Diane Vera

Will Espada bring the marriage equality bill to a vote in the NY State Senate?

2009-06-09T16:42:00Z

We shouldn't jump to conclusions as to what the recent power play in the NY State Senate means for same-sex marriage, according to James Withers of 365Gay.com, in What will happen now to marriage in New York?, June 9, 2009. He points out that, contrary to the conclusions some gay bloggers have jumpet to, Pedro Espada Jr. (State Senator from the Bronx) has not only promised to vote "Yes" on marriage equality but is one of the co-sponsors of the marriage equality bill, according to page 2 of the New York Times story G.O.P. Regains Control of New York State Senate by Danny Hakim and Jeremy W. Peters, June 8, 2009.

Even better news: New Senate President Wants Vote on Same-Sex Marriage by Danny Hakim, New York Times City Room Blog, June 9, 2009

Some recent blog posts, on otherwise worthwhile gay blogs, that jumped to wrong conclusions:

Same-sex Marriage Might Be DOA in New York by David Hart, Tips-Q, Monday, June 8, 2009. Hart is one of the bloggers who jumped to the conclusion that the two turncoat Democtats both oppose same-sex marriage. But Tips-Q has lots of interesting blog posts, including quite a few about various religious right wing leaders.

How Today's Circus in the New York Senate Affects Gay Marriage, Queerty, June 8, 2009. Doesn't say that Espada is an opponent of same-sex marriage, but does say, "If Republicans do take control over the Senate, they will certainly not allow a bill to reach the floor for a full vote. Which means even if Sen. Thomas Duane had locked up the 32 votes necessary to pass the bill, it's now dead in the water." Anyhow, Queerty has an interesting collection of stories about Ruben Diaz, the main NY state senator opposed to the marriage equality bill.

Latest news on same-sex marriage

2009-06-09T00:26:50Z

Will the marriage equality bill pass the NY State Senate? That's still very iffy. Meanwhile, the NY State Senate is in a procedural uproar, according to a news story today, State Senate GOP Seizes Control In Political Coup, NY1, June 8, 2009.

Below are more news stories. As usual, I've bolded some who/what/when/where details about the religious right wing that I want to research further.

First, here are some recent news stories about the New York marriage equality bill:

Smith: Not Enough Votes For Same-Sex Marriage Bill, NY1 News, June 5, 2009. Says:

New York State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is insisting he will not bring a bill legalizing same-sex unions to a vote unless he has the support to pass it.

NY1's tally on the proposed gay marriage bill currently stands at 20 lawmakers for the legislation, 28 against, 10 who are undecided, and four who will not say.

NY1's complete tally is here: NY1 Exclusive: Survey Of State Senators Shows Gay Marriage Bill In Jeopardy, NY1 News, June 5, 2009. The actual complete tally has 29 against and 9 undecided, rather than only 28 against and 10 undecided.

N.Y. takes center stage on gay marriage: Senate has until June 22 to take up bill by Valerie Richardson, Washington Times, Friday, June 5, 2009. Includes the following:

Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, the brother of openly gay comedian Rosie O'Donnell, sponsored the bill in New York's Democrat-controlled lower house, where it won easily May 12 by a vote of 89-52. A similar bill was passed by the Assembly in 2007.

The holdup for gay-marriage advocates has long been the Senate. Supporters were hopeful that such a bill would be successful in 2009 after Democrats upended the Republican Senate majority in November, but so far that hasn't been the case.

The biggest obstacle to winning passage may be state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a Democrat who has spearheaded the fight against same-sex marriage. Mr. Diaz has said there are six Democrat state senators who oppose the bill, which would leave the bill's advocates well short of a majority.

An evangelical pastor, Mr. Diaz helped lead a raucous May 17 protest outside the office of Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson, a strong supporter of the gay marriage bill. Mr. Paterson,who proposed the bill and has lobbied hard in favor of it, has called on the Senate leadership to bring the bill to the floor for a vote whether or not it has the support to pass.

A week after the rally, Mr. Diaz pointed to a Siena poll showing a drop in support among New Yorkers for same-sex marriage, with those in favor and those against now locked in a tie at 46 percent each.

"Before that demonstration, it was 53 percent in favor of gay marriage," Mr. Diaz told Talk 1300 AM radio.

