Morning Sweep

A bunch of us were up in Rochester for the Pride Agenda's annual Spring Dinner over the weekend. It was the largest gay gathering of its kind ever in Western New York (more than 600 in attendance). NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn was the keynote speaker for the evening and spoke about the important role that Rochester has played in advancing LGBT rights. State Senator Joe Robach came for a bit, as did Assemblymember David Koon and Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy. Gov. Spitzer also delivered a pre-recorded message of congratulations to the evening's Community Service Award recipient, former Pride Agenda C0-Chair Duffy Palmer (who is also currently in the Spitzer administration as Director of Education).

Reaction/comments from Rochester residents at the dinner here.

From The New York Times:

"Since the British military began allowing homosexuals to serve in the armed forces in 2000, none of its fears — about harassment, discord, blackmail, bullying or an erosion of unit cohesion or military effectiveness — have come to pass, according to the Ministry of Defense, current and former members of the services and academics specializing in the military. The biggest news about the policy, they say, is that there is no news. It has for the most part become a nonissue."

Read the whole article here.

Danny O'Donnell told the NY Sun that he'll introduce his marriage bill this week with 53 co-sponsors signed on.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is facing a discrimination case brought by an oboist who claims that he was fired because he's gay.

An important article (from the Nashua Telegraph via the L.A. Times?) telling about the current problems of acceptance within the NYC LGBT community...and taking place in none other than the West Village.

Liz Benjamin's post last Friday shows exactly why the marriage bill will require new leadership in the State Senate in order to get anywhere.

More families tell why marriage is important to them in a NY Times article recapping last week's court hearing on civil unions vs. marriage for same-sex couples in Connecticut.