News: Sean Penn, Berlin, Coral, Jake Gyllenhaal, Wisconsin

Is Bush blocking Obama speech at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate?

Jake gets a mane.

No brainer: Guess what they're working on a sequel for...

Not a surprise: Tanzania to oppose ordination of women and gay bishops in Anglican church.

Same-sex Wisconsin couples who marry in California could face prison if they return to their home state: "When Dick Myers heard that California was going to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he and his partner of nearly 13 years considered traveling there to get married. That is until Myers and his partner, Steve Brondino, learned of an obscure state law that makes it a crime for Wisconsin residents to enter into marriage in another state if the marriage would be prohibited here. The law imposes a penalty for those who enter into a marriage that's prohibited or declared void in Wisconsin of up to $10,000 and nine months in prison."

Focus on the Family inciting trans panic in Colorado.

Tacoma, Washington's county council refuses to go on record supporting gay pride event, spurs outcry by members: "I’m embarrassed. This is a sad, low day for the County Council, that we wouldn’t give you a chance to celebrate who you are and stand against discrimination of all forms."

25% of the world's corals are facing extinction.

New York Governor Paterson to sign expanded domestic violence law: "The new law would make it possible for people in dating relationships, heterosexual or gay, to seek protection from abusers in family court. As it stands, New York has one of the narrowest domestic violence laws in the country, allowing for civil protection orders only against spouses or former spouses, blood relations or the other parent of an abused person’s child."

Damn Yankees, with Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, and Sean Hayes: a review.

From the secret diaries of Mario Testino: "Shooting in LA for an issue of V Man I'm editing. The theme is "extreme". I've tried to do it around the extremes of how a male gets perceived today, in the sense that there is ambiguity: sometimes the butcher a man is, the queenier he can be. And sometimes the most feminine men can be the most masculine. I'm influenced by so many different things, though. That's good if you're in the fashion business. Because things change so much. You can't say "I like colour" because the day after tomorrow black and white is in and you're out. And I don't want to be out. I need to work. It's my livelihood. So I'm adaptable."

He's still a traffic-stopper.

Margaret Cho now performing wedding ceremonies: "Cho actually married two couples during the Bay Area's gay pride festivities, she announced last night at the opening of the Outfest film festival in downtown Los Angeles."

Tom Cruise as the Village People.

Gay Star Trek episode to be screened: "Last March, the team of fans behind Star Trek Phase II began producing 'Blood and Fire' a gay-themed script originally written for The Next Generation in 1988 by 'The Trouble With Tribbles' writer David Gerrold. The story would have included the franchise's first gay couple and dealt with a deadly disease that worked as an analogy to AIDS, but the episode never was filmed."

Ciccone tell-all: "When Sean Penn was married to his sister, he made Christopher cut his thumb and then cut his own and merged them to become blood brothers. Penn approached him years later and asked him if he had AIDS."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #318

PRESSING THE FLESH: Beefcake & politicians at NYC Pride.

PUNCH DRUNK: Troubled Amy Winehouse cracks, slaps fan.

NOTHIN’ MORE TO SAY: Frenchie Davis belts “One Night Only” at Chicago’s Gay Pride.

AS THE WOILD TOINS: A fun preview of Cyndi Lauper’s appearance on As the World Turns this Thursday, July 3.

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Someone Left NYC Pride Out In The Rain

On my own blog, I tend to be wordy. So of course I’m taking over Towleroad the day after Gay Pride Weekend. It’s impossible to summarize multiple events across the world too briefly, so my first couple of posts, devoted to Pride, will be anything but the lighter fare Andy promised from me.

Over one million turned out to watch approximately 500,000 march in New York City’s annual Gay Pride Parade, the 39th celebration since the Stonewall Riots (June 28, 1969). Intermittent showers soaked the throngs of participants and spectators, failing to dampen enthusiasm even as more than one pair of size 12 Prada pumps had their last hurrah.

New York’s David Paterson—the nation’s first legally blind governor—became the first governor to appear in the parade, eliciting loud cheers as he kicked off the march alongside New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Other politicos included Senator Charles Schumer (Hillary Clinton was not in attendance), openly gay New York State Senator Tom Duane and out lesbian Council Speaker (and possible mayoral candidate) Christine Quinn, who had this to say of Paterson:

“Politically and personally, thank you to Governor Paterson. What he did following on the great work in the assembly—sends a message that leadership isn't about waiting, it's about finding the opportunity. It's about finding the way to move progress and civil rights forward.”