Diaz claims his rally is what changed the poll numbers. A more likely cause would be the TV ad sponsored by the so-called "National Organization for Marriage," as mentioned in previous posts, plus maybe talk radio appearances by religious right wingers like Diaz. The Washington Times article goes on to say:

Evan Wolfson, executive director of Freedom to Marry, said backers of same-sex marriage are turning up the heat on their state senators through letters, e-mails and phone calls.

Wolfson is also quoted as follows:

"Almost every state New York touches has moved ahead of New York in protecting families and approving marriage equality," he said. "I'm very hopeful that if we do our work, tell our stories, the Senate will do the right thing."

Paterson: Treat Gay Marriage Like SONDA by Elizabeth Benjamin, Daily News, June 4, 2009. Paterson urges Malcolm Smith to go ahead and bring the bill to the floor for a vote, without waiting to be assured of enough votes.

New Yorkers respond to Prop. 8 ruling with their feet by Duncan Osborne, Chelsea Now, June 4-17, 2009. About a rally, in Manhattan, against the recent California Supreme Court decision upholing Proposition 8 and in favor of marriage equality in New York.

NY to be Niagara Falls of same-sex weddings? Pol thinks so by Frank Lombardi and Kenny Porpora, New York Daily News, Monday, June 8th 2009. (The "pol" is City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.)

Sen. David Valesky reconsidering his stance on same-sex marriage by Delen Goldberg, The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY, Sunday June 07, 2009. He was formerly opposed, now undecided.

Nice day for a gay wedding by iriam Kreinin Souccar, Crain's New York Business, June 7, 2009. Includes the following paragraph about the religious right wing opponents:

Only recently have anti-gay marriage groups, such as the National Organization for Marriage, turned their focus to New York. The conservative Christian group, which fought against legalizing same-sex marriage in the Northeast and California, began running 30-second television and radio spots late last month in New York City and Albany. The organization is reportedly spending $100,000 on its media campaign.

City Marriage Bureau Preparing For Same-Sex Marriages, NY1 News, June 8, 2009.

And here are some news stories about the recent same-sex marriage victory in New Hampshire:

New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage by Abby Goodnough, New York Times, June 3, 2009. Says:

The bill had been through several permutations to satisfy Mr. Lynch and certain legislators that it would not force religious organizations that oppose same-sex marriage to participate in ceremonies celebrating it. Some groups had feared they could be sued for refusing to allow same-sex weddings on their property.

...

As more states have legalized same-sex marriage, opponents have increasingly lobbied for “conscience protections,” language that exempts religious organizations from having to participate.

But many of the bill’s opponents believe the language adopted by New Hampshire and several other states does not go far enough because it protects only religious groups and their employees. New Hampshire’s bill does not exempt photographers or florists, for example, from having to provide services.

But groups that advocate for gay rights, some of whom poured money into the state in recent months, said the law was yet another step toward mainstream America accepting same-sex marriage. “As people get to know the loving and committed couples at the heart of marriage equality,” said Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, “our culture is moving to equality.”

Kevin Smith, director of the Cornerstone Policy Research, a group opposing the bill, said lawmakers “rammed this legislation through” in a way that “reeks of backroom deals and a subversion of the legislative process.”

A sidebar contains a link to New Hampshire's same-sex marriage law itself on FindLaw.

New Hampshire Legalizes Same Sex Marriage, Ms., June 4, 2009. Briefly discusses the compromise wording that New Hampshire Governor John Lynch insisted on, then concludes by saying:

New Hampshire became the seventh state to legalize civil unions in 2007 and is the sixth state to legalize same sex marriage in the United States after Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and Maine. Similar legislation is currently under consideration in New York.

Here are some news stories about the Gay Pride parade here in Queens yesterday:

Participants hope Gay Pride parade will prompt anti-same-sex marriage politicians to reconsider by Clare Trapasso. New York Daily News, Friday, June 5th 2009

Thousands Turn Out for Queens Gay Pride Parade by Ellen Marski, WPIX, June 7, 2009.

Fight For Gay Marriage Moves To Queens by NY1 News, June 8, 2009.

And here is some other related stuff I found via Google news:

Revisiting 1969 and the Start of Gay Liberation by Sewell Chan, New York Times City Room blog, June 8, 2009 - about the exhibition at the New York Public Library

And now for some comic relief, a satirical opinion piece by Francesca Biller-Safran: Same-Sex Marriage Protestors Announce Jealousy of Gay Weddings, Huffington Post, June 4, 2009.

