New York State Assembly Passes Marriage Bill Again to Remove Obstacles For Expected Senate Vote Today

Back in May, New York's State Assembly voted to pass the state's marriage equality bill sponsored by the openly gay Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, brother of comedian/actor Rosie O'Donnell.

Yet because the Senate is expected to vote on their version of the bill today (I'll believe it when I see it) in an extraordinary session (not a regular one), the Assembly had to vote on the bill again Tuesday night to clear all hurdles for its passage.

Empire Pride Agenda said in a press release:

Just a few moments ago, the New York State Assembly passed marriage equality legislation for the second time this year in a bipartisan vote of 86 to 51. By taking a vote in what is called an “extraordinary session,” the Assembly has removed any obstacle to the bill being sent to the Governor for his signature if the Senate votes on the bill when it reconvenes tomorrow to conduct business.

The Pride Agenda gives special thanks to the New York State Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, that has now voted and passed the marriage equality bill three times. Our thanks also to the legislation’s prime sponsor Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell for leading the successful effort again on the floor.

It is anticipated that forces opposing marriage equality may be coming to Albany tomorrow to put pressure on the State Senate to take no action on the bill. We continue to expect the Senate to give this issue the respectful debate and vote it deserves.

ACTION: Contact your senator and tell them to vote for marriage equality!

Watch the Senate session live! (Scheduled for 10am EST - they're a little behind.) Now removed.

BREAKING: New York Senate Expected to Vote on Marriage Equality Bill Tuesday

After much speculation on whether or not the New York Senate would finally vote on the state's marriage equality bill, Gov. David Paterson announced that he has called the senate in for a special session Tuesday and has added the bill to the agenda.

From Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle:

November 5, 2009--“Marriage equality has been an issue Governor Paterson has long championed and we are thrilled he has called the State Senate back to Albany next Tuesday and put the marriage equality bill on the agenda. We now expect that we will get the respectful debate and vote that we’ve been waiting for since June.

There is never a wrong time or inconvenient time to debate human rights legislation because it’s always the right time. As long as a group of New Yorkers are being denied equal rights, addressing issues like marriage equality must always be a priority. Support for providing equal rights to LGBT New Yorkers has always been bipartisan, and we expect that this bill will be no different.

We look forward to hearing our lives and our families debated on the Senate floor next Tuesday. It’s now time that each of the 62 State Senators vote their conscience on this bill that has great implications for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers in all parts of the state.”

Openly gay Senator Tom Duane, sponsor of the bill, has claimed that he has all the votes needed to get it passed. The bill has already been approved by the state Assembly.

ACTION: If you live in New York, call your senator!

We all eagerly wait to see a victory. It could act as a great sage for the wounds inflicted in Maine.

New York Gov. Paterson Believes Marriage Equality to Pass Within Coming Weeks

New York state has seen its share of drama in the senate this past year. The state's marriage equality bill, pushed by Gov. David Paterson, passed the state Assembly back in May, but by the time it advanced the Senate experienced a power coup and the bill lay dormant.

Now that Gov. Paterson is calling yet another special session, he believes it will pass.

The New York Times reports:

Paterson said he expects the state Senate to give the measure final legislative approval in weeks ahead and then he will sign it, making New York the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. Paterson can't force the Senate to take up the bill and admitted to reporters he can't guarantee its approval, but he says he's now confident it will pass, as advocates and sponsors of the bill in Albany have been quietly working to build support.


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Paterson's statements Thursday came at the fall dinner in Manhattan of the influential gay rights group Empire State Pride Agenda. He said New York will have marriage equality ''as a result of a law we will pass in the New York Senate, already passed in the Assembly, and will be signed by the governor, just in the next few weeks.''


The 1,200 people at the dinner cheered Paterson's remarks.


"No longer in New York" will same-sex couples have to worry about insurance coverage, being allowed to visit each other hospitals, or whether they will be guaranteed the same rights as other married couples under law, he said.


Paterson said he's spoken to advocates lobbying senators and "they believe if I put the bill on the calendar, it will pass. ... I believe it will pass."

Here's Paterson's speech thanks to Good As You.





Elizabeth Benjamin of the New York Daily News attended the dinner and reported that Empire State Pride Agenda's Executive Director Alan Van Capelle had harsh words for the Senators, including Tom Duane, the openly gay sponsor of the marriage equality bill.

"Tonight I say the time for making cases is past," Van Capelle said. "The time for petty partisan finger pointing is past. The time for lame excuses, for botched maneuvers and simple, plain old foot dragging is past."


"The time to get this bill to the floor of the New York state Senate is now. The time for the state Senate to acknowledge our existence is now the time for us to hear our lives - our lives! - debated on the floor of the New York state Senate is now."


"Sen. John Sampson, you’re the leader of the state Senate. Sen. Tom Duane, you have told us on multiple occasions that you have the votes to pass this bill. Give us the dignity the rights and the respect we deserve bring this bill to a floor for a debate and a vote. If we win let us celebrate and if we go down we know what we need to do in 2010. Period."