Co-grand marshals were transsexual Dirty Sexy Money star and local girl Candis Cayne and activist Gilbert Baker, who created the rainbow flag.

My own experience with the stormy NYC parade? Put away wet, but not rode hard…

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Michelle Obama and Michelle Paterson Speak at Gay DNC Benefit

Michelle Obama and NY Governor David Paterson's wife Michelle spoke to 200 donors at the DNC's Gay & Lesbian Leadership Council dinner last night at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and event which raised $1.3 million, according to organizers. Obama received most of the attention from the mainstream press, but you can see a very brief clip of both of them speaking, AFTER THE JUMP...

Reuters reports: "[Michelle Obama] said [Barack] supported a complete repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which only recognizes marriages between men and women and upholds states’ rights not to honor same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. He also opposes a 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy toward gays in the U.S. military and was against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, she added. He supports full family and adoption rights for gay and lesbian couples and believes the federal government should not stand in the way of states that opt for domestic partnerships, civil unions or civil marriage, she said. The Illinois senator opposes same-sex marriage. 'Barack believes that we must fight for the world as it should be, a world where together we work to reverse discriminatory laws like DOMA and 'don’t ask, don’t tell,'' she said. 'The world as it is should be one that rejects discrimination of all kinds.'"

The AP adds: "Obama [also] drew a connection between the struggles for gay rights and civil rights. 'We are all only here because of those who marched and bled and died, from Selma to Stonewall, in the pursuit of a more perfect union,' she said at the event, held days before the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots between gays and New York police, and the city's annual gay pride parade."

Watch a report from FOX5 New York that I've clipped, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Quentin Tarantino, Ugly Dog, Bulgaria, Michelangelo

First-ever "Rainbow Parade" set for Czech Republic: "he National Party (Národní strana) sees the event as a 'pressure on the majority, pressure that is disgusting and awkward, pressure leading to social acceptation of the children being adopted by homosexual couples.' Members of the party are prepared to protest against the march. Police are evaluating potential risks in order to determine what security measures will need to be applied."

Quentin Tarantino accepts Filmmaker on the Edge award from the Provincetown Film Festival. John Waters: "You helped reinvent John Travolta as a man and I reinvented him as a woman."

DAD: Amy Winehouse in first stages of Emphysema.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to officiate today at marriage of American Beauty producer Bruce Cohen to art consultant Gabriel Catone: "After the state Supreme Court struck down a ban on same-sex marriage last month, Villaraigosa promised to preside at as many ceremonies as possible. But when the ruling took effect last week and other political officials were presiding over same-sex weddings, Villaraigosa was in Israel on a city trip."

Nationalists in Bulgaria plan "Week of Intolerance" in response to upcoming gay parade.

Gay health therapist Michael Shernoff has died at the age of 57, of pancreatic cancer.

Book: Michelangelo hid secret messages in Sistine Chapel attacking the Pope.

Jane Fonda on her first screen test, with Warren Beatty: "At the time I suspected that Warren might be gay, because he was so cute and had so many unusual, intellectual friends. Well, how wrong can you be?"

Brooklyn appellate judges to hear arguments on New York Governor David Paterson's directive to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages: "he case being heard today, Godfrey v. Spano, will consider whether recognition of same-sex marriages first requires approval from the Legislature. So far the Legislature hasn't passed any laws relating to gay marriage. Whatever decision the Brooklyn appeals court reaches in the Godfrey case is sure to be quickly appealed to the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals."

Gerard Butler is a fashionista.

Dog named world's ugliest.

Salon bookmark: Gore Vidal's Inconvenient Truths.

Australian city council apologizes to gays for incident that happened 20 years ago.

SF Chronicle columnist's brief encounter with David Beckham: "Beckham is, for lack of a better word, man-tastic. He leans on a stool, wearing a crisp white shirt and silver tie, having just taken off his cream suit jacket. His hair is cut short and simple, ceding attention to his long stubble, which covers his face except for two Band-Aid-size vertical stripes shaved clean on either side of his goatee."

They got him!

