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Gay Marriage
ESPA Heartened By Prop 8 Reversal
Feb 7th - 1:40 pm
Gay marriage advocates are celebrating a landmark ruling today by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California striking down the Prop 8 ban of same-sex marriage in California. The court found the ballot referendum unconstitutional, saying it violated the rights of gay individuals.
It’s unclear what opponents of same-sex marriage are going to do, but it is likely they will appeal to the entire 9th Circuit or bring the case to the US Supreme Court.
Back in New York, Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Ross Levi applauded the ruling and used it as a rallying cry to continue the fight to protect the legislative gains the gay, lesbian and transgender community has made – as well as the lawmakers that supported their agenda.
“In New York State, more than a decade of work resulted in our marriage win, and we have seen only positive effects from loving same-sex couples being able to marry – from the income generated by their weddings to the legal protections afforded to these families to the outpouring of joy as New Yorkers have seen their friends, family and neighbors publicly declare their love and commitment to each other,” Levi said in a statement.
“We must be vigilant in defending our victory here in the Empire State. All of the New York State legislators – Democrats and Republicans, Senators and Assemblymembers — who voted for marriage are up for election this November. As a community, we must flex our political muscle in standing by those who stood by us.”
Senate GOP Benefitting From Gay Marriage
Jan 18th - 2:53 pm
It’s been widely reported since the financial filings came out that the four Republican Senators who supported Marriage Equality – Grisanti, McDonald, Alesi, and Saland – have received a large amount of money from the gay community. Some have also supported Senator Skelos and the Senate Republicans, though not nearly as much as they four individual Senators.
Which makes it interesting to note that Grisanti, McDonald, Alesi, and Saland all transferred $24,000 or more to the Senate Republican Campaign Committee. Here’s the link (scroll to the end).
(I should note that the Senate GOP actually moved $25k to Alesi’s campaign in July, before he moved it back to the Senate GOP in December. So that is more of a wash.)
You will note that a lot of Senate Republicans transferred money to the larger account – which makes sense because they all benefit from retaining control of the Senate. But most campaigns only moved a few thousand dollars, outside of Sen. Golden who transferred more than $10k.
A skeptic might say that the gay community that donated so heavily towards the four yes votes might note have intended for that money to go to the Republican conference that primarily voted against the bill, (and reports are that a majority of the conference didn’t want the bill to go to the floor, though some people have disputed this.)
NOM Launches ‘Money Dance’ Web Ad (Updated)
Oct 14th - 12:48 pm
One day after a fundraiser was held for the four Republican Senators who voted yes on same-sex marriage, the National Organization for Marriage launched a web ad attacking the quartet.
Last night, Senators Grisanti, Alesi, McDonald and Saland raised a combined $900,000 at a fundraiser set up by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. The ad, called “Money Dance” suggests that the four Senators voted for the bill in order to get their campaign coffers lined by Manhattan millionaires and billionaires.
“These four state Senators have betrayed New Yorkers in their quest for wedding cash,” Brown said. “They abandoned their stated values and their own promises to voters. We want to expose these Senators and their same-sex marriage money dance. NOM and our ‘Let the People Vote’ coalition will not rest until these legislators are turned out of office and the people of New York are allowed to vote on the definition of marriage.”
NOM has been calling for a referendum on the issue, and have launched a website at letthepeoplevote.com. Currently there is no mechanism for referendum in New York. It would require an amendment to the constitution, so the earliest there could be a vote on such an issue would by 2013. Though, that is highly unlikely because the Senate and Assembly are unlikely to pass a bill calling for a constitutional amendment in each of the next two years.
Note: Having some trouble with the embed on this, but you should be able to access the ad from the link in the first sentence.
Update: Senator Grisanti’s Chief of Staff Doug Curella sent YNN this response to the ad:
“Senator Grisanti would never sell his vote on any piece of legislation, NOM is an out of state special interest group that has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars against senator Grisanti for doing the right thing.”
NYers For Constitutional Freedoms Launch Ad Campaign
Oct 6th - 12:38 pm
The New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom are showcasing some of the clerks across New York who resigned following the legalization of same-sex marriage in a new video series they call the Courage Fund.
