Morning Sweep – Election Recap (PM Edition)

Pardon our lateness in posting the sweep – we’ve been recovering from being out in the field yesterday and seeing the results pour in. We’ll have much more on election results for you tomorrow!

The New York State Senate has flipped from a Republican Majority to a pro-LGBT Democrat Majority. Democrat Brian Foley defeated Republican incumbent Caesar Trunzo in Long Island and Democrat Joseph Addabbo defeated Republican incumbent Serphin Maltese in Queens, gaining two seats. There are now 32 Democrats out of 62 total Senate seats.

Barack Obama, President-elect, is already at work preparing his transition team.

Democrats also gained at least five seats in the U.S. Senate.

Four major LGBT bills will face the new U.S. Congress.

Connecticut voters rejected a ballot proposition to hold a Constitutional convention which would have opened the door to the possibility of a same-sex marriage ban there.

And now for the bad news: California’s Prop. 8 to ban same-sex marriage looks to have passed, according to the AP. Same-sex marriage bans in Arizona and Florida also passed. And Arkansas voters approved a ban to keep unmarried couples from becoming foster parents or adopting.

Gay rights activists react to the passing of Prop. 8.

Daniel Squadron for the 25th Senate District

The Pride Agenda is proud to endorse Daniel Squadron for election to the State Senate, representing the 25th Senate District (covering parts of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan).

Squadron, a 28-year old former top aide to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, recently defeated 30-year incumbent Marty Connor in the September 9 Primary Election. In Gay City News’ endorsement of Squadron for that election, Editor-in-Chief Paul Schindler writes: “Daniel Squadron, an aggressive challenger who hits hard on the issue of reform in Albany, seemed more comfortable about assuming a lead role in goading his colleagues. ‘That is a drum I plan to beat as aggressively as anybody,’ he said of the push for marriage equality.”

Indeed. On his campaign website, Squadron openly states his support for LGBT issues, specifically marriage equality: “We have not achieved marriage equality, which means that countless LGBT couples who hunger for the emotional, economic and legal protections of marriage are still being shunted aside as second class citizens.”

From his responses on the Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, it is clear that he understands and supports all of the issues on the Pride Agenda’s public policy agenda. Additionally, he stated that he would co-sponsor marriage equality legislation and bills that would ban discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and make schools safe for LGBT youth. He will not only be a “yes” vote on these important bills, but will be, as he puts it, an “energetic advocate for true equal rights in New York State.”

Democrat Squadron is running against openly gay Republican John Chromczak, who is a medical technologist at New York University Medical Center/Bellevue Hospital Center. Since Chromczak didn’t complete a Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, we know nothing about his positions on our issues except for what we read in the press. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Chromczak told Liz Benjamin that he was a supporter of marriage equality. Unlike Squadron, however, Chromczak makes no mention of LGBT issues on his website or any other campaign materials that we’ve seen.

Additionally, if Chromczak were to be elected in this overwhelmingly Democratic Senate District, he would support the current Republican Senate Majority Leadership, which has stated time and time again that it will not bring key bills like marriage equality and a ban on discrimination against transgender New Yorkers up for a vote.

Voters in the 25th State Senate district—and LGBT New Yorkers across the state—will be better served with Daniel Squadron in Albany. We strongly urge you to vote for him on Tuesday, November 4.

Joel Miller for the 102nd Assembly District

The Pride Agenda is proud to endorse Republican incumbent Dr. Joel Miller for re-election to the 102nd Assembly District (representing Poughkeepsie and the western part of Dutchess County).

Joel Miller is a strong supporter of LGBT rights, never hesitating to speak about our issues and our community and always emphasizing his belief that all Americans should be equal and none should be the target of legalized discrimination. When the marriage equality bill was debated and passed by the Assembly last year, Miller was the first Republican to stand up and state his support for the bill, and the same was true again this year when the Assembly debated and passed a bill prohibiting discrimination against transgender New Yorkers.

In a letter he sent to supporters earlier this year, Miller said, “I voted for the gay marriage bill for one single reason – it was the right thing to do. Furthermore my vote sends a message to other Republicans that there is no need to be stuck in archaic ways, because we can and we must be a progressive party, one that embraces a changing world and one that grants every gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender person full equality and justice under our laws.”