The NYT takes a closer look at pregnant trans man Thomas Beatie: "Partly a carnival sideshow and partly a glimpse at shifting sexual tectonics, his image and story powered past traditional definitions of gender and exposed a realm that seemed more than passing strange to some observers — and altogether natural to those who inhabit it. 'This is just a neat human-interest story about a particular couple using the reproductive capabilities they have,' said Mara Kiesling, director of the National Center for Transgender Equality in Washington. 'There’s really nothing remarkable' about the Beatie pregnancy, she said."

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News: Point Foundation, Beavers, Dr. Drew, Condoms, Peter Pace

Point Foundation announces 2008 scholars.

They're back: First beaver dam seen in England in 800 years!

Dirty boy: Zac Efron reportedly not a fan of showers.

George W. Bush is set to award former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Peter Pace, who last year said that homosexuality is immoral, with the Congressional Medal of Freedom: "The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civil award, awarded to individuals who have contributed to: 1) the security or national interests of the United States, 2) world peace, or 3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." PFLAG has called on people to protest the honor.

In case you haven't heard, somebody got a spiffy new redesign.

NYC entrepreneur marketing John McCain and Barack Obama condoms: "Benjamin Sherman, who created the company Practice Safe Policy, says the Obama condom carries the slogan 'Use With Good Judgment.' The McCain version says 'OLD BUT Not Expired.'"

Dr. Drew forced to issue clarification after this statement about Tom Cruise: ""A lot of people in the public eye who behave strangely have mental illness we can learn from, and much of it is based on childhood trauma, without a doubt. Take a guy like Tom Cruise. Why would somebody be drawn into a cultish kind of environment like Scientology? To me, that's a function of a very deep emptiness and suggests serious neglect in childhood - maybe some abuse, but mostly neglect."

Poll shows New Yorkers agree with Paterson on same-sex marriage but don't think he should have done what he did: "New York voters say Gov. Paterson was wrong to order the recognition of out-of-state gay marriages by state agencies - even as they agree the state should recognize the same-sex unions, a poll yesterday showed. The Quinnipiac University poll found that voters, by 53 to 40 percent, said the governor was right to order the recognition of non-New York gay unions. But they believed, by 55 to 30 percent, that the decision should have been made by the Legislature and not the governor."

More on California's Kern County and its move to end weddings: "The move has prompted prominent opponents of same-sex marriage to travel to Bakersfield in recent days and rally in support of Barnett. It has outraged others, including some local opponents of gay marriage who say her decision also adversely impacts straight couples. Many same-sex couples in Bakersfield who had been planning to marry in the clerk's office starting Tuesday say they are undeterred. Instead of being married inside the clerk's office, they now are planning Tuesday wedding ceremonies conducted by ministers on the shady grounds outside the clerk's downtown office. Heterosexual couples who had weddings scheduled in coming days and weeks were forced to change their appointments to this week." Local news stonewalled...

Happily ever after: What's to come for many same-sex marriages? "It's very easy to get caught up in the moment, in an exciting historical time, and this newfound freedom and opportunity of the revolutionary moment often overrides the personal issues that marriage usually involves."

Dolphins die in mass suicide in England? "Vic Simpson, who has been involved in the postmortem examinations of some of the 26 dolphins that died, said yesterday: "On the face of it, it looks like some sort of mass suicide - but the question is why? 'The dolphins had swallowed and inhaled big chunks of mud from the estuary. Their lungs and stomachs were full of it. That is very bizarre indeed.' Simpson, who founded the Wildlife Veterinary Investigation Centre in Truro and is examining the dolphins on behalf of the Zoological Society of London, added: 'We have seen strandings on beaches, sometimes with five to seven dolphins, but never on a scale like this.'"

HGH: John Mayer playing with the paparazzi again.

New Alzheimer's drugs called "astonishing".

Homophobic judge "forced" to marry British gay couple: "Alabau claims she is a victim of persecution and is being used as a ‘vehicle for propaganda’. But a disciplinary ruling this week means that she will shortly be forced to carry out a marriage ceremony for a British couple in Dénia court, for the first time since the law was passed."

