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Gay Marriage
L&0′s Meloni Films HRC Video
Apr 12th - 10:50 am
TV cop Christopher Meloni filmed a pro-gay marriage web video for the Human Rights Campaign, which is recruiting celebrities to advocate for the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York.
Other celebrities who have joined the HRC’s effort include Ethan Hawke, Russell Simmons, Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, Joan Rivers, Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, Moby, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Pride Agenda Bolstered By Siena Poll
Apr 11th - 10:53 am
Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director is happy with what he sees as a growing trend of support for marriage equality, further bolstered by today’s Siena poll.
“Today’s Siena poll results are yet another indication of ever-increasing support in New York for allowing loving, committed same-sex couples to marry. State legislators who have not supported marriage equality in the past should take note that New Yorkers – including nearly two thirds of suburban voters and a majority of upstate and Catholic voters – clearly believe in fairness and equality for their LGBT family, friends, neighbors and colleagues,” Ross Levi said.
According to the poll, 58% of New Yorkers support marriage for same-sex couples and only 36% oppose it.
Lucy Liu For Gay Marriage: NY Is About Diversity
Apr 5th - 10:50 am
Actress Lucy Liu filmed a web video for the Human Rights Campaign’s effort to legalize gay marriage in New York and recalls her upbringing in Jackson Heights, Queens.
“I was born in Jackson Heights, Queens,” she says in the video. “New York has always been about diversity.”
Other celebrities who have joined the HRC’s effort include Ethan Hawke, Russell Simmons, Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, Joan Rivers, Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, Moby, and Mayor Bloomberg.
Quinn, In Albany, Continues Same-Sex Marriage Lobbying
Apr 4th - 2:31 pm
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn – a possible candidate for mayor in 2013 – met with Senate Minority Leader John Sampson for about 30 minutes this afternoon, a meeting that she said was mainly to “thank” the lawmaker for restoring funding to city senior centers.
But Quinn said she also discussed a same-sex marriage.
“I wanted to follow up on a couple of budget things, thank Senator Sampson and others for his support on Title XX for senior centers,” she said. “But I’ve always been doing weekly visits on the marriage equality bill.”
“My other meetings have been marriage/budget,” Quinn added. “This was marriage/thank you. We try to come up once a week.”
Why Quinn met with Sampson and not, say, Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is unclear. When Democrats controlled the Senate in 2009, a gay marriage bill failed.
Any vote to approve same-sex marriage this year would take not only several GOP lawmakers, but also some Democrats who haven’t supported the measure. Several of those Democratic “no” voters – former Sens. Hiram Monserrate and Bill Stachowski – are now gone. Two others – Sens. Joe Addabbo and Shirley Huntley – are now on the fence, as is GOP Sen. Jim Alesi.
Today’s trip by Quinn did not include a meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo or members of his staff.
Quinn’s low-profile appearance today was in contrast to her visit to Albany in March, when she and other gay-marriage advocates met with Cuomo.
The Democratic governor has vowed to pass a gay-marriage bill this year. The measure would help Cuomo shore up support in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which is weary over his cuts to education and health care.
NOTE from LB: A reader says Quinn met with Skelos when she was last in Albany. Also, Cuomo has said he wants a vote on gay marriage prior to the end of this session – perhaps even before Father’s Day.
Bratton Joins Marriage Equality Campaign
Apr 1st - 8:10 am
Former NYPD, and LAPD commissioner Bill Bratton is the latest person to cut a short video for the Human Rights Campaign’s push for marriage equality in New York.
Bratton cut the spot with his wife, Rikki Klieman.
Now that the budget it behind us, we will probably see more of a push for the passage of marriage equality – one of Andrew Cuomo’s campaign promises.
Hawkes Join Marriage Equality Campaign
Mar 14th - 10:51 am
The latest celebrities to join the Human Rights Campaign’s push for Marriage Equality are actor Ethan Hawke and his wife Ryan.
HRC has been slowly gathering videos from prominent politicians and actors for a while now, in their push for same sex marriage to pass in New York, including: Russell Simmons, Mark and Sunrise Ruffalo, Joan Rivers, Barbara Bush, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Whoopi Goldberg, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Fran Drescher, Moby, and Mayor Bloomberg.
Joan Rivers Latest Voice For Marriage Equality
Feb 9th - 10:05 am
The campaign for marriage equality continues to heat up. Yesterday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent state legislators a personal letter calling for the legalization of same sex marriage, while referring to current laws as “institutionalized discrimination.”
Today, the Human Rights Campaign enlisted the help of the always colorful television personality Joan Rivers. The organization has been taping 30 second spots with several politicians and celebrities, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Barbara Bush, Whoopi Goldberg, and musician Moby.
