11/10/2009
New York Marriage Equality: The Latest
Marriage equality didn't get a vote today, but it wasn't because supporters at the state house in Albany were quiet. As senators made their way to the chamber, they were confronted with advocates shouting "We deserve a vote."
Watch the chaotic scene, AFTER THE JUMP...
The AP is now reporting that Governor Paterson has placed the marriage equality bill on the agenda for special sessions on November 16th and 17th.
The NYDN Elizabeth Benjamin reports:
According to sources close to the fast-and-furious negotiations that have been going on all day, the Democrats now have somewhere in the neighborhood of 21 or 22 'yes' votes - far too few for the Republicans to make up the difference, even if they disposed to help out at this point, which they decidedly are not.
My understanding is ESPA Executive Director Alan Van Capelle is pushing very hard for a vote, arguing that his community has experienced far too many broken promises and needs to see some movement, even if the bill dies.
The Gill Action Fund, on the other hand, wants a win and is arguing against a vote if all it will be is a symbolic victory. Sen. Tom Duane, the bill's prime sponsor, is siding with Gill on this one.
The fact that Van Capelle very publicly called Duane out at ESPA's fall dinner recently has not helped matters.
Further complicating things is the animosity between Paterson and the Senate Democrats, who don't want to give the governor a win on this issue - even if they might want to deliver for their LGBT allies, who spent more than $1 million in 2008 to help them take the majority. Other senators at the meeting: Conference Leader John Sampson, Eric Adams, President Malcolm Smith, Jeff Klein, Eric Schneiderman."
Watch the scene at the state house plus a short interview with Ruben Diaz Sr, appearing to deflect fault over marriage equality to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, AFTER THE JUMP...
Posted 6:58 PM EST by Andy Towle in Gay Marriage, New York, News | Permalink
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i'm really troubled by the fact that i agree with diaz on this one; but you know what? he's right. bloomberg claimed a few years back when a court upheld our rights, that he had to go ahead and file against us and deprive us of the equal civil rights that the court had recognized were owed us. does that remind you of someone's attitude lately? that's right, bloomberg and obama behaved like the absolute opportunists they are when it comes to equal rights for gays and lesbians.
Posted by: daftpunkydavid | Nov 10, 2009 7:00:28 PM
Bloomberg has consistently worked for equality, and has made it a policy at city institutions... The City recognizes out of state marriages. He has defended Harvey Milk High school against such bad people as Diaz. He marches in the gay pride parade and actually waves the banner, There's no DADT in NYC! He doesn't have the ability to marry gay people in the City, and no legal stunts on his part would allow him to do it (he said he would feel awful if the marriages he made were annulled by the state).
Ruben Diaz is one of our worst enemies. He's a nutcase filled with hatred for our cause, and unlike the nutcases in rural Alabama or Saudi Arabia he actually can effect the laws in NY.
Obama is somewhere in the middle. I don't think he has vitriolic hatred towards us, but he wouldn't sound a pip if we were dying en masse. He won't lift a pen to help us on even the simplest measures.
Posted by: jc | Nov 10, 2009 7:11:25 PM
oh but don't get me wrong... i'm not saying either bloomberg or obama has vitriol against us. what i am saying is that they are with us ONLY when it is politically expedient for them. I beg to be proved wrong.
Posted by: daftpunkydavid | Nov 10, 2009 7:22:26 PM
Don't just believe me, try reading the wikipedia article on Diaz... He's one of our greatest enemies in the State.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubén_Díaz_(politician)
Posted by: jc | Nov 10, 2009 7:22:28 PM
The "umbrella organization" for orthodox Jews sent a memo to all of the NYS senators asking them to vote against gay marriage.