Miller has long had a reputation among his colleagues for being honest and forthright --even outspoken -- about where he stands on an issue. At a recent Log Cabin event where Republican legislators in support of marriage equality were present (Assemblymembers Sayward, Scozzafava and Duprey) and one in particular who is on the other side of the issues and said so again at the event (Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos), Miller spoke forcefully in support of marriage for our families.

In true Joel Miller style, he also didn’t hesitate to say what he thought about the legal mechanisms some Republicans like to propose as a substitute for providing our families with marriage and the 1,324 state-based rights and obligations that only marriage provides. Gay City News reported Miller as saying, “None of this partner contract baloney that they talk about. You can’t go halfway.”

As a bipartisan organization, we are proud that every major piece of LGBT legislation in Albany has passed with support from both Democrats and Republicans. Going forward, this will continue to be important for all our community’s key pieces of legislation. Nothing gets done in Albany without support from both Democrats and Republicans.

Joel Miller is a Republican who votes for equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and doesn’t hesitate to go the extra mile and speak up about why our equality is an important part of the promise America makes to all its citizens. He is the only Republican who voted for marriage equality in the Assembly who has a race this November. He is being challenged by a Democrat, Jonathan Smith, who also filled out our questionnaire and has stated his support for our issues.

The choice in this race, however, is clear. Miller deserves the Pride Agenda’s endorsement and our community’s support because he has earned it. Joel Miller has stood with us over and over again, through his votes and through his words, so we stand with him in his re-election on November 4.

To read profiles of other important races we are highlighting for the NYS Legislature, go to our 2008 Election Center.

David Nachbar for the 55th Senate District

The Pride Agenda is proud to announce our endorsement of David R. Nachbar, who is challenging Republican Senator Jim Alesi in the 55^th State Senate District (representing part of Monroe County).

David Nachbar is a strong supporter of LGBT rights who has made it clear that he will not stand for any kind of discrimination. In his previous position as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Bausch & Lomb, Nachbar helped the company achieve a perfect score from HRC’s Corporate Equality Index by extending equal benefits to the domestic partners of employees.

Nachbar told The Albany Project that he is running because “right now we’re at a very important point of time, an important moment of choice, and that is that we can choose between staying down the path that we’re on right now – a path which has failed – or we can choose to take a new direction.” Nachbar would lead the charge in the Senate in the direction of equality for all New Yorkers. In his Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, he could not have been any clearer in his support of the LGBT community when he said: “I believe that the civil rights issue of our time is equality for the LGBT community, and I will unequivocally support any measure that will contribute to full equality for LGBT people under the law.”

In addition to his commitment to vote for issues like marriage equality, banning discrimination against transgender people and making schools safe for LGBT youth, Nachbar would take the extra step to co-sponsor these bills. In his candidate questionnaire, he also expressed a strong desire to do whatever it takes to advance equality for the LGBT community, including holding press conferences, hosting and attending forums, meeting with constituents, and working together with the Pride Agenda.

Nachbar’s opponent is six-term incumbent Jim Alesi. Alesi does not support the LGBT community – according to the Pride Agenda’s Legislative Scorecard, he is strongly opposed to marriage equality, and has gone so far as to be a public supporter and co-sponsor of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Alesi has indicated that he is also opposed to banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers, and although he has told constituents that he would consider supporting legislation that would make schools safe for LGBT youth, he has not taken any steps to move the bill forward. Alesi also voted against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act when it passed in 2002.

As Nachbar has said, this election is about moving in a new direction in New York State. For 12 years, Jim Alessi has perpetuated discrimination and inequality for LGBT people and if re-elected, will do more of the same. For voters who are concerned with civil rights and real progress for all New Yorkers, David Nachbar is the only choice for Senator in the 55th Senate District.

For more information on how you can volunteer to help get Nachbar elected, visit our online Election Center, and if you live in the 55^th Senate District, vote for David Nachbar on Tuesday, November 4.

Rick Dollinger for the 56th Senate District

The Pride Agenda is announcing today our endorsement of Rick Dollinger, who is challenging Republican Senator Joe Robach in the 56th State Senate District (representing part of Monroe County). Dollinger once held this seat (from 1992-2002) but decided to return to the private sector after a decade of service.