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"We have campaigned for you. We have raised money for you we have supported you in every way imaginable, and we should have no patience for these sorry summer soldiers," Van Capelle said.


"Now is not the time for half hearted you must risk yourselves as we risk ourselves every day. We must fight and work for equality as we fight and work for equality every day and if you do not, we can find other friends who will do that job for us and do it better than you."

I feel his frustration. The New York Senate has been ridiculed for its incompetence and puerile behavior, including locking each other out of chambers or holding simultaneous competitive sessions in an effort to gain power.

We have heard numerous times from both Gov. Paterson and Sen. Duane that the bill would pass within a matter of weeks, and then those weeks would pass with no action.

So I guess I'll believe it when I see it.

ACTION: If you're a New Yorker, join Empire State Pride Agenda's action and call your senator and tell them to vote for the marriage equality bill!

New York Senate's New President Wants Vote on Marriage Equality

With yesterday's drama in the New York Senate, the fate of the Gov. David Paterson's marriage equality bill came into question, some calling it all but dead. However, a glimmer of hope came from the new senate president, Sen. Espada Jr. this morning.

The New York Times reports:

Pedro Espada Jr., the new State Senate president, said in a radio interview on Tuesday morning that he personally wanted to bring same-sex marriage to a vote, news that will give some encouragement to gay activists who read defeat into Monday’s Republican Senate coup.
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“I am for same-sex marriage,” Mr. Espada said. “There will be no guarantees and no quid pro quos, I think there will be a vote of conscience of the senators. And with my partner in government, Senator Skelos, we have not discussed bringing it out to the floor. I’m expressing my own personal desire to see a full debate and decision on this matter.”

The Senate majority leader, Dean G. Skelos, a Long Island Republican who is sharing power with Mr. Espada under the new leadership arrangement, said he and Mr. Espada would discuss the issue of same-sex marriage and other matters later on Tuesday.

The Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay rights organization, called for a Senate vote on the same-sex marriage bill — which the Assembly has already passed — before the end of the legislative session, notwithstanding the change in party control.

Stranger things have happened. Though the last survey of the New York senators didn't leave much hope for the bill's passage, Sen. Duane, sponsor of the bill, proudly declared he had the 32 votes needed.

If yesterday's upheaval, spurred by frustration of little legislative work being done in the senate, actually helps get the bill to the floor for a vote, then time will only tell. If it passes, wouldn't it be ironic if what we first thought was the death of the bill became its life?

As Queers United said, "If republicans are the ones to bring this bill to a vote and pass marriage equality this will signal an entirely new shift in politics.

"Urge [New York Senate] President Skelos to bring the bill for a vote before the session ends and to vote in favor of marriage equality!"

E-contact form for President Dean Skelos

Albany Office
Room 907 LOB
Albany, NY 12247
Phone: (518) 455-3171

VIDEO: New York's Empire State Pride Agenda Debuts New Marriage Equality Ad

Empire State Pride Agenda has debuted their second marriage equality ad that will hopefully soon run across New York state.

NY State Assembly Expected to Pass Marriage Equality Tomorrow (Again)

The New York State Assembly is expected to pass a marriage equality bill tomorrow just as they did two years ago, but its major obstacle is in the senate, where Democrats hold a razor thin majority. With several Democrats planning on voting against it, including the ridiculous Sen. Ruben Diaz, it's going to an uphill climb. Despite the fact the a majority of New York residents support marriage equality, their representatives may not voice such support. (Read the NY Times breakdown of the senators and where they stand.)

The bill was unveiled last month by New York Gov. David Paterson and introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, a Manhattan Democrat.

State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D) has said he does not have the votes to pass marriage equality legislation and will not bring the bill to a vote. Both Smith and Paterson have been outspoken supporters of marriage equality, but while Smith wants a “go slowly” approach, the governor has said a vote should be held this session.

In preparation for the vote, the Empire State Pride Agenda released the following ad from New York State Deputy Secretary for Education that combats the lies spread by right-wing religious groups that marriage equality in New York state would force schools to teach about those marriages.



ACTION: If you live in New York, contact your senators and urge them to vote for marriage equality!

UPDATE: Big Day in New York Capital Today! Twitter #ejday

UPDATE 3:15PM PST: Equality and Justice Day Dispact from Daily Intel.

UPDATE: According to the AP, New York Gov. David Paterson told the crowds rallying outside the capitol that religious opponents of gay marriage "failed to act on their faith when gays and lesbians were victimized," and that they "did not step up when young gay and lesbian students were victims of hate crimes. Paterson asked the crowd where these leaders of faith were when gay and lesbian college students were being beaten."

More pics can be found at HRC's Twipic. Follow events on Twitter under #ejday.
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If you recall, today New York's Senate Judiciary Committee will review three pro-LGBT bills including Gov. David Paterson's marriage equality bill, protection of transgender civil rights and a bill to provide safer schools for LGBT youth.

