now thinks that the time is right to press for gay marriage (in 2005 he told a HRC fundraising audience that gays needed to be “patient.”) But switching over this year doesn’t undo the damage his administration has caused. Honestly I can’t imagine what the Blade would be thinking by endorsing him. Unless, perhaps, it has something to do with all that ad money Bloomie has been spending on the paper?

Advertising is an important factor in the health of newspapers these days, but I hope the Blade isn't susceptible to that type of influence over their editorial decisions. That would be a real shame given their usually stellar record.

Paterson Makes Senators Work, But Marriage Equality Is Up In The Air

Today is the official last day of Albany's legislative calendar, but Paterson is calling a special session for Wednesday. He wants the senate to take care of business, though the outcome of a special session is in the hands of the 62 members (or as Espada believes, everything is in his hands). One thing that Governor Paterson is not willing to put to a vote is the marriage equality bill that he had demanded so vociferously a few weeks ago. Or will he?

From The NY Times:

ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson said in an interview Sunday night that he would make sure that the State Senate votes on same sex-marriage legislation before it breaks for the summer, hours after he and his administration had refused to commit to forcing a vote on the issue.

The development came as the governor announced plans to call the Senate to a special session on Tuesday, after trying unsuccessfully for two weeks to broker a compromise in a leadership battle that has deadlocked the chamber. But Mr. Paterson dismayed gay rights groups in his comments at a news conference early Sunday afternoon, when he said same-sex marriage would not be on the special session’s agenda.

“It has always been my intention to see same-sex marriage come to the floor,” he said, adding, “I don’t want there to be any confusion.”

Yet sowing confusion is what he seems to do best. Making one comment leaning one way and then backtracking later in the day is just one more indication of what a weak governor he is. We probably will not see that vote come up this week, but if Paterson has the courage to call another session (he says he does at least) then we might, or we might not. Listening to the governor lead the state is worse than going by a two-bit psychic that sets up shop on the sidewalk.

I Never Thought I'd Watch This Video

Amongst all the bedlam up in Albany, the recently retired (for whichever reason) Joe Bruno has responded to Governor Paterson's request for help to pass same-sex marriage. Instead of ignoring the weakly-positioned Paterson, Bruno actually decided to help:



Though who's to say if this will have any impact, the Senate is in complete chaos and what happens next is anyone's guess.

Duane Considering A Deal With The Devil

The story has been told a million different ways, but boils down to this; somebody wants something, doesn't see it happening in their current circumstances and then a dubious looking character comes along promising them their dream come true as long as they do that tiny little thing often referred to as giving up your soul. Dealing with the devil is almost always a losing proposition, yet Senator Tom Duane, of all people is considering leaving the Democratic caucus to join hands with noted criminals Senators Monserrate and Espada.

His reasoning is that he thinks he'll get a vote on gay marriage:

One of the senators who is believed to be considering breaking ranks with the Senate Democratic conference, Thomas K. Duane of Manhattan, would not say where he planned to cast his political allegiance.

“I am not considering anything but trying to get passed all the legislation I’ve spent my whole life fighting for,” he said. Mr. Duane, who did not attend meetings with his Democratic colleagues on Tuesday, said he had spent all day in discussions with senators from both parties.

Mr. Duane is the sponsor of legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in New York. He has been working to garner the 32 votes necessary to pass the bill, and said he would continue to do so.

There's already an excellent discussion going on at the Albany Project about this possible defection. My opinion is that if Duane defects the chances of him getting marriage passed with Skelos/Espada in charge is slim to nil. Espada can say he'll put marriage to a vote, but I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of that man's mouth. Duane would also be giving up every other issue important to Democrats and certainly so to the many Democrats that call themselves his constituents. The natural effect of that would be a primary challenge with serious teeth (already coming for Espada and Monserrate). I know Duane passionately wants same-sex marriage passed, but this is not the way to do it.

Addabbo's Constituents Want His Vote On Same-Sex Marriage Now

Out of 62 senators, there are still 14 that have not stated whether they will vote for or against the bill to give equal rights to same-sex couples wishing to get married. One of those senators is Joseph Addabbo. The eastern Queens Senator is apparently holding out to the very last minute or is not willing to say in case no vote comes to pass. Either way, NY1 tells us people in his district want to know how he feels.