In addition to his experience as a State Senator, Dollinger has also served as a Monroe County Legislator and as Brighton Town Justice. A friend of the LGBT community then, Dollinger long supported the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act and voted for both SONDA and the Hate Crimes Bill when they finally passed and became law in 2002 and 2000, respectively. Because of his consistent support for LGBT issues throughout his career in public office, the Pride Agenda honored Dollinger with the Community Service Award at our annual Spring Dinner in 2003, shortly after he left the Senate.

In an interview with The Albany Project, when asked why he has chosen to return to the State Senate, Dollinger replied: “New York wasn't getting any better. The Senate GOP did nothing while I was there and haven't done anything since I left. I decided that this was my chance to bring about real change." And in his Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire Dollinger said “Quite simply, I’ve always been a champion for the LGBT community and I look forward to being a champion again as we gain the opportunity to make historic changes in the New York State Senate. It goes without saying that my opponent and the leadership that he supports has simply not taken the right stands on critical issues.”

Dollinger would not only be a “yes” vote for LGBT New Yorkers, he would be a vocal advocate for issues that are essential to our community—issues like marriage equality, banning discrimination against transgender people and making schools safe for LGBT youth. In his candidate questionnaire, Dollinger stated that he would not only support these bills but sign onto them as a co-sponsor, as well. Dollinger has stated frequently that he intends to help our community find more “yes” votes on these issues in the State Senate once he is elected.

Dollinger’s opponent and incumbent Joe Robach has not been an ally of the LGBT community. According the Pride Agenda’s Legislative Scorecard, Robach has indicated several times his opposition to marriage equality and banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers. While he has indicated that he would support legislation that would make schools safer for LGBT youth, he has not been a strong advocate for such legislation and has not taken any steps to move the bill forward. Additionally, Joe Robach was one of only 27 Assemblymembers to vote against the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act when it passed in 2002.

Despite all the nice words Robach says about us when he is talking to our community, he does nearly nothing to support LGBT people when it comes to legislation. Robach will also vote for a Senate Majority Leader who has said unequivocally that he will not support marriage equality or the GENDA bill. Actions speak louder than words—and we do not need someone who consistently votes against our interests in Albany.

Voters in the 56th Senate District, the LGBT community and New Yorkers in general will be better served by Rick Dollinger’s experience and commitment to bringing change and progress to Albany. We look forward to helping in making that happen on Tuesday, November 4.

For information on how you can get involved with helping Rick Dollinger win, visit our online Election Center.

Celebrating Senator Kevin Parker's victory

Last night a number of us from the Pride Agenda gathered at Tropical Paradise Restaurant on Utica Avenue in Brooklyn with other supporters of State Senator Kevin Parker to follow the election returns and -- as we had hoped -- celebrate his Democratic Primary victory.

Parker faced a serious challenge from two term-limited NYC Councilmembers who are both against marriage equality. Losing Senator Parker would have been a big setback to our efforts building a pro-LGBT majority in the State Senate.

When all the votes were counted, Senator Parker prevailed with 49% of the vote to 37% for Simcha Felder and 14% for Kendall Stewart.

When Kevin gave his victory speech to his 150 or so assembled supporters, he mentioned the Pride Agenda several times, thanked us for our support and our work helping him win. He also highlighted how important it is to make marriage equality a reality in New York and promised to work hard to make it happen.

Senator Parker is a politician who not only is with us on all our issues, but doesn’t hesitate to say so in front of his non-LGBT supporters. Not all elected officials will do that. He’s a true friend of our community and we hope to have more like him in the State Senate come November.

Below is a picture of our Executive Director, Alan Van Capelle, giving Senator Parker a celebratory hug following his victory speech and one of Parker answering press questions.

Primary Election 2008 Sweep

Each of the five candidates that the Pride Agenda endorsed in the 2008 New York Primary Election won their races. Here’s some stories on their elections:

The New York Times has a rundown of several of the most talked-about races, including those of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senator Kevin Parker, and Assemblymember Sam Hoyt.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver won his primary by a large margin.

Buffalo Assemblymember Sam Hoyt survived a well-financed challenge to his incumbency.

Washington Heights Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat also won his primary. The New York Times’ City Room blog captured scenes from his campaign headquarters yesterday.

Suffolk County Assemblymember Philip Ramos beat his challenger by more than 2-to-1.

Endorsements for the Sept. 9 Primary Election

The Pride Agenda announced today endorsements for the September 9 Primary Election and released a Primary Election Online Voter Guide.