The religious right wing flexes its muscles in the NY State Senate

2009-06-04T18:04:31Z

Looks like the religious right wing has succeeded in stalling the same-sex marriage bill in the NY State Senate.

Below are some news stories from June 1. (I've bolded some who/what/when/where details that I should research further later.)

Marriage question is subject of vigil: Group prays for Senate to defeat same-sex bill by Jake May, Buffalo News, June 1, 2009. Says:

The New York legislation, which is supported by Gov. David A. Paterson, once seemed well on its way to approval, but opposition has been growing.

A poll released last week by the Siena Research Institute</b> found New Yorkers evenly divided on the issue, with 46 percent in favor and 46 percent against. A month earlier, the poll showed 53 percent in favor, compared with 29 percent against.

...

The New York legislation, which is supported by Gov. David A. Paterson, once seemed well on its way to approval, but opposition has been growing.

A poll released last week by the Siena Research Institute found New Yorkers evenly divided on the issue, with 46 percent in favor and 46 percent against. A month earlier, the poll showed 53 percent in favor, compared with 29 percent against.

A place where all things are possible? by Andrew Hedlund, ASU Web Devil, Monday, June 1, 2009. Says:

A conservative Arizona-based lobbyist group, the Alliance Defense Fund, is currently slowing the same-sex marriage movement. It is currently active in New York as an outside force halting the progressive nature of society.

Same sex marriage vote nowhere in sight, News Channel 9, WSYR-TV, Albany, NY, June 1, 2009. Says:

However, before the bill is put to a vote, it must first must make it past a committee, and right now, it's not even on the agenda for this senate session in the state legislature. The senate's majority leader Malcolm Smith has said he won’t bring the bill to the floor until it has at least 32 votes needed for passage.

Regardless, the staffers at the offices of representatives in Central New York say they've been getting a lot of calls from people on both sides of the issue.

Dick Cheney supports gay marriage according to an Associated Press article, June 1, 2009. In that same news story, however, Cheney continues to try to justify the torture of prisoners at Guantanamo. See also Cheney: Same-sex marriage is OK, Seattle Post Intelligencer, June 1, 2009.

And now for some more recent news stories on same-sex marriage, mentioning various religious right wing groups. Some stories from yesterday, June 3:

Quotes from New Hampshire's gay marriage debate by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, June 3, 2009. In favor of New Hampshire's same-sex marriage bill - which passed successfully - there's a quote from "the Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, the church's only openly gay bishop." Against it, there are quotes from Kevin Smith, executive director of gay marriage opponent Cornerstone Policy Research, and Fenton Groen of Rochester

"To the polling booth." -- Gay marriage opponent Fenton Groen of Rochester, when asked what his next step would be after approval of the gay marriage bill.

In other words, a referendum like California's infamous Proposition 8 (2008).

Editorial: Vote on Gay Marriage, New York Times, June 3, 2009. Begins with the following concise summary of the current status of same-sex marriage here in New York State:

Six states have now made it legal for same-sex couples to marry. New York is not one of them. Gov. David Paterson wants the state to guarantee that right, and the protections that come with it, and the Assembly approved legislation legalizing same-sex marriage last month. Malcolm Smith, the leader of the State Senate, insists that he, too, favors marriage for gay couples, but he won’t let a bill go to the floor unless he’s privately lined up enough votes.

Foe of gay marriage bill challenges supporters, New York Newsday, June 3, 2009. About State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a conservative Democratic State Senator who opposes same-sex marriage.

NY Senate debate over gay marriage gets nasty

Newsday

Ruben Diaz

But Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith says he still doesn't have enough votes for the bill to pass.

This week, Sen. Thomas Duane, an openly gay lawmaker sponsoring the bill, said he has enough votes now to pass it. He wouldn't identify the supporters.

2,500 Rally For Same-Sex Marriage, Queens Gazette, June 3, 2009.

The group Western Queens for Marriage Equality co-sponsored a rally attended by close to 2,500 supporters on Sunday evening, May 31 in Athens Square Park in Astoria. Jeremiah Frei-Pearson, one of the group’s leaders, and Ron Zacchi, its executive director, conducted the proceedings, which urged state Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith to bring Governor David Paterson’s Marriage Equality bill to a vote before the state senate session ends on June 22, and pushing for both Smith and state Senator George Onorato to vote yes. All of the speakers present gave strong reasons in favor of the bill. Father Louis Braxton of Carmen’s Place, a shelter for LBGT youth, reported that he and a group of older people met with Onorato and pleaded with him on behalf of the youth, stating that the young people Braxton works with deserve to get married and have families some day.

