In response to a NYT editorial yesterday outlining NOM's race-baiting activities in which the paper said Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich "should be racing" to condemn the organization, marriage equality opponent and NY state Senator Ruben Diaz sent out a press release:

We Are United

You should know that like many Black and Hispanic members of the clergy in New York and throughout the United States, I am exceptionally grateful for the National Organization for Marriage, and for NOM's President, Brian Brown.

I write this as a Democrat, as a State Senator and as the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, which represents tens of thousands of Hispanic and Black Christians.

On behalf of all those churches, I am here to say: I have worked closely with the National Organization for Marriage and I have marched with NOM's President Brian Brown to defend our civil right to be heard in the debate over the meaning of marriage.

Brian Brown and NOM have done something, that no one has been able to do before: they have helped Black and Hispanic people throughout the nation to find our voice when everyone else rejected us and excluded us from the debate.

You should know that NOM has not divided us, it has brought us unity; NOM has given a voice to the voiceless on the marriage issue, and shown us respect for our core, and sacred values on marriage—a respect the mainstream media has consistently denied us.

No New York Times editorial, nor anyone else will be able to sow seeds of dissension between us and NOM in this great effort to protect marriage.

You should know that we will continue to our work with Brian Brown and NOM, and we will continue to praise the Lord for the courageous people He has led into our lives.

I am Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.