We have endorsed five incumbants who have, time and time again, stood with and actively supported the LGBT community on several important issues, including the three bills at the top of our public policy agenda: marriage equality, GENDA and the Dignity for All Students Act.

Three of the endorsed candidates are from New York City, one is from Buffalo and one from Suffolk County on Long Island. Many elected officials who are friends of the LGBT community are not profiled in this voter guide because they have no primary opposition. They will be profiled in the General Election Voter Guide, which will be issued in October.


New York City:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-WFP)

Assembly Speaker Silver is the incumbent for this seat, having served a total of sixteen terms in the New York State Assembly, with seven terms as Assembly Speaker. He is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and votes correctly on all of our issues. As Speaker, he has played a pivotal role in making sure LGBT legislation such as the marriage equality bill, Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, and Dignity for All Students Act has come to the Assembly floor for a vote. Under his leadership, the Assembly has also provided millions of dollars to fund the important work of community-based LGBT health and human services providers.

Assemblymember Adriano Espaillat (D)

Assemblymember Espaillat is the incumbent for this seat, having served six terms in the New York State Assembly. He is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and has voted correctly on all of our issues, specifically for marriage equality (June 2007), the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (June 2008) and the Dignity for All Students Act (2002-2008). He is also a co-sponsor of GENDA and Dignity for All Students Act.

State Senator Kevin Parker (D-WFP)

Senator Parker is the incumbent for this seat, having served four terms in the New York State Senate. He is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and votes correctly on all of our issues. He is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, and Dignity for All Students. His challengers are New York City Councilmembers Kendall Stewart, who is against marriage equality, and Simcha Felder, who is against marriage equality and has voted a number of times against pro-LGBT legislation in New York City, including a bill protecting transgender people from discrimination.


Buffalo:

Assemblymember Sam Hoyt (D-I-WFP)

Assemblymember Hoyt is the incumbent for this seat, having served eight terms in the New York State Assembly. He is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and votes correctly on all of our issues. He is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, and Dignity for All Students, and he has voted to secure millions of dollars in state funding for groups like AIDS Community Services, Gay and Lesbian Youth Services, Pride Center of Western New York and other programs that directly benefit LGBT people.


Long Island:

Assemblymember Philip Ramos (D-I-WFP)

Assemblymember Ramos is the incumbent for this seat, having served three terms in the New York State Assembly. He is a strong supporter of the LGBT community and had voted correctly on all of our issues, specifically for marriage equality (June 2007), the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (June 2008) and the Dignity for All Students Act (2002-2008) He is also a co-sponsor of the marriage equality bill and GENDA.

Gay Democratic voters in New York and California support Hillary

For the first time this primary season exit polls tracked the sexual orientation of Democrats who voted in two states – New York and California.

Here in New York, seven percent of Democrats identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. They went for Hillary Clinton in a big way. She received 59% of the vote. Obama got 36% and Edwards 3%.

In California, four percent of Democrats identified themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual and Clinton’s margin was even larger. She took 60% of the vote while Obama grabbed 25% and Edwards 5%.

These exit poll numbers are not too different from the results of Hunter College poll conducted last November among likely LGB voters, although Obama did pick up some ground yesterday. The Hunter poll showed Clinton getting 63% of the national LGB vote to Obama’s 22% and Edwards 7%.

We’re glad the National Election Pool (a consortium formed by NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and the AP) that conducts the exit polls decided we existed yesterday, at least here in New York and in California.

However, I have a news flash for the National Election Pool. We don’t just cling to the two coasts in these two states. We’re pretty much everywhere so it would have been good to have the same question asked in every state’s exit poll this primary season and with both Democrats and Republicans.

Hillary or Obama? Key LGBT newspapers and bloggers across New York make their decisions

A number of New York’s leading LGBT newspapers and bloggers who have deep roots in the LGBT community have made their decisions about who they support for President. We've also uncovered the views of two who remain officially neutral, but have nevertheless shown some of their thinking about Hillary and Obama.

Here’s how it’s shaking out heading into Tuesday:

· NYC-based heavyweight newspaper Gay City News evokes John F. Kennedy in its endorsement of Barack Obama. In its print version on the page directly opposite its endorsement, Gay City News’ founding associate publisher Troy Masters cites “ideas and solutions” in writing about his support for Hillary Clinton.