...

The rally was sponsored by a coalition of groups including Western Queens for Marriage Equality, Marriage Equality New York, Democracy for New York City, the New York Civil Liberties Union, Long Island City Alliance, New York State Young Democrats, Queens County Young Democrats, NewYorkEquality.com, West Queens Greens, the Jewish Alliance for Change, IntegrityNYC, Broadway Impact, Civil Rights Front, The Power, Civil Marriage Trail Project, OUT Astoria, Astorians United Against Hate Crimes and Astorians United for Peace and Justice.

Actress Cynthia Nixon is lobbying New York lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage and says she hopes to marry her partner in New York next year if the law is enacted, according to the news story Actress Nixon pushes same-sex marriage in NY, Associated Press, via Google News, June 3, 2009.

And now for some news stories from today, June 4:

Same-Sex Marriage In NY State: The NH Solution? by Evan Dawson, 13 WHAM, Rochester, NY, no date (June 4?). Suggests adding a religious exemption to the bill, specifically allowing clergy to refuse to perform ceremonies contrary to their faith. (I don't think clergy could be forced to perform such ceremonies anyway, but perhaps such an explicit clause is necessary to take the wind out of the sails of religious right wingers' claims that their own "religious freedom" is threatened.) Contains links to (1) Is Gay Marriage Coming or Going in NY State? by Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right, June 3, 2009, about a poll of NY State's 62 state senators by NY1, and (2) The New Hampshire Formula by Andrew Sullivan, June 3, 2009, on the website of The Atlantic.

New York Bishops Issue Statement Against Same-Sex Marriage, on the website Catholic Culture: Living the Catholic Life, June 4, 2004. Contains a link to the statement itself, Statement of the Catholic Bishops of New York State on Marriage, dated June 1, 2009, on the website of the New York State Catholic Conference. This statement is also said to have been issued "today" in a news story dated June 3, New York Catholic Bishops issue statement on same-sex marriage, News 10 WHEN, Albany, NY. The latter story begins as follows:

In New York, the issue of same-sex marriage seems to be "dead in the water" for the time being, but the State's Roman Catholic bishops are not taking any chances.

The eight bishops, including Howard Hubbard of the Albany Diocese, called on Catholics and all New Yorkers Wednesday to contact their State Senators, urging them to oppose the legalization bill that already passed the Assembly.

Christian Minister Fights for Gay Marriage Berkeley Daily Planet, June 04, 2009. About the Rev. Mark Wilson, an openly gay African-American evangelical. Includes the following:

Initially, the black church was blamed for the passage of Prop. 8 by many on the left. Exit polls suggested that many of the same African-American voters who turned out to support Barack Obama also tipped the balance on Prop. 8.

But a study conducted by Patrick Egan of New York University and Kenneth Sherrill of Hunter College revealed that the “Yes on Proposition 8” vote in California had less to do with race and was much more about religion. When Egan and Sherrill sliced up the pie, they discovered that roughly 70 percent of Californians who attend religious worship on a weekly basis supported Prop. 8, regardless of their race. And since African-Americans attend religious services on a more frequent basis than the average Californian, it is only to be expected that a majority of voters in the African-American community supported Prop. 8.

Kenneth P. Miller, associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California, recently published an article, “The Democratic Coalition’s Religious Divide: Why California Voters Supported Obama but Not Same-Sex Marriage,” that describes the electoral politics that drove the vote on Prop. 8. Miller said same-sex marriage proponents will need to make inroads with the Christian community in California if they are to produce a different outcome in 2010 or 2012.

“They need to persuade those Christian voters that extending marriage rights to the gay community is consistent with their religious beliefs, not undermining them,” he said. “There are a lot of strong Christian arguments for and against gay marriage.”

Rev. Wilson has spent a lifetime in this polarized Christian debate on homosexuality. From as far back as Wilson can remember, he’s known two things about himself: he has a natural gift for preaching the gospel, and he is gay.

Well, it will be interesting to see whether any significant change on this issue develops amongst otherwise conservative evangelicals. So far, as a general rule, those Christian churches that favor gay rights tend to be of the more liberal sort which don't believe in a Devil.