Not only should we be protesting these ignorant clowns, but they should also lose their tax-exempt status.
http://theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/41888/Agudath+Israel+Memorandum+to+NYS+Senators+Regarding+Toeiva+Marriage+Bill.html
Posted by: Jackson | Nov 10, 2009 7:25:09 PM
but papi, i'm not disputing diaz's despicable posturing and hypocrisy on the matter. he's another bigoted christian, with all but 2 neurons in his frontal lobe, for all i care. he's there, he speaks his mind, that's his right. i have not in any way supported his political aspirations; he's not my state senator... you get the point.
what i do dispute is this pr operation deployed by both obama and bloomberg, that intends to paint them as infallible equality supporters.
i focus now on the latter because i did at some point support the guy. but when he decided to file a challenge to the court ruling for marriage equality; and then, time after time, and only belatedly and inefficiently, voiced muted support for my rights; when he avoids touching my issues during a mayoral campaign in ny f*ing city... well guess what? i snap. and i want you to know the ill he's done to our cause.
Posted by: daftpunkydavid | Nov 10, 2009 7:37:15 PM
Where is the organizing here? State senators are elected every two years? There aren't enough gays in NY, and elsewhere, with enough money to ouster 10 Republican State Senators? We need to start looking into where we can pick up seats, and where our money is best spent. New York is a great place to gain marriage rights. Not just because I live here, but also because there is no stupid referendum process. This should be a major cause, but for some reason it doesn't seem to matter to a lot of people.
Posted by: Jon B | Nov 10, 2009 7:53:25 PM
Bloomberg spent over $100 million of his own money to get reelected last week and he has spent similar figures with Senate Republicans.
Don't be fooled, if he really wanted to help the community the entire State Senate would vote in favor of this bill in 60 seconds.
Posted by: superg | Nov 10, 2009 8:05:14 PM
Diaz is one of the worst because he has gay staffers and gay relatives and he 'loves' them but denies them due to his religious beliefs. What-like God is gonna punish him because he gave people rights? He should consider ALL the people he represents, and vote for them, even if it goes counter to his personal beliefs.
A government FOR the people.
Posted by: kody | Nov 10, 2009 9:28:16 PM
See... I don't understand what good any of this so-called "law making"will do. As soon as there is any vote in favor of gays, some conservative, right wing group screams foul and forces the issues to a public ballot where then manipulate and corrode the region to sway the public vote in their favor. This is all so pointless.
Posted by: Rad | Nov 11, 2009 7:04:54 AM
Bloomberg is the Mayor of New York City. He has ABSOLUTELY NO POWER over the New York State Senate. If you want to blame someone, blame the Democrats. They have the power, not the mayor. Plus I was very happy to see the mayor calling the anti-gay cabbie in NY a disgrace for kicking out a gay couple from his cab.
Posted by: Wayne | Nov 11, 2009 8:42:34 AM
"This is all so pointless."
I guess we should just all kill ourselves then or accept second-class citizenship for life. Hello, Rad, that's how progress works--it's a bumpy road, with setbacks. Not every state has public ballots, so the right wing can scream all they want, but they won't win everywhere, and, eventually, they won't win anywhere.
Posted by: Ernie | Nov 11, 2009 9:47:32 AM
hey wayne... i understand the admiration you have for a man who singlehandedly devised a strategy to change the laws of the land so he could be mayor for a 3rd term...lol
i'm not saying bloomberg = diaz. i'm saying bloomberg did not come through the way we expected him to. what is worse, he actually filed an appeal after a new york court ruled that we ought to have equal marriage rights. so what if he calls an anti-gay cabbie a disgrace? should we expect any less of the mayor of new york city? i really don't see why you're so proud... that's sort of his job you know?
and it's not like blaming him means you cannot blame democrats (and republicans) as well. claiming that would just prove you're not of the smarter kind.
Posted by: daftpunkydavid | Nov 11, 2009 10:25:51 AM
why were their so few protesters ? When we went through this in Massachusetts there were 10 times as many in the state house halls
Posted by: Mark | Nov 17, 2009 1:12:11 AM