Friday, April 27, 2007

A response from the other side

Ruben Diaz, NY State Senator from the Bronx and longtime homophobe, posted the following on the NYTimes Empire Zone blog:

New York State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Rejects Governor’s Intention to Legalize Gay Marriage

New York State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) opposes New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer’s bill to legitimize gay marriage in New York State, something the Governor considers to be a “simple moral imperative”.

“This is a slap in the face to the millions of New Yorkers who support the moral, legal and traditional definition of marriage as between man and woman,” Senator Diaz stated. “In the minds of millions of New Yorkers, legalizing gay marriage is against our religious beliefs.”

Senator Rev. Diaz is calling for his colleagues in Albany, his fellow ministers, Edward Cardinal Egan, religious leaders, and all New Yorkers who defend the constitutionality of New York’s marriage laws to join him in opposition to this proposed legislation.

Governor Spitzer is the first governor in the United States to introduce legislation to legalize marriage between man and man, and woman and woman. According to Senator Rev. Diaz, “By doing this the Governor shows disrespect and disregard for religious beliefs followed by Jews, Catholics, Muslims, Evangelicals, and every other
State resident who time after times has shown a vast opposition to gay marriage.”

Just so we’re clear on the facts, consider the following:

To Sen. Diaz’s assumption that there is “vast opposition to gay marriage,” we have some facts to the contrary (here, too).

There are also more than a few religious leaders who disagree with Diaz.

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