Some detailed info about our enemies

2009-06-01T12:03:02Z

On Friday I found a bunch of recent news stories about the same-sex marriage issue. One of the stories inspired me to write this NYARBB blog post, which I may also use as the beginning of a NYARBB pamphlet to be distributed at the Queens Gay Pride march.

Below are the recent news stories. (I've bolded who/what/when/where details that I want to research further.)

Same-sex marriage debate heats up in New York by John King, CNN, Fri May 22, 2009 - links to a collection of news stories involving the so-called National Organization for Marriage, said to be headed by Maggie Gallagher. All these stories, so far, are about Carrie Prejean (Miss California USA), whom the NOM has adopted as a spokesperson.

Ad Campaign Slams Same-Sex Marriage in NY, WNYC, May 28, 2009 - just describes the ad, after describing the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) as "the conservative Christian group that helped push through Proposition 8, the bill that defeated same-sex marriage in California."

Another story from CNN, Group targets New York same-sex marriage bill in new ads by Martina Stewart, May 28, 2009 - contains a detailed description of the ad and then says, "The ads are being supported by a $100,000 ad buy in Long Island and the Albany-Schenectady area, according the National Organization for Marriage."

Battle over same sex marriage continues by Erin Billups, Capital News 9, May 29, 2009 - briefly mentions the National Organization and then has more to say about "another group, the Coalition to Save Marriage in New York," which "says all of its 14 member organizations have beefed up their opposition as well." This story contains several quotes from Stephen Hayford, identified as the co-founder of the Coalition to Save Marriage in New York. These groups have been quite active, apparently: "Last week, Republican Senator Jim Alesi, identified as one lawmaker who may be on the fence regarding the issue, said his office was getting close to 100 calls a day from gay marriage opponents. North Country Republican Betty Little says she's getting the calls, too, more with each passing week and now as many 50 a day." The story concludes by saying, "There will be a rally at the Capitol June 9th, organized by groups opposed to same sex marriage, the first of kind in Albany this year."

Group Begins Ad Blitz Against Same-Sex Marriage by Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, May 27, 2009 - about a TV ad campaign by the National Organization for Marriage (identified as a conservative Christian group) in the New York City and Albany markets. "The National Organization for Marriage said its initial ad spending, which includes the television commercial and a radio spot, was just over $100,000." The article also contains some quotes from founder Maggie Gallagher.

’Gathering Storm’ Group Releases New Anti-Gay Ad in NY by Kilian Melloy, EDGE (Boston, MA), Friday May 29, 2009 - mentions that the so-called National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is "a New Jersey-based group." The EDGE site also says, "The NOM site’s text solicits contributions and encourages New York residents to contact their state Senators at (518) 455-2800 about the issue." Of course, people on our side should do the same.

Here is a collection of quotes by Maggie Gallagher. From it, I found a bunch of earlier news stories.

Hare are some of those earlier stories:

N.J. group makes waves in Calif. gay marriage debate: National Organization for Marriage leads in ban attempt, Washington Blade, Jul 25 2008 -- an older article about the NOM, which led the campaign for California's state constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage. This article mentions that NOM was founded by "Maggie Gallagher, a syndicated columnist," and "Robert George, a Princeton University professor." This article also mentions "Len Deo, the president of the Family Policy Council of New Jersey." About fundraising, this article says:

NOM, a taxable political advocacy group that can raise money without contribution limits, has quickly built up some fundraising muscle. It started a California chapter in January. By March, the group had raised just over $775,000, according to campaign finance filings. Only the California umbrella group ProtectMarriage.com has raised more for the cause. While NOM's biggest chunk in California -- $250,000 -- came from the Knights of Columbus, the group has also raised smaller amounts from individuals. The group says it has now raised over $1 million in California and more than $2 million overall."

Calif. win emboldens coalition of religious groups by Lisa Leff, Associated Press (via Fox News), Friday, November 07, 2008 - about NOM's win in California:

Leaders of the successful Proposition 8 campaign say an unusual coalition of evangelical Christians, Mormons and Roman Catholics built a majority at the polls Tuesday by harnessing the organizational muscle of churches to a mainstream message about what school children might be taught about gay relationships if the ban failed.
...
Gallagher said anti-gay marriage groups plan to focus next on New Jersey and New York, where the state legislatures are being lobbied to pass laws legalizing same-sex marriage.