· Empty Closet in Rochester hasn't endorsed, but its long-time editor Susan Jordan says the Gay City News endorsement of Obama is "troubling" and decides to post a comment on GCN's website (see comment #7). Jordan calls Tuesday's choice a “vote-for-the--lesser-of-two-evils time again.”

· NYC-based newspaper New York Blade endorses Hillary Clinton and cites experience as a factor.

· Leading national LGBT and civil rights activist David Mixner, who blogs from Sullivan County, announced his support today for Barack Obama. Mixner was once a leading LGBT supporter of John Edwards. He cites the war and the need to bring America together again for endorsing Obama.

· Libby Post, an Albany-based LGBT activist who blogs and has a syndicated column that runs in several LGBT publications, makes no endorsement but appears to favor Obama. Edwards was once her favorite.

· Blabbeando’s Andres Duque who blogs from Jackson Heights in Queens supports Obama .

The Presidential candidates on HIV/AIDS

The presidential primaries are quickly approaching, and if you’re like me you still haven’t settled upon one specific candidate yet. The polls are tightening and right now there is no clear leader in either Party’s races. This is a good thing: it forces candidates to be very clear on important issues—and that particularly holds true for LGBT issues.

Our community has played a role in this presidential election that is unparalleled in our political history. LGBT issues have been front-and-center for both parties—in debates, speeches, town halls, etc. We have demanded that Democrats and Republicans articulate their positions on issues that are extremely important to our safety, happiness and health. And in many cases (most often in the case of Democratic candidates) we have been able to move candidates when we’ve felt that they haven’t been where they need to be on issues like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and legal recognition of our families.

One issue in particular, however, tends to get overshadowed by the headlines caused by sexier, more controversial issues such as gay marriage, LGBT people serving openly in the military and the need for a federal hate crimes bill. That issue is HIV/AIDS.

Numerous reports have recently stated that HIV infections are on the rise for young gay men and gay men of color. This is a problem that is not going away. New treatments have made it so that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence, but it is still a very serious and lifelong disease. The next leader of this country needs to have a comprehensive plan for dealing with AIDS—not just globally, but also here in the United States.

Gay Men’s Health Crisis has just put out a report that very closely details where exactly each candidate for president stands on all issues pertaining to HIV/AIDS—from the strategies used to educate about prevention to subsidizing medicine for those who are already infected but cannot otherwise afford treatment. The report is reader-friendly and hopefully will help if you have not yet made up your mind on which candidate to support on Feb. 5, 2008 (for all New Yorkers).

The report was the subject of a recent front-page article in Gay City News. In it, Duncan Osborne discusses how bad Republicans are on HIV/AIDS related policies. Republicans—closely following the Bush Administration line—tend to support ideology-based solutions instead of the obviously more effective strategy of using science-based solutions (like teaching abstinence-only curriculum versus safe-sex practices in sex education classes).

We might also add that Republicans tend to want to talk about HIV/AIDS as being something "over there" (i.e., Africa where transmission is predominately due to heterosexual sex) instead of here at home where they deem transmission pathways as being too hot to talk about on the "Pollyanna" trail of a Presidential campaign.

As far as New York’s two presidential candidates are concerned, Hillary scores towards the top of the chart, ranking among the best candidates on HIV/AIDS issues. And Rudy dwells near the bottom with his fellow Republicans. He didn’t respond to the questionnaire provided by AIDSvote.org for evaluation on this report and his record on HIV/AIDS policy while mayor of New York City was never much to be proud of.

Download a PDF of the report here.

Rudy Giuliani Then and Now: Marriage, Civil Union & Domestic Partnership

Last week we wrote about Giuliani’s reversal on hate crimes and the question mark over where he is on a non-discrimination bill. Now, we want to bring you up-to-date on how he’s changed his views around marriage, civil union and domestic partnership. Though not equal, all three are legal mechanisms government employs to support families.

As you will see, there has been significant slippage in Giuliani’s positions since he decided to run for President and sometimes he has completely reversed himself.

We continue to pose the question we asked when we launched “The Giuliani Files” two weeks ago: If Rudy Giuliani becomes President which Giuliani will he be on our issues? The Giuliani we knew as Mayor? Or the Giuliani who’s running for President?