Right now they have 3 videos on the website. Each a personal testimony from a clerk who chose to resign instead of being forced to sign marriage licenes for same-sex couples, which they feel is against their Christian faith.
“The reality is that these rural town clerks may only issue a handful of marriage licenses per year, some seven or eight, others fourteen or more. Contrast that with the number of dog licenses they issue (1200 or more in Granby), and you’ll soon see that issuing marriage licenses is a very small part of their responsibilities. The state can easily accommodate a town clerk’s religious convictions regarding marriage,” said Rev. Jason J. McGuire, Executive Director, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms.
The website also solicits small donations to help fight against the law. Currently, McGuire is a plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging that state laws were broken to get the bill passed, including some quid pro quo campaign donations in exchange of votes in the senate. Most legal experts think the case does not stand a chance. Also, Republican Senator Greg Ball, who voted no on the bill, defended the process under which the bill was passed.
The video below is the personal story of Laura Fotusky who served as they Town Clerk in Barker, Broome County.
NY1/YNN/Marist Poll: 55% NYers Like SSM Law
Aug 10th - 7:00 pm
It has been legal in New York for same-sex couples to marry for more than a month now, and most adults in the state say they support the bill. Our poll found that 55% of adults like the bill. Only 36% oppose it. And 9 percent are unsure.
The numbers are virtually the same when we asked registered voters. And when we asked if people felt that the bill should be overturned in the courts, support for marriage grew. 63% of adults statewide opposed legal action against the bill. Only 32% supported it.
As expected, support for same sex marriage is biggest among Democrats, younger voters. But regionally, the most support actually came from upstate New York. According to our poll, 60% of upstate adults support the same-sex marriage bill. Only 34% oppose it.
We also asked voters if they would be less likely to support their state senator because he voted for the bill. In the final days before the vote, many suggested that voting for the bill could cost a senator his seat. But our poll doesn’t reflect that.
44% of registered voters in New York say they are more likely to vote for a state senator that supported the same-sex marriage law. Only 30 percent said they are less likely to do so. And 19% say it makes no difference in how they are going to vote.
EMBARGOED_Complete August 10th, 2011 NYS Poll Release and Tables
NYCF Sue State Senate Over SSM (Updated)
Jul 25th - 10:58 am
Claiming that their “constitutional liberties” were violated, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms have just announced that they have brought a lawsuit against the state senate for the passage of same sex marriage.
The case is being filed this morning in Livingston County Supreme Court. The plaintiffs are two of the biggest opponents to same sex marriage, Rev. Duane Motley and Rev. Jason McGuire. Also listed is Rabbi Nathaniel Leiter, the executive director of Torah Jews for Decency.
In the suit, they argue that the bill was only able to pass because state officials violated Open Meeting Laws, the senate suspended rules to prevent people from speaking, lobbyists and public advocates were denied access to the Senate chamber, and the Governor unjustifiably issued a message of necessity on the bill.
But the most damning charge in the case, is the accusation that Wall Street financiers made large contributions to supporters of the bill in exchange for them changing their vote.
“It is unfortunate that state senators chose to protect their personal interests, rather than the people they were elected to represent. Some of the players may have changed, but it looks like same old Albany game. It is time the curtain be pulled back and the disinfecting light of good government shine upon the Cuomo Administration and our State Legislature,” Rev. Jason McGuire said.
Updated: Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spokesman, Josh Vlasto, calls the suit without merit in a statement.
“The plaintiffs lack a basic understanding of the laws of the state of New York,” he said. “The suit is without merit.”
Cuomo Celebrates Marriage Equality
Jul 24th - 3:52 pm
Governor Cuomo held a closed press party today in New York City, celebrating the first day that same-sex couples could get married. The administration did release the Governor’s remarks at the event.
Cuomo praised the progressive record of his father, Mario, who was in attendance. Saying he has been on the forefront of all progressive issues, from opposing the death penalty to supporting abortion rights when both issues were unpopular.
The Governor went on to say that passage of this bill was important because now the gay community is on equal footing with all other residents of New York.