From NY1:

Constituents wanted to hear what freshman State Senator Joseph Addabbo has to say about gay marriage.

"He needs to make a decision, quick," said one Queens resident. "A lot of people are interested in knowing."

But on Friday they did not know, as Addabbo would not respond to the question of how he would vote on legalizing same-sex marriage in the state.

"It's very important," said a constituent. "He needs to say if he is for or against it."

"I really think he should have a position on that; he definitely should have something to say because he's a senator," said another.

"I think he should have a response one way or the other," agreed a third.

NY1 did find a few that thought the opposite, but said they were few and far between. Now whether or not he follows those three voters' advice is another thing, but Addabbo will probably stay silent if he hasn't said anything already. Perhaps because he is a new Democrat in the district (Republican Serph Maltese represented the area for years and year), he's not up to angering a sizable portion of the community if he doesn't have to.

However, as MENY blogged last November, Joe has been a reliable vote for LGBT issues when he was a Councilmember (though he still hadn't taken a position on same-sex marriage) so perhaps when push comes to shove, he'll vote with the majority of the Democratic caucus and say yes to marriage equality.

Of course, it would be nice to add him to list of yes votes beforehand so residents should keep calling and pressuring him to take a stand regardless of where Addabbo is at now.

Sen. Diaz Goes On An Ant-GLBT Tirade Against Sen. Duane

Senator Diaz showed his true inner homophobe this afternoon with an angry press release directed at Senator Duane. Duane has been claiming that he has more than enough votes to pass same-sex marriage but the anti-equality groups think he's bluffing. So Diaz picked up the baton for his side and lashed out at the westside Senator, demanding he show everyone who the "yes" votes are.

From The Daily Politics:

"If Senator Tom Duane has the necessary Senate votes to pass the homosexual marriage bill in New York State, then he should release the names of those Senators who are supporting the bill. If not, he should shut up.

"If any member of the State Senate is so ashamed to have their names released or to release their own names for this or for any pending legislation, then they clearly feel ashamed of their position."

"If any Senators are unwilling to release their names prior to voting for the homosexual marriage bill, they are sending a clear message to the gay community and to the whole State of New York that these Senators are unwilling to let the public know and that they are ashamed to be publicly associated with the gay community."

"Any Senator who commits himself or herself to something, should be man or woman enough to take a stand and stand by his or her convictions. If they give their word to support something that they are ashamed of, then that is a hypocrisy, and could be interpreted as not wanting to be associated with the matter."

"It is a disgrace that Senator Duane is playing this mind game with his colleagues and with the public. If Senator Duane has the votes, he should release the names. If not, then he should be ashamed of himself.”

Whether or not Duane is playing games (this is politics isn't it?) is besides the point. The hate and vitriol in that statement is disgusting. If Duane wants to hold the names, if there are enough names, then it is his right to do so up until the moment everyone votes on the bill. The only person that should be ashamed is Senator Diaz for his ridiculous outburst and of course, admitting in his words that he is ashamed to be publicly associated with a significantly large community in the city he calls home.

Cheney Goes Left...On Same-Sex Marriage

When one utters the name "Dick Cheney," progressive values is not something that enters the mind. Secrecy, ignoring the rule of law, torturing people, are all connected to the former V.P. Yet on the issue of same-sex marriage he is very much in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to get married, as long as it is approved on a state-by-state basis.

Sen. Duane Claims He Has Votes To Spare For Same-Sex Marriage

Yesterday's ESPA advocacy-extravaganza made quite the impact on Albany. Thousands of LGBT allies went up to the capitol to demand equal rights. The focus was on the Senate of course, since the Assembly's passage of a same-sex marriage bill is practically guaranteed. The body's chief proponent of the legislation, Senator Tom Duane was certainly feeling the enthusiasm and expressed quite a bit of confidence in getting the bill passed this year.

From PolitickerNY:

The bill's passage in the Senate is, not surprisingly, less certain, but State Senator Tom Duane said he believes it will pass this year.

"We'll have enough votes to pass it, and I'll get a few extra to spare," Duane told me after a rally this morning. He did not name names.

I for one would love to know those names, besides that of Senator Alesi. Duane is going to need at least one or two other votes from the Republican caucus as Diaz Sr. and several other Dems have already gone on record as being against the bill.