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Lawsuit Filed to Block NY Gov's Directive on Same-Sex Marriage

The Arizona-based Christian group Alliance Defense Fund is backing a group of five New York state lawmakers (Senator Serphin R. Maltese, Senator Martin J. Golden of Brooklyn; Assemblymen Daniel J. Burling of Warsaw and Brian M. Kolb of Geneva, and James N. Tedisco of Schenectady, the Assembly minority leader) in a lawsuit intended to block Governor David Paterson's directive that the state recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere:

"Governor Paterson, they contended, has 'seized the Legislature’s authority, and overridden the will of the people.' A spokeswoman for Mr. Paterson said the governor’s office had not yet received the legal papers and could not comment on the case. A spokesman for the Senate Republicans said on Tuesday that it was unlikely they would do anything as a group to block Mr. Paterson. “It’s obviously something the courts may take a look at. Whether we do something, that’s looking less likely,” the spokesman, John C. McArdle, said. Even though they have a majority in the Senate, the Republicans’ hands are essentially tied because the Democratic-controlled Assembly would not approve a bill that seeks to ban gay marriage."

Said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union: “This is a lawsuit that’s not going anywhere. The governor is doing what a governor should do, which is direct his agencies to comply with the law. He’s not circumventing anything. He’s not doing anything that violates the law."

Once again, David Paterson's press conference on the directive, AFTER THE JUMP...

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News: Universal Fire, Clay Aiken, Uganda, Avenue Q, Greece

Gays disposable: Uganda says it will ignore gays in its HIV/AIDS prevention efforts because homosexuality is illegal. Instead, they'll focus on "other high risk groups such as sex workers, truck drivers, remote fishing communities and members of the armed forces."

A mother always knows...

Libertarian candidate Bob Barr's flip-flop on DOMA.

Utah parents seek criminal penalties against teacher who they say went too far in sex ed class: "The Jordan School District is investigating allegations that a seventh- and eighth-grade health teacher violated the sex education statute by responding to questions from students about topics beyond the core curriculum, including homosexual sex, oral sex and masturbation."

Colorado enacts non-discrimination law: "Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed legislation today prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in housing, public accommodations, credit transactions, juror service, and other areas. The legislation, sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer Veiga and state Rep. Joel Judd, expands existing laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, religion, disability, and other characteristics."

Anna Quindlen on same-sex marriage: love won.

Sex and the City rocks the box office with $55 million haul, sequel in the works. Writer Michael Patrick King signs first look deal wtih DreamWorks.

AfterElton announces its Hot 100.

Fire burns Universal Studios taking King Kong, Back to the Future, 40,000 film reels with it...

The L.A. Times takes a close look at the failed Harvey Milk film: "It will be a bittersweet time for Zadan and Meron. 'We recognize that, at the end of the day, it's business -- people make movies for a living,' says Zadan. "And when you work on a passion project, there's always the chance that you'll get your heart broken. I told Michael London, 'The only way I'll hate you is if you [mess] the movie up. It's Harvey's story and all we want is for someone to tell it well.'"

MTV Movie Awards: one feature-length movie trailer.

Tom Cruise has a housewarming party.

California clerk hopes to be first same-sex marriage: "For 18 years, Stephen Weir has been in charge of the office that hands out marriage licenses in California's ninth-largest county. And for just as long, Weir has been unable to get a license himself because the love of his life is a man...He and his partner, John Hemm, want to be first at the counter that day. They want to be the first to exchange vows and kisses in the conference room Weir converted into a wedding chapel that hosts 1,200 couples a year, but that he could never use."

Avenue Q to have 2000th performance on Broadway.

NYT publishes letters regarding Governor David Paterson's same-sex marriage decision: "When our oldest son, Benjamin, got married, he asked Jacob to be his best man. Then our son Joshua got married and again Jacob was his best man. When our daughter, Britta, married her dear Matthew, she didn’t have a maid of honor. She had a man of honor, and it was her brother Jacob. At each wedding, as Jacob stood by his siblings and signed the papers to make it legal, he did it knowing he did not have the right to marriage himself. As a mom, I find that hard to understand and heartbreaking to know it is true. How can this country treat people in such a way that something as basic as finding love and being married can be denied to a whole segment of society?"

Gays in Greece vow to wed despite threats of prosecution: Said Greece's supreme court attorney George Sanidas: "Neither civil law nor the country's constitution refer to gay marriages. If the Tilos mayor proceeds, he will have committed the criminal act of breach of duty."