As you probably remember, the marriage equality bill failed to pass in the state Senate in 2009. Republican leader Dean Skelos has said in the past that he thinks it should come up for a vote on the floor, even though much of his conference is openly opposed to the bill. The legislation has passed in the Assembly on 3 separate occasions. Governor Cuomo has also called for its passage.
ESPA Optimistic About Marriage Equality In 2011
Dec 16th - 11:18 am
Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Ross Levi just held a news conference where he praised the results of the 2010 election – despite the fact it is all but certain Democrats have lost control of the State Senate.
“We are aware that the Senate is going through a leadership change. Some say this is a bad thing. I disagree. The LGBT community has had successes under both parties,” Levi said.
By their tally, ESPA feels they have added 2 certain votes in favor of same sex marriage, bringing the total to 26. Before the election, Republican Senate leader Dean Skelos said publicly that he would recommend to his conference that the Marriage Equality act be brought to the floor for a vote, which Levi says is “encouraging.” But, Levi admits that this will be a “particularly challenging” session because of the state’s budget problems.
Levi says he was also emboldened by ESPA’s efforts in ousting 2 incumbents who were opposed to gay marriage. Democrat Bill Stachowski in the Buffalo area, who was defeated in a primary by Tim Kennedy. And Republican Frank Padavan in Queens, who lost in the general election to Tony Avella.
ESPA was also happy with the results in the statewide races. When asked directly about Carl Paladino’s candidacy, Ross Levi said he felt the anti-LGBT message from the Republicans campaign helped motivated their base to vote.
“You can disagree with our platform, but you cannot be against our community. It just doesn’t work in New York. I think people turned their back on him [Paladino] quickly, and I don’t think that will be a problem ever again,” Levi said.
Levi will be a guest on Capital Tonight this evening. You can catch it by watching YNN at 8pm or 11:30pm.
Cox Shoots The Writer
Oct 11th - 2:36 pm
In one of the stranger political statements I’ve seen of late (perhaps ever, actually), state GOP Chairman Ed Cox has heeded Democratic leaders’ calls for him to condem anti-gay statements made by his standard-bearer, Carl Paladino, by lambasting whoever wrote them.
“Our Republican gubernatorial candidate, Carl Paladino, is more than capable of speaking for himself on the matters he addressed on air this morning and to Orthodox Jewish leaders on Sunday,” Cox said. “We condemn any remarks that can be construed as homophobic.”
“It is our responsibility as a Party during these final days of the campaign to ensure we focus on the issues of utmost importance to New Yorkers, including those Carl Paladino addressed last week, such as job creation; cutting state spending by 20-percent and taxes by 10-percent; and making New York affordable for our children, our businesses and our families.”
“We Republicans will continue to discuss all of these issues that New York’s Democrats lack the ability and credibility to address.”
The Jewish Week’s Adam Dickter reported that the text of Paladino’s remarks to Orthodox rabbis in Borough Park was written by Rabbi Yehuda Levin, described by Dickter as “an ardent opponent of gay rights and abortion and occasional New York political candidate.”
Levin endorsed Paladino back in September, and the two bonded over their mutual hatred for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
It was at Paladino’s second stop in Williamsburg that he said the line about children being “brainwashed into thinking homosexuality is an equal valid and successful option.” He personally edited out another line, although it was included in the prepared remarks provided to reporters, that there is “nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual.”
Levin told Dickter he knew who had written the Williamsburg speech, but refused to identify that person.
Wilson ‘Categorically’ Rejects Paladino Statements
Oct 11th - 11:10 am
In his strongest comments against his Republican ticket mate yet, state comptroller hopeful Harry Wilson sought to put even more distance between himself and gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino following the Buffalo businessman’s anti-gay remarks in Williamsburg yesterday.
“I do not condone intolerance of any kind and categorically reject these hurtful statements,” Wilson said in a statement released by his campaign.
“Furthermore, I strongly urge every candidate for statewide office to focus solely, as I have, on the problems of our state, particularly our massive and growing fiscal crisis.”
Republcians have had mixed feelings on how they will be impacted by the so-called “Paladino factor.”
Some legislative challengers in Western NY, the base of Paladino’s support, are hoping his popularity will help propel them to victory. But his fellow statewide contenders, who must appeal to a far broader base of voters – especially independents and disaffected Democrats – to have any hope at victory in this Democrat-dominated state, worry Paladino will pull them down.
Wilson and Staten Island DA Dan Donovan have refused to endorse Paladino and have taken heat from their Democratic opponents for failing to strongly denounce him for his controversial statements and positions.
Wilson has argued he wants to maintain independence from anyone he might have to audit as comptroller – including the governor – while Donovan has fallen back on the state DAs Association policy barring him from making endorsesments as a sitting DA.
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