LGBT Advocacy Group Swarms Albany And Its Legislators

As anyone who's been to Albany for the sake of a particular cause, Tuesday is lobbying day (for the regular folk). The LGBT community and its supporters took head and took action by going 2,000 people strong up there to advocate for equal rights and same-sex marriage. With important legislation in committees now deciding the fate of equal rights in New York, their presence was timely to say the least.

From The Times-Union:

This year the event sold out and calls were pouring in of people trying to get tickets. “It was bigger than a Madonna concert,” said ESPA Executive Director Alan Van Capelle in an interview before he took the stage.

Van Capelle noted that most of the buses that brought supporters up were paid for by labor unions. “Organized labor recognizes that you can’t support economic justice without social justice,” he said.

The convention center is filled with cheering supporters, sitting by Senate District, who will meet with individual legislators. It is a concertedly organized affair — Empire State Pride Agenda has arranged for trained “meeting facilitators” to sit in on every meeting between advocates and Senate members and staff. Not every meeting with the Assembly will have similar facilitators. The Assembly passed the gay marriage bill in 2007 and is expected to pass again this year.

Van Capelle said that they have targeted particular Senate districts — Republican and Democrat. They have been polling in the district, organizing residents to talk with particular Senators and advocate.

More and more New Yorkers, whether gay or straight want equal rights across the board. The enthusiasm for the bill cannot be denied and the Republican leadership in the Senate's decision to let Senators vote their conscience was an affirmation of that. Now let's see if all those ESPA supporters can change the minds of just a few Republicans to join the majority of Dems in passing same-sex marriage rights.

Busting Homophobic Myths, One Idiotic Notion At A Time

NOM's ad earlier this month about the "gathering storm" was quite a doozy, striking fear into the hearts of the ignorant and easily-persuadables out there. Sadly, people who use common sense when it comes to this issue know better, but sometimes you need to get the clergy involved to combat the wingnuts who abuse religion to stop GLBT couples from having equal rights.

NY Same-Sex Marriage Bill Gets Some GOP Support

The relatively liberal State Assembly has been behind a bill to legalize same-sex marriage for quite a while now, but the more conservative State Senate has been holding up any progress...until now. There are signs in Albany that we just might possibly see a signed bill this year, in spite of protests from conservative Democrats. At least one Republican has signaled his support, a hint there may be more defections on the right coming down the pike.

From The Buffalo News:

Opponents believe that advocates of same-sex marriage will need to get at least four Republican senators to back the bill. “Even if we did know, we wouldn’t say,” Duane said of Senate Republicans who might cross party lines.

Senate Republicans say the issue, unlike the budget, is highly personal and will be up to rank-and-file lawmakers to decide on their own.

“I believe in traditional marriage,” said Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane.

But there are more liberal-leaning districts than the one Maziarz represents. “I probably will be making a public statement somewhere in the near future,” said Sen. James S. Alesi, a Monroe County Republican who represents part of Rochester. Insiders say he is one potential vote for the bill.

The Empire State Pride Agenda and Senator Tom Duane are quite confident that the bill will pass this year, even with some room to spare says Duane. This is fantastic news if it comes to fruition, though I have to say it is somewhat comical to hear Duane's enthusiasm after berating the governor two weeks ago for announcing his intention to deliver a bill to the Senate without having the votes at the time.

I have to credit Governor Paterson for bringing the issue up, even if it was to save his own political hide. The attention, along with developments in Vermont, Iowa and favorable polling here in the state has all combined to produce a hopeful outlook for increasing equal rights in New York. It is about time we see some progress on that front, so that we as a state can be a leader in this country just as Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts already are.

Smith Stands Up To Paterson And Democracy On Same-Sex Marriage Vote

Majority Leader Malcolm Smith isn't against passing a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, but he wants it done his way, the "Albany" way. Paterson is trying to bring the bill to the Legislature even if it won't pass this time around. While the Governor may be doing it to redeem his popularity before the 2010 election, the importance of the issue is far greater than Paterson's motivations. Smith is also standing by his position based on politics, dedicated to sticking with the old, corruptive means even if the end is something good.

From The Daily Politics:

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is sticking to his guns on gay marriage, insisting that he won't heed the governor's call to bring his program bill to the floor regardless of whether it has sufficient votes to pass.