Peter LaBarbera of "pro-family" group Americans for Truth made his annual visit to the International Mr. Leather weekend in Chicago. He just can't stay away!

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NY Governor David Paterson and Gay Rights, Explored

The NYT explores how New York governor David Paterson's perspective on gay rights came to be:

"...Mr. Paterson said he believes deeply that gay men and lesbians today face the same kind of civil rights battle that black Americans faced. He acknowledged that this position put him at odds with some black leaders, who bristle at such comparisons. 'In many respects, people in our society, we only recognize our own struggles,' Mr. Paterson said. 'I’ve wanted to be someone in the African-American community who recognizes the new civil rights struggle that is being undertaken by gay and lesbian and transgendered people.'"

However, that perspective seems to have been formed at a very young age:

"Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald, he said, were a gay couple, though in the 1960s few people described them that way. They helped young David with his spelling, and read to him and played cards with him. 'Apparently, my parents never thought we were in any danger,' the governor recalled on Thursday in an interview. 'I was raised in a culture that understood the different ways that people conduct their lives. And I feel very proud of it.' ... 'All the time when I’d hear Uncle Stanley and Uncle Ronald and my parents talk, they were talking about the civil rights struggle,' Mr. Paterson said. 'In those days, I knew I wanted to grow up and feel that I could change something.'"

Exposure, once again, a force. Another example of why coming out and living openly is so important.

Meanwhile, NY state senate majority leader Joe Bruno weighs his options...

I've posted Paterson's press conference on the same-sex directive once again,
AFTER THE JUMP...

How Governor Set His Stance on Gay Rights [nyt]

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #298

DAVID PATERSON: His press conference on his directive to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages.

MARIAH CAREY: Worst. Pitcher. Ever.

GEORGIA GAY MARRIAGE: Moblogic interviews the people of Georgia on their views on same-sex marriage.

NEW MEXICO: New Mexican congressional hopeful Benny Shendo Jr. gay-baits his opponent Ben Ray Luján. More here.

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

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NY Gov Orders Same-Sex Unions Performed Elsewhere Valid

Taking one step further a February court ruling issued by a New York Appellate Court in Rochester that said the state must recognize a same-sex marriage performed in Canada and provide health benefits to a woman's same-sex partner, Governor David Paterson on May 14 issued an order to state agencies that same-sex marriages performed in MA, CA, Canada, or anywhere else they are legal, must be recognized in New York state on equal legal terms as heterosexual marriages.

The NY Times: "The revisions are most likely to involve as many as 1,300 statutes and regulations in New York governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses. In a videotaped message given to gay community leaders at a dinner on May 17, Mr. Paterson described the move as 'a strong step toward marriage equality.' And people on both sides of the issue said it moved the state closer to fully legalizing same-sex unions in this state."

Paterson's move brings New York one step closer to legalizing same-sex marriage itself. A measure put forth by Eliot Spitzer last year that would have done so was passed by the assembly but blocked by the Republican led senate.

In related news, California announced that it will begin marrying same-sex couples in the state on June 17.

Some of you may remember the funny and eloquent speech he gave at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Awards dinner on April 7 on the subject.

I've posted it again, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Governor Paterson Vows to Bring Full Marriage Equality to NY

New York Governor David Paterson delivered a funny and eloquent video message (watch it) to the crowd at last night's National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Leadership Awards dinner since he was being "held hostage" in Albany and couldn't be there in person.

Joked Paterson: "If any of you can hear me, please contact the FBI or Interpol. I'm being held hostage in the dysfunctional Albany. I wanted to come to this dinner tonight. I'm actually tied to this chair and a gun is being pointed at my head. They're trying to get me to reverse my opinions on a number of issues, but I won't do it. If I am shot or killed during this interview, remember that I did the right thing."

Paterson praised outgoing Executive Director Matt Foreman as well as former Governor Eliot Spitzer: "I am proud to have run on a ticket with Eliot Spitzer that became the first ticket in this country to actually advocate for marriage equality for all citizens and to win on that premise."