“For me, marriage equality was all about the second word more than the first word. It was about equality more than marriage. And that is what this fight was really about. Equality, and dignity, and non-discrimination, and acceptance, and non-judgmentalism. That’s what it was really about. It was about government and society saying there is full equality with the gay community,” Cuomo said.
“People would say, why not civil unions. Because its not equal. Because it is different. Well, it is almost the same. Yeah, but almost isn’t good enough. And that was the point of the entire effort.”
Cuomo went on say that he expects passage of this bill will be a catalyst for passage of similar bills in other states across the country.
Diaz Attacks GOP Supporters Of SSM
Jul 14th - 1:09 pm
Bronx Senator Ruben Diaz is accusing the four Republican Senators who voted in favor of same-sex marriage of trading their votes for max contributions from NYC Mayor Bloomberg. In a press release he just sent out, he writes:
It appears that State Senators Stephen Saland, Mark Grisanti, James Alesi and Roy McDonald sold their votes to the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg for $10,300 each.
At least this is the impression and feeling everyone is getting by reading the city newspapers that two weeks after their vote, Mayor Bloomberg, who previously declared his intentions to support and help finance any senator who would vote in favor of gay marriage and complied with his edict, sent a check to each one of them for the maximum amount allowed by law.
If this is not a quid pro quo, please tell me what this is?
Now, to be fair, Mayor Bloomberg has providing campaign funding support for the Senate Republican conference in the past, and the conference has not always delivered on his agenda. So it is a little bit of a stretch to call it quid pro quo.
Diaz goes on to suggest that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman aren’t living up to their pledge to clean up Albany in this case, because they are doing nothing to investigate this donation.
You can read his entire release after the jump.
More >
Diaz Invites Bishops To March For Marriage (Updated)
Jul 13th - 10:05 am
Democratic Senator Ruben Diaz, who has been the most outspoken critique of same-sex marriage, has invited Archbishop Timothy Dolan, and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio to next Sunday’s March for Marriage outside of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office.
The event is being organized by the National Organization for Marriage.
The Catholic Diocese did lobby lawmakers against the passage of Marriage Equality, but they also offered up attorneys to help craft religious protection language that ended up in the final bill.
Update: Clarifying the statement above. The NYS Catholic Conference and not the Catholic Diocese lobbied against the marriage equality bill. As for the bill language. The Conference did not work with the Cuomo administration to craft any bill language. Their Executive Director and a few lawyers were asked by the Governor to discuss their opposition to bill language, but provided no language, and didn’t see the chapter amendments until a few hours before the vote.
Here is the text of the letter Diaz sent out:
Dear Archbishop Dolan and Bishop DiMarzio:
In the great spirit of interfaith unity, I invite you to join me and my fellow ministers on Sunday, July 24th at 3PM at a March for Marriage that has been organized by the National Organization for Marriage to be held outside Governor Andrew Cuomo’s midtown office at 633 Third Avenue.
Our peaceful and prayerful rally will protest the redefinition of marriage and demand that all New Yorkers have the right to vote on this very serious social issue.
You know that I have tremendous respect for you and I am most hopeful that you and your fellow bishops and clergy will join us on the 24th.
Respectfully,
Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz
Grisanti Explains His Vote
Jun 27th - 12:09 pm
Over the weekend, our colleagues at YNN Buffalo were able to do a phone interview with Senator Mark Grisanti who was the 32nd, or 33rd Senator to support same-sex marriage (depending on how you look at it). The Senator says he struggled with the decision, but had actually made up his mind a few weeks ago.
“About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I was reading books on both sides of the issue,” Grisanti said. “Legally I could find no reason why I should stand in the way, whether you are a taxpayer or worker, of having the same rights that I have with my wife.”
“And on the Catholic side, I am not here as just a Catholic senator. I am a senator that represents all of New York State and not everybody is Catholic. And, yeah I do practice Catholic religion and it was tough to separate it out.”
Grisanti also talked about the decision to bring the bill to the floor. He says the conference didn’t decide to bring the bill to the floor until Friday when the religious exemptions were complete, and members saw that there was an inseparability clause that says if one part of the bill is struck down, the whole bill becomes invalid.
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