"I'm very concerned about putting a bill on the floor that's going to be symbolism and not pass," the Queens Democrat said. "...I'm going to count until I know that I have 32 if not 34. I'm not going to move it on the floor if I don't have the numbers that I need."

Smith, who spoke briefly with reporters at the DRC meeting in Saratoga Springs last Friday night, also said that when it comes to marriage, he's "not going to get into horse trading" - a time-honored Albany tradition in which seemingly unrelated issues are linked in order to assure their passage by the Legislature.

"I'm not going to get into horse trading," Smith said. "This is the right issue. if you want to be on the right side of history then I think you should support this."

Smith is right that there is no need for horse trading. However, when it comes to being on the right side of history, if he truly believes that then it is only logical that he allow the Senate to vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. History is a record of what goes on in our society and our world, and there is no better place to show how our legislature behaves and responds to the people than the voting record.

Moreover, he should prove there is actual reform going on and allow someone besides himself bring the bill to the floor. Whether that be Tom Duane or anyone of the twenty-some senators in favor of the bill is irrelevant. The key is that we see more democracy in action in our state capitol and not pre-packaged votes that only happen when the Majority Leader has his ducks in a row.

Gov. Paterson Now Pushing Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Governor Paterson, after months of making bad decision after bad decision, finally did something New York can be proud of. With so many momentous decisions being made on the matter of same-sex marriage across the country, Paterson is using the opportunity to make the state legislature here in New York stand up and take a position on the equal rights issue. The votes may not be all there but the very fact that he wants a vote without it being assured of passage is unheard of in our dysfunctional state capitol.

From The NY Daily News:

"Why can't people just defeat the bill, vote on it?" Paterson said. "If you have the votes later on to pass it, bring it back."

That's actually a bold statement from Albany. A constant criticism of the Legislature - as highlighted in a recent Daily News series, "State of Shame" - is that legislative leaders only put up bills that will pass.

The state Assembly has approved a gay marriage bill and Paterson promised to sign it if it's approved by the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat, supports the gay marriage bill but has not allowed a vote because he thinks it will be defeated.

"This is an issue that demands much more than a symbolic gesture," Smith spokesman Austin Shafran said.

Smith shows he's operating out of a status quo mentality that is one of the defining problems in Albany. People want to see democracy on display, not manufactured, behind-the-scenes votes being brought out. That only reinforces the idea that backroom deals are the only way things work, when the possibility for real reform is just beyond that box Smith, Silver, (Paterson for the most part) and others like them live in.

The Bigots Are Scared

In response to the momentous Court decision in Iowa, the vote in Vermont and now in Washington, D.C., anti-gay advocates are afraid of a national movement that gives equal rights to the LGBT community. One group decided to spend an unknown amount on this ad in order to peddle their hate to the majority of states that have not approved of LGBT equal rights.

Steve King Reaffirms His Homophobe Cred In Spite Of His State

When it comes to right-wing nuttiness, Congressman Steve King of Iowa is right up there on the top of the list. His home state made headlines yesterday when the state's Supreme Court followed the lead of several Northeastern states and California in that bans on same-sex marriage is a violation (.pdf file) of the equal protection clause. It was a tremendous judicial victory for equal rights in a part of the country that is still behind the more progressive parts. Unfortunately, King had to sully the occasion with his own ignorant and hateful screed.

From ThinkProgress:

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) reacted with fury to the Court’s decision, calling the ruling “unconstitutional” and denigrating the “activist judges” who decided it. He called for an constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and pressed for immediate action to prevent Iowa from becoming a “Mecca” for gay couples:

Now it is the Iowa legislature’s responsibility to pass the Marriage Amendment to the Iowa Constitution, clarifying that marriage is between one man and one woman, to give the power that the Supreme Court has arrogated to itself back to the people of Iowa. Along with a constitutional amendment, the legislature must also enact marriage license residency requirements so that Iowa does not become the gay marriage Mecca due to the Supreme Court’s latest experiment in social engineering.

ThinkProgress also made a list of other bigoted statements that show this last one is not isolated at all:

– King compared gay people to unicorns and leprechauns. “Unicorns, leprechauns, gay marriages in Iowa — these are all things you will never find because they just don’t exist.”

– King sought to uphold anti-gay employment discrimination. “The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would force employers to hire homosexual employees.”