The plan is to mobilize the same religious factions that joined forces in California to deter lawmakers from "taking on this divisive social issue while we are in the middle of a huge financial crisis," Gallagher said.

Campaign operatives attribute their success to the churches, which served as voter registration centers, phone banks and volunteer recruitment hubs.

Religious institutions also gave Proposition 8's sponsors an avenue to a range of ethnic voters, including many Democrats, said Mat Staver, who heads the Florida-based Christian legal group Liberty Counsel.

Catholic and evangelical Hispanics and African-American Baptists stood alongside conservative white evangelicals in arguing for traditional marriage. Exit polls showed 70 percent of blacks supported the ban, a far higher percentage than any other race.

"This is an issue that ... transcends political ideology, religious affiliations, races and time and history," said Staver. "It brings people together who ordinarily wouldn't be sitting at the same table together."

The article also points to overconfidence and apathy, on the part of gay rights supporters, as another key factor, quoting some gay rights activists to that effect.

Update on same-sex marriage in New York State

2009-05-28T04:51:48Z

Here in New York State, a marriage equality bill has been passed overwhelmingly in the State Assembly, but we're now waiting for the State Senate, where it will be a tighter race.

According to the New York Daily News (GAYS RAGE VS. POL: State sen.'s same-sex marriage stance opposite of nabe's: group by Brendan Brosh, Tuesday, May 26th 2009), one of the opponents is State Sen. George Onorato, a Democrat representing western Queens. According to this news story, marriage equality advocates "say the lawmaker is out of touch with his district, home to one of the city's largest gay and lesbian communities." But his Chief of Staff Janet Kash is quoted as saying, "We're getting a lot of calls, e-mails and letters from both sides."

The Daily News story also says:

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) has said he won't call for a vote in the Senate until enough support is lined up to pass it. Of the seven senators from Queens, Onorato, Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) have stated their opposition to the bill.

The Daily News story mentions that there will be a pro-marriage-equality rally in Astoria on Sunday. I found no further information about the rally via Google News.

Another recent news story (Support Grows For Same-Sex Marriage by Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, May 27, 2009) discusses various poll results showing that support for same-sex marriage has grown amongst the general population.

Same-sex marriage rallies, for and against

2009-05-19T04:59:38Z

On Sunday, May 17, there were rallies in Manhattan on both sides of the same-sex marriage issue.

Here are news stories about the rallies:

In Midtown, Opposing Rallies on Same-Sex Marriage by Sewell Chan, New York Times City Room Blog, May 18, 2009

Opposing Rallies Over Issue of Same-Sex Marriage by Jeremy W. Peters and Mathew R. Warren, New York Times, May 17, 2009

Gay marriage battle draws huge rallies for and against; Mayor Bloomberg senses 'history' in making by Erica Pearson and Bill Hutchinson, New York Daily News, Monday, May 18th 2009

Dueling Rallies Over Same-Sex Marriage by Arun Venugopal, WNYC

Rallies battle over same-sex marriage, Philadelphia Metro - May 17, 2009 (includes some specific info about the opponents)

Gay-Nuptual Rallies Clash by Perry Chiaramonte and Sally Goldenberg, New York Post, May 18, 2009 (includes some specific info about the opponents)

Rabbi rage at anti-gay marriage rally, Polit Bureau, May 18, 2009

Anti-gay protestors treat Sen. Ruben Diaz like a god [video], GaySocialites, May 18, 2009

'Ugly Betty' star Ana Ortiz takes on NY state Sen. Ruben Diaz [video], GaySocialites.com, May 18, 2009

Guv, Mayor Headline Marriage Equality Rally by Paul Schindler, Gay City News, May 18, 2009

Major Rallies For and Against Marriage Equality Ring Out in New York - Towleroad, May 18, 2009

Critics, Proponents Of Gay Marriage Hold Competing Protests In New York, AHN, May 19, 2009 (includes details about anti-gay rally, e.g. that it was organized by Radio Vision Cristiana International)

Thousands of NY Christians Protest Gay Marriage by Jennifer Riley, Christian Post, May 18, 2009

Marriage Rallies Take Manhattan by Judy Bolcer, The Advocate, May 18, 2009

What's noteworthy here is the leading role of Hispanic Pentecostals. In years past, here in New York City, our local religious right wing consisted primarily of the Catholic hierarchy plus ultra-Orthodox Jews. Pentecostals and other Protestant evangelicals did not play a major political role around here, as far as I could tell. That seems to be changing.