He added: "Marriage equality in NY may not come just this moment but it is no longer an issue mostly for conviction, it is an issue for courage. People more and more understand that when people love each other they should express it in whatever way they deem necessary and possible. They should have all the rights that the rest of us have. And so, we willl push on and bring full marriage equality to New York State. And when we have done that, we're going to do more. We're going to protect young people from bullies. We're going to protect against the discrimination of people in the transgender community, and we're going to fight for decent and affordable healthcare for all citizens in this state. If you will join with me, and if we work hard enough, we can change the face of New York, which will be the catalyst to changing national policy."

Watch Paterson's clip, AFTER THE JUMP...

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NY Governor Paterson Admits to Affair Hours After Swearing In

Just hours after being sworn in yesterday, both New York Governor David Paterson and his wife Michelle made the wise move of admitting to extramarital affairs before others could reveal their secrets.

"In the course of several interviews in the past few days, Paterson said he maintained a relationship for two or three years with 'a woman other than my wife,' beginning in 1999. As part of that relationship, Paterson said, he and the other woman sometimes stayed at an upper West Side hotel — the Days Inn at Broadway and W. 94th St. He said members of his Albany legislative staff often used the same hotel when they visit the city. 'This was a marriage that appeared to be going sour at one point,' Paterson conceded in his first interview Saturday. 'But I went to counseling and we decided we wanted to make it work. Michelle is well aware of what went on.' In a second interview with Paterson and his wife Monday, only hours after he was sworn in to replace scandal-scarred Eliot Spitzer, Michelle Paterson confirmed her husband's account. 'Like most marriages, you go through certain difficult periods,' Michelle Paterson said. 'What's important is for your kids to see you worked them out.' The First Couple agreed to speak publicly about the difficulties in their marriage in response to a variety of rumors about Paterson's personal life that have been circulating in Albany and among the press corps in recent days."

Ah yes, marriage, that sacred institution. God forbid the gays get it, because it might be disrespected.

Gov. Paterson admits to sex with other woman for years [ny daily news]

AFTER THE JUMP, footage from Paterson's fairly entertaining swearing-in ceremony.

(via shakesville)

related
Report: NY Governor Eliot Spitzer Linked to Prostitution Ring [tr]
Battle of Attention Whores: Matos McGreevey Denies 3-Way Claim [tr]

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Would 'Governor' David Paterson be a Boon for NY LGBT Rights?

Quite possibly. In the wake of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal that went down yesterday, The Advocate looks at how the rise of the state's first legally blind and African American governor, David Paterson, might work in favor of gay rights legislation:

"If Spitzer were to resign, Lt. Gov. David Paterson would assume the responsibilities of governor, which most LGBT activists guessed would be the best-case scenario for gays and lesbians in the state. Paterson, who is legally blind and represented Harlem in the state senate, has typically been ahead of his time on gay issues over the years. 'David Paterson is a terrific, progressive guy -- extremely LGBT-friendly,' said Ethan Geto, a Democratic analyst and LGBT activist. 'He is somebody who would absolutely follow through on the commitment of the senate Democratic conference to pass gay marriage.' Paterson has been on record in support of marriage equality as early as 1994. When Paterson was asked if he would take part in pushing through the marriage bill following his inauguration in January 2007, he told the New York Blade, 'I’m not going to be in that fight -- I’m going to be in front of that fight because my first day as [senate minority leader] was the day we passed the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act. One of the reasons we need same-sex marriage is because the statistics for heterosexual marriage are so bad; that might be a way to upgrade some of the success rates.' As far back as 1987, Paterson refused to pass a state hate-crimes bill that didn’t provide protections for gays and lesbians. 'He was willing to let everything go down rather than to exclude us,' Sherrill recalled."

In related news, it's looking more and more likely that a resignation from Spitzer is in the works. WCBS: "Eliot Spitzer is not expected to continue as governor of New York and may resign in the coming days, sources told CBS 2 HD on Monday shortly after it was reported that he was linked to a prostitution ring. State Assemblyman James Tedisco (R-Schenectady) told CBS 2 HD that he spoke with Lt. Governor Paterson Monday evening and that the two discussed Paterson taking on a new role of leadership, leading Tedisco to believe that action was 'forthcoming.'"

Could Spitzer's Woes Have a Silver Lining? [the advocate]

Previously
Report: NY Governor Eliot Spitzer Linked to Prostitution Ring [tr]

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