– King insisted homosexuality was just a “behavior.” Declaring that “homosexual marriage is not a civil right,” King said sexual orientation “is a self-identified behavior, not an immutable characteristic.”

If there's anything positive to take from this, it is that the hatred King holds for other human beings due to their sexual orientation is something that is waning in this country. That is not to say that the upcoming battles for equality will be a walk in the park, but that over time, more people will realize that they have nothing to fear from gay people and will see that they deserve all the rights and privileges afforded to straight people.

ESPA Busts The Myths Surrounding Same-Sex Marriage

Although the words "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are written into the Declaration of Independence, achieving those realities have always required hard-fought battles within our society. It is still the case today, as GLBT advocates push for marriage equality so that every couple can have the same rights under the law, no matter if they are gay or straight. There are many obstacles (judicial, legislative) in the path to this goal, and they stem from ignorance that shape people's attitudes about what gay marriage is and isn't. So the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) decided to help, and bust through a few common myths that some straight people hold about their gay neighbors.

From ESPA:

• Same-sex couples in New York can get the protections they need for their families without marriage.
• Civil unions and domestic partnerships are the same as marriage.
• If the state allows same-sex couples to marry, religious institutions’ freedom will be threatened.
• Marriage as an institution has remained the same for millennia.
• New York does not have same-sex couples who are legally married.
• The people of New York and their elected representatives are against marriage being extended to same-sex couples.
• Legalizing marriage for same-sex couples will hurt children and force them to be taught about it in early grade school.
• Allowing same-sex couples to marry will cost the state money.

• It is wrong to equate same-sex marriage with the legal marriage between a man and a woman.

There is so much important information in there, so if you still have your doubts about supporting this equal rights agenda please browse through. Gay couples have more than a thousand less rights than straight married couples. Civil unions are also not the same as marriage, just as the separate-but-equal rulings of the past were found to be unequal. So go ahead and click the links above if you agree with any of those statements, or if you know someone else that still thinks that way.

Tom Duane Sends A Message To Pedro Espada

Not only is Senator Tom Duane not concerned about the Gang of Three, he rubs it in their faces that being a Republican is a bad idea here in New York. Jeff Campagna follows it up at this weekend's Same-Sex Marriage forum with a pro-Democratic message.



While Espada hasn't shown he's coming to his senses anytime soon, it is comforting to see the others start to come around, regardless of the language they use about the matter.

No Sarah, It Isn't A Choice

Sarah Palin is known as a right-wing ideologue with very narrow-minded views about those that differ from her in the eyes of (her) lord. In the on-going interview with Katie Couric, Palin tried to temper people's perception of her hateful views by using the now cliché "Some of my best friends are gay." Actually it is just one friend, but when you see what she said, there is a lot more to it than just her single, solitary friend.

From The NY Daily News:

Sarah Palin, the socially conservative GOP veep nominee, is not opposed to gay people. Heck, some of her best friends are gay.

"I am not going to judge Americans and the decisions that they make in their adult personal relationships," Palin told CBS' Katie Couric Tuesday night when asked about churches, including Palin's, that promote conferences to convert gays into heterosexuals through prayer.

"I have one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years who happens to be gay and I love her dearly," Palin said, without mentioning names. "And she is not my gay friend, she is one of my best friends who happens to have made a choice that isn't a choice that I have made."

Your friend made a choice? Was it a choice of hers to tell you that she was gay? It certainly isn't what you insinuate, because being gay isn't a choice Sarah. Maybe you are gay but haven't made the choice to say it outloud, because that would be the only way for you and your friend to make different choices on this particular issue.

Oh and what would a story about Sarah Palin be without a lie. Here she clearly admits she thinks that it is a choice to be gay, but when asked about the issue by Charlie Gibson just a few days ago, you feigned ignorance on the matter.

What we do know about Sarah Palin and gay rights is much more straight-forward (no pun intended). Palin is a member of a church that promotes conversion for gays to become straight (and for Jews to be converted to Christianity too). In the legislative arena, she was in favor of making sure that same-sex couples were denied the rights afforded to heterosexuals.

I know Sarah Palin is full of shit when it comes to GLBT issues, but I have to wonder, who is this friend of hers and how can you stand a woman that wants to strip your rights as an American and clearly sees you as inferior to herself?