An even more ominous new (as far as I am aware) development is the direct involvement of a Democratic politician, State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr. in organizing an anti-gay rally. Politicians, even Republican ones, don't usually take a direct leadership role in activist organizing for or against specific political causes. Usually they'll only lend their name to a cause that's already well-organized and popular among their constituents. Evidently there must be lots of well-organized homophobia in Rubén Díaz's neck of the woods.

P.S., May 19, 2009: Religious right wing in Nassau County

In the following new story:

NY Assembly to support gay marriage; protest looms by Michael Gormley, Associated Press, New York Newsday, May 11, 2009.

State Senator Kemp Hannon, a Nassau County Republican, is quoted as saying, "The surprising thing is the amount of concern in my district -- it's been considerable." Evidently there has been quite a bit of religious right wing activity in Nassau County. The Newsday story adds, "He said he's not hearing arguments against gays as much as he's hearing support for the 'traditional definition of marriage.'" Yeah, the standard religious right wing line these days.

It would be interesting to find out what political activist organizations and what religious bodies are behind this in Nassau County.

NY State same-sex marriage bill passes Assembly; now it's up to the State Senate

2009-05-13T07:40:10Z

Yay! It passed the Assembly. Now it's the State Senate's turn. And that is still quite iffy, even though Democrats are now a majority.

Assembly OKs same-sex marriage bill by larger margin by James T. Madore, New York Newsday, May 12, 2009

New York moves closer to same-sex marriage - CNN

State Assembly says okay to gay marriage; fate rests with Senate by Glenn Blain, New York Daily News, Tuesday, May 12th 2009

And, on a related note: Five states where same-sex marriage is legal, New York Newsday, May 12, 2009.

New York State same-sex marriage bill -- how to support it

2009-05-12T15:48:49Z

The New York State same-sex marriage bill is A07732 in the State Assembly and S4401 in the State Senate. You can look up your State Assembly member here and your State Senator here. Please call your Assembly member TODAY if you have not done so already -- the bill is getting voted on today.

For more about the bill and what's happening with it, see:

Queers United: New York Assembly to Vote on Marriage Equality Tomorrow! (That's TODAY! -- Call your Assembly Member ASAP!), Monday, May 11, 2009

Coming out on top: Marriage Equality Estimates and Predictions, Friday, May 1, 2009

New York Daily News blogs: Gay Marriage Bill On The Move In Assembly by Elizabeth Benjamin, April 24, 2009

Tips-Q: Marriage Momentum in the Empire State, April 23, 2009

National Association of Social Workers - New York State Chapter - Act Now to Support Same-sex Marriage!

As for rallies here in New York City, I'll post info on the message board of NYARBB's Meetup site, as I come across it. The next rally I know of is on May 17. (Alas, I won't be able to attend.)

Who opposes same-sex marriage here in New York?

2009-05-11T20:07:05Z

Last month, New Governor David Paterson announced he would introduce a bill in the state legislature to legalize same-sex marriage here in New York State. Some relevant news stories:

New York governor to push same-sex marriage bill by Laurie Segall, CNN, Thu April 16, 2009

Paterson Unveils Same-Sex Marriage Bill by Jeremy W. Peters AND Sewell Chan, New York Times City Room blog post, April 16, 2009

NY governor introduces bill to allow same-sex marriage by Michael Virtanen, Associated Press, Gay & Lesbian Times (San Diego, CA), Thursday, 23-Apr-2009

The latter article mentions two of the main opponents of same-sex marriage: (1) State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., who is also pastor of the (Pentecostal) Christian Community Neighborhood Church in the Bronx, and (2) the new Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

More about Rubén Díaz can be found in the New York Times City Room blog post Bronx Senator Organizing Protest of Marriage Bill by Mathew R. Warren, April 16, 2009. This blog post mentions an organization called the New York Hispanic Clergy Association, which held a meeting at Díaz's church in opposition to {Paterson's proposed same-sex marriage legislation. According to Warren, "Mr. Díaz told those in attendance that they were starting to plan a large rally to be held some time in May."