But to make things even better, Empire State Pride Agenda is hosting their LGBT Equality and Justice Day, where according to the AP, "About 2,000 people are expected at a lunchtime rally outside the Capitol today in support of gay rights legislation."
Attendees will have a chance to speak with legislators to voice their support.

Stay tuned!

BREAKING NEWS: New York Senate Committee to Take Up Marriage Equality Bill Tuesday

New York's Senate Judiciary Committee will take up Gov. David Paterson's same-sex marriage bill on Tuesday, despite the governor's apparent backpedaling.

Tuesday is also the day Empire State Pride Agenda plans to hold its Equality & Justice Lobby Day.

Thousands of supporters of marriage and LGBT equality are expected to arrive at the state capitol, Albany, NY, to rally and hold one-on-one conversations with legislators, urging their support for equality legislation, an event that's been in the planning for months.

Perfect timing! (Or maneuvering, but who cares!)



Tuesday is going to be a big day for marriage equality in New York. Stay tuned!

VIDEO: Marriage Equality & Religion - The Massachusetts Experience

Empire State Pride Agenda is gearing up for the brewing battle in New York state over marriage equality. It is critical in such a campaign to frame the debate first and to steer the conversation.

They are prepared for the arguments by the religious right-wing, and in order to silence the religious debate before it even sets in, they have released the following:

One of the most dominant myths used by forces opposed to marriage equality is that allowing same-sex couples to marry would somehow negatively affect religious institutions or apply restrictions to their freedom to worship as they choose.

Although this myth is patently false, that has not stopped some opponents from using the claim to lead people to believe their religious freedom is in danger. Fortunately, in New York, we do not need to speculate on how religious institutions, spiritual life and the freedom to worship will be affected if the state passes a law allowing same-sex couples to marry. New York needs only to look to our neighbor to the east, Massachusetts — where marriages for same-sex couples have been legal since 2004 — to see that the worries about such a law negatively impacting people of faith have been unfounded.

Majority of NY Residents Support Same-Sex Marriage Poll Says

With all the scuffling going on between New York state's leadership over same-sex marriage, one can easily forget about the people they're representing and what they believe.

Luckily for us, Siena College hasn't forgotten and released a poll Monday indicating that 53 percent of voters approve of same-sex marriage, while 39 percent are opposed.

Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda said, "In the past three years, Siena polling has shown support for marriage equality growing from 43% in 2007 to 46% last year to 53% this year and opposition dropping from 47% in 2007 to 40% last year to just 39% now...It’s time for State Senators who still aren’t with us to look at these results and ask themselves this simple question: 'Do I want to be on the right side of history or the wrong side of history when the story is written about how marriage equality came to New York State'?"

It's hard not to miss the reference to the temper tantrums that Sen. Ruben Diaz has been throwing ever since Gov. David Paterson introduced same-sex marriage legislation last week.

Hopefully, this poll will shut the senator up. But somehow, I doubt it.

Sienna Collge Poll NY State Same-Sex Marriage

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09 April SNY Poll Release -- FINAL

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Battle Brewing Over NY Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Yesterday, New York Gov. David Paterson announced he would introduce legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, a bill that is identical to the 2007 resolution that passed the House but failed in the Senate.

This new legislation is expected to have a repeat success in the House but Democrats have a slim majority in the Senate 32-30 with several Democrats voicing opposition, and supporters of the bill are not sure if they're ready to take it on. At yesterday's press conference, the governor conceded that out of 36,980 bills introduced during his own 21-year career as a senator, legislators were only unsure of the vote outcome in three cases.

One Democratic senator is the most vociferous - Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Pentecostal minister and ardent foe to all things LGBT. Yesterday, he called on the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization to meet, the same day that the bill was introduced to immediately plan their strategy against the bill. Now he plans to hold a rally in May where he will call for the ouster of Governor David Paterson, reports WNYC-FM:

"Diaz says Paterson insulted all people of faith by introducing the bill so close to major holidays and the installation of a new catholic archbishop. Diaz is planning a rally next month when he'll call for Paterson's ouster.

"'You could put it down, during the month of May, we will bring out thousands and thousands of Hispanic evangelical christians in the city of New York to ask Governor Paterson to step aside,' said Diaz, Sr., a Democrat who represents the Bronx."

The latest Quinnipiac University poll, which was taken before the marriage equality announcement, showed that Paterson's approval ratings are at record lows for a New York governor. Good As You is also pointing out the falsehoods that Tony Perkins of the anti-gay Family Research Council are using on another Quinnipiac University poll claiming that 59% of New Yorkers are against same-sex marriage.

ACTIONS!!

Empire State Pride Agenda is planning a major effort to ask non-committal and opposed senators to change their position. It will occur on April 28, gathering thousands of gay and lesbian constituents will travel to Albany, the state capitol, to lobby their legislators.

If you're not able to go, you can still get involved by writing your legislators and asking them to support the same-sex marriage bill.