Marriage

Rudy Giuliani doesn’t support marriage for same-sex couples and never has. However, on the question of whether or not there should be a constitutional amendment prohibiting marriage for same-sex couples, he has moved from being against it to a position much closer to that of the religious right.

On March 7, 2004 he said on “Meet the Press” about a Constitutional amendment, “I certainly wouldn't support it at this time” and “I don't think this is one of the critical issues.” But this year Giuliani has said he would support an amendment if additional states legalize marriage for same-sex couples. See here and here for more of the specifics on this change in position.


Civil Union

In February 2004, Giuliani said on Fox News's "The O'Reilly Factor” that he was for civil unions. This year, however, his campaign told the New York Sun in a written statement that Giuliani opposes anything that is the equivalent of marriage and specifically said about New Hampshire enacting civil unions, “This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it.”

His new position on civil union was widely reported in April and ranks up there with hate crimes in terms of a major policy reversal on an important LGBT issue.


Domestic Partnership

While Giuliani’s backtracking on a marriage amendment and civil unions has been reported in the press, his shift on domestic partnerships – and it is a significant shift – has not been written about anywhere.

We should preface this by saying the domestic partnership (DP) is an umbrella term that, unlike marriage or civil unions, can mean many different things legally. It can be as little as a registry with no rights attached or as strong as California’s DP law, which is essentially civil union, and can also be many things in between.

When Giuliani was Mayor, he was firm in his belief that domestic partnerships and marriages should be treated the same by government in terms of the rights and obligations government provides them. He went out of his way in a 1997 letter to the Pride Agenda to put the two on the same level when he said he would work to have New York City pass a DP law. He also said anything less than equality between domestic partners and married persons would be discriminatory. In 2001, he again speaks about domestic partners and married persons in equivalent terms when he co-signed a letter to President Bush asking for the 9/11 federal victims compensation fund to treat survivors in domestic partner relationships the same as survivors who were married.

Today, there is strong evidence that his view of domestic partnership has shrunk to it being nothing more than a simple registry that gives two people a document that states they’re partners who live together in a committed relationship. No rights or responsibilities provided by government – only a piece of paper to shop around in the event some entity might honor it, such as an employer who provides DP health coverage and requires documentation to validate the relationship.

Why do we say this?

This summer, the Boston Globe pressed Giuliani on what rights should accompany domestic partnership for same-sex couples. The campaign refused to answer the question. Then on October 16 on Fox News’ Hannity & Colmes, Giuliani answered the question himself by saying benefits for same-sex couples “should be contractual.”

A favorite talking point by the religious right when arguing against marriage for same-sex couples is that we can already get the rights of marriage contractually by going to an attorney. In fact any two people in America can go to an attorney and get a very limited number of rights by filling out the necessary legal paperwork. In New York State of the almost 2,500 rights and responsibilities that come with a marriage license (1,138 federal-based, 1,324 state-based and in the case of NYC another 20 or so), two people can get just about five of those rights contractually and you don’t need to be domestic partners to get them. And even in these five areas, which include power of attorney and health care proxy, blood relatives can challenge these agreements and if they push hard enough can often have them broken in a court of law.

Here's the transcript from Hannity & Colmes and below is the clip:

We believe Rudy Giuliani knew what he was doing when he said on Fox News that rights “should be contractual.” Sadly, this would also mean his view of domestic partnership is now a simple registry with no rights attached, which is very different from his position in 1997 when he equated DP to marriage in terms of how government should treat the two.

Rudy Giuliani Then and Now: Hate Crimes and Non-Discrimination

Hate Crimes

Rudy Giuliani’s reversal on the need for a federal hate crimes law is one of our biggest disappointments in where he now stands on LGBT issues as a candidate for President. In case you missed it, here’s one of his campaign operatives telling the Christian Broadcasting Network that Giuliani no longer supports passage of a federal law.

A former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, a former Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Justice Department responsible for supervising all the U.S. attorney offices’ law enforcement agencies, and a Mayor who made fighting crime a centerpiece of his time in office, Giuliani’s new position on hate crimes seems antithetical to everything he stood for in the past.

We posted his 2000 press release where he announced his own hate crimes initiative, which came just a few months before New York State finally passed a statewide law. In the press conference he held (that we attended to show our support), Giuliani announced the formation of a Hate Crimes Task Force for NYC and put over $5.0 million in taxpayer dollars behind it so that the NYPD and the City’s District Attorneys would have the funding they needed to investigate and prosecute possible crimes motivated by bias. He also said, as you can read in his release, “I call upon the State Legislature and Congress to enact hate crimes legislation that recognizes the severity of hate crimes and imposes the appropriate penalties.”

Given that hate crimes legislation passed the House of Representatives this year by a vote of 237-180, the Senate by a vote of 60-39 and the White House has said it will veto the measure, this is no academic issue. It’s before our federal government right now.

Hate crimes against LGBT people continue to spike up across America and we need Republican voices speaking up on why a federal law is important, but Rudy Giuliani’s voice is no longer there because he changed his position during the heat of the campaign primary season.

What does this say about Rudy Giuliani? We’ll leave that to you to decide, but I think you can figure out what we think about it.


Non-Discrimination

While NYC already had a law banning discrimination based upon sexual orientation when Giuliani was Mayor, we did not have protections in NYC for transgender people or a statewide law addressing either sexual orientation or gender identity and expression discrimination.

As Mayor, Giuliani frequently spoke about his support for the then-pending statewide Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA). I myself heard him state his support for SONDA each time I attended his annual Pride event in June at Gracie Mansion. And you can hear a reporter and one his openly gay political appointees, Chris Lynn, talk about Giuliani’s support for SONDA and hate crimes legislation in this video clip we posted last week on YouTube.

While support for non-discrimination legislation was a major part of his schpiel on gay issues whenever he spoke to our community, support for transgender non-discrimination protections was not. He and NYC Council Speaker Vallone blocked pending legislation amending the City’s human rights law to provide protections based upon gender identity and expression. It took Bloomberg becoming Mayor for trans discrimination to be outlawed.

So where is Rudy Giuliani on pending federal non-discrimination legislation for LGBT Americans, known as ENDA, another issue that is before Congress right now?

He’s silent. Despite the many times he spoke passionately as Mayor about there being no room in NYC for discrimination and the need for a statewide non-discrimination law, he’s nowhere to be found on federal non-discrimination legislation protecting LGBT Americans.

Perhaps he'll still articulate his views on this critically important civil rights issue. We hope so. We’ll be sure and let you know if he does.

For more on Rudy Giuliani, go to “The Giuliani Files” on the Pride Agenda website.

Need we say more about Rudy Giuliani? Well maybe we will.

This week we released “The Giuliani Files” and it created a bit of an explosion. There are strong feelings about Rudy. That we knew already.

Quite a few of you welcomed our shining a few rays of sunlight on the pro-gay things he did as Mayor and then comparing them to where he unfortunately is today as a candidate for President. Evidently we’re not the only ones who’ve gotten tired of the mainstream press continuing to call him “pro-gay” even while he has been distancing himself from every pro-LGB (no “T” intended here) position he took as Mayor.

There were a very small number of you who were not happy we didn’t also hash through those areas where Giuliani as Mayor was not particularly pro-gay. Yes, we know about his less-than-stellar record on AIDS and his acrimonious relationship with AIDS advocates over funding. We also know about his support for homophobe Ruben Diaz and his actions and positions on a range of other issues that put him at odds with our community.

“The Giuliani Files” and our comments to the press were about reminding everyone that Giuliani was once relatively “pro-gay” on a number of important issues, but now no longer seems to be. It was not intended to be about areas of his record where he was not great to begin with and still isn't.

To supplement “The Giuliani Files,” we thought we’d post a couple of additional pieces over the next few weeks that provide the nitty-gritty on exactly where and how he's slid away from pro-gay positions he once embraced.

After all, if he’s able to change so quickly on issues like ours, what does this say about Giuliani and his stand on any other issues should he become President? Deciding whether or not an aspirant for the highest elected office in the land has a set of core beliefs should be important to every voter, no matter where we might fall along the political spectrum.

So stay tuned. We’ll give you the dope on Rudy.

Will the real Rudy Giuliani please stand up?

Who is the real Rudy Giuliani?

The Rudy Giuliani we knew was pretty pro-gay. He supported a statewide and a federal Hate Crimes bill. He supported New York's Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) which made it illegal to fire someone from their job, kick someone out of their apartment or deny someone credit simply because of their sexual orientation (much more comprehensive, we should note, than the federal ENDA bill). He also stated several times that he believed that same-sex couples were entitled to all of the same rights and obligations that married couples are entitled to.

Yet recently he has back-pedaled on many of these positions, saying that he's not for federal hate crimes laws, remaining silent on employment non-discrimination and abandoning his support for civil unions--even saying that he might support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman.

We have just opened up a mini-archive of videos and documents that show in his own words exactly what Rudy Giuliani said to/did for LGBT citizens of New York City. The primaries/caucuses are only a few weeks away and we think that our community and voters in general deserve to know who the real Giuliani is.

Is he the fair-minded mayor of New York City who supported LGBT equality? Or is he the Presidential candidate who has distanced himself from all of the major issues that LGBT people care about.

We'd like to know...because you can't be all things to all people...

The Washington Post's covers "The Giuliani Files."

Obama talks to The Advocate

The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld (formerly of the New York Blade) had a conversation today with Barack Obama about the Donnie McClurkin issue and Obama's general ideas on how to get more Americans to understand and support the LGBT rights movement.

The interview notably reveals that Obama's campaign didn't really have an understanding of who McClurkin was vis-a-vis the LGBT community. He also describes his race with Hillary Clinton as "running against the dominant brand name in the Democratic Party over the last 20 years." And he truly seems taken aback with the accusations that he is not "out there" enough on LGBT issues, claiming that "there has not been a stronger and more consistent advocate on LGBT issues than I have been."

Read Eleveld's full article here.

Don't let the door hit ya...

It's with more than a little schadenfreude that we welcome the news of Sam Brownback's withdrawal from the presidential race. The U.S. Senator from Kansas is notorious for his anti-gay ways, so having one less in an already crowded field suits us just fine. Brownback never really connected with voters--even social conservatives, the ones that you'd assume would be his natural base. So it's with a tail between his holier-than-thou legs that the Senator makes his way back to Topeka to no doubt ponder "what's next?" like his good friend and current lost boy, former PA Senator Rick Santorum.

It was Brownback who was Robin to Santorum's Batman in the 2004 and 2006 conservative movement to write anti-marriage equality language into the U.S. constitution. If you google Brownback and marriage amendment, you'll no doubt find Santorum also making one hateful comment or another. Rumor has it that it was Santorum who helped Brownback "rediscover" his faith while both served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the mid-nineties. Precious.

Whether it was LGBT issues, stem cell research or reproductive rights, these two were constantly at the forefront of making sure that any forward movement on progressive issues was either squashed or reversed. Fortunately, we now know how Santorum's U.S. Senate story ended. And Brownback has already declared that he won'd seek a third term.

Santorum recently mentioned that he's considering a run for Pennsylvania governor. Brownback has repeatedly stated his intent to run in Kansas' 2010 gubernatorial race. Just because these men are out (or on their way out) of federal politics, doesn't mean that they can't continue to do considerable harm to LGBT people. Hopefully national and local LGBT groups will continue to keep an eye on both Brownback and Santorum as they plot their next moves.

For now, Brownback still has almost two and a half years left as a U.S. Senator. Let's hope his voice becomes even more diluted. And let's hope for a few more early exits (Mike Huckabee, anyone?) from the most anti-gay of the prospective presidential candidates.

Log Cabin's anti-Mitt Romney ad

Log Cabin Republicans have been running this ad in Iowa so that GOP voters there are clear on exactly who Mitt Romney is and what he's said in the past (despite what he's saying now to win over the Party's base).

Very interesting the approach taken here--no mention of LGBT issues, but the point comes across clearly.

Maggie Gallagher, don't apply directly to forehead

Question: What’s the difference between Head On and Maggie Gallagher?
Answer: People paid attention to Head On

You remember that “Head On, apply directly to forehead” commercial? Hearing it was like having nails pounded into my head. But it sure got my attention.

Not so with Maggie Gallagher and her column in the New York Post and on Yahoo about Presidential candidates and gay marriage. Except for the nail pounding that is.

Gay marriage! Gay marriage! Gay marriage!

Pound! Pound! Pound!

It was painful, repetitive reading. The New York Post gave her twelve column inches in today's print edition and it was clearly too much for her to handle.

Her obsession with whether or not we should be allowed to marry has ballooned to the point of being freaky and bizarre. It so dominates