Warren also names and quotes two other opponents of same-sex marriage who attended the meeting: the Rev. Michael Lopez, of the Love, Power and Grace Church in the Bronx, and (2) Miguel Perdomo, who lives (or works?) in Throgs Neck and is a member of the Second Star of Jacob Church in the Bronx.

Also in mid-April, the new Catholic Archbishop Timothy Dolan held a news conference in which, "Asked about Gov. David A. Paterson’s plan to introduce a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in New York, he said the church’s position on the issue was clear, but he declined to specify whether or how actively he would lobby the governor and state lawmakers on the issue," according to another New York Times City Room blog post, Archbishop Dolan’s First News Conference by Sewell Chan, April 15, 2009. Dolan explained that he is too new on the job to know, yet, exactly what he is going to do.

Another likely opponent might be the local Mormon churches, though I haven't yet seen any news as to exactly what they are doing. I did come across a New York Times City Room blog post from back in November, At Mormon Temple, a Protest Over Prop 8 by Colin Moynihan, November 13, 2008, about a protest by gay rights activists against the Mormon church's support of Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. According to Moynihan, "Thousands of protesters marched to Columbus Circle from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple at 125 Columbus Avenue on Wednesday evening."

Paterson's proposed legislation is opposed by most Christian clergy in the southern part of upstate New York, according to the Gannett article Christian clergy mostly oppose same-sex marriage by William Moyer, pressconnects.com, Greater Binghamton, New York, May 9, 2009. This article mentions that "the region's largest Protestant denomination - the United Methodist Church - strictly forbids pastors from participating in same-sex ceremonies, according to policy set by a quadrennial national conference." The United Methodist Church is, generally speaking, a middle-of-the-road Protestant denomination.

Looking for more information about the protest organized by Rubén Díaz, I found NY clergy to protest gay marriage proposal, Associated Press, via Fox44 News, May 11, 2009, which says:

NEW YORK (AP) - A group of Hispanic religious leaders is planning to hold an anti-gay marriage rally outside of Gov. David Paterson's Manhattan office.

The group announced on Monday that it will hold the demonstration on Sunday.

The gay marriage opponents include state Sen. Ruben Diaz of the Bronx. Diaz also is a minister.

The protest is being organized by Vision Cristiana Internacional and the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization.

Also I found Gay Marriage rally in the works Sunday after NY AIDS walk, on GaySocialites.com, May 8, 2009:

I heard that several gay groups are scurring to organize a huge pro-gay marriage rally in Times Square on Sunday immediately following the AIDS Walk in New York.

Insiders tell me that this in response to a massive group of homophobes who plan to protest outside Governor David Paterson's Manhattan offices. The haters, led by Senator Ruben Diaz, are pissed that Paterson introduced a bill that would bring marriage equality to New York.

Unfortunately, no details are provided here as to which groups are involved in organizing the pro-gay marriage rally.

According to the Legislative Gazette article Same-sex marriage opponent, Sen. Diaz, says he will ask gov. not to seek re-election by Katrina Kieltyka, Monday Apr 20, Diaz said that he and more than 100 ministers are “in the process in the next few weeks to organize a demonstration of the Hispanic community to ask Gov. Paterson not to be a candidate for governor.”

State Senator Rubén Díaz has a son, Rubén Díaz, Jr., who is the newly elected borough president of the Bronx. Díaz Jr. has "an out gay chief of staff, Paul Del Duca, long active with the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York and his chief of staff as a member of the State Assembly as well," according to Out Gay Chief for Diaz by Andy Humm, Gay City News, April 30, 2009. Humm also says, "Diaz, Jr. had a mixed record in the Legislature on LGBT issues, voting against the marriage equality bill, but supporting the anti-bullying bill, transgender rights legislation, and most of the other items advocated by the Empire State Pride Agenda, the state's LGBT lobby." For more about Díaz Jr., see Díaz Unites Bronx Democrats in Race for Borough President by David M. Halbfinger, New York Times, April 20, 2009.

About the same-sex marriage issue in general, there's a very informative page titled Same-Sex Marriage, Civil Unions, and Domestic Partnerships on the New York Times site, containing links to many articles on this topic, including not only New York Times articles but also the "Same-Sex Marriage Navigator," a "list of resources from around the Web about same-sex marriage as selected by researchers and editors of The New York Times." One article not listed there is the New York Times City Room blog post, On a Matter of Marriage in New York by Sewell Chan, May 8, 2009, discussing the history of some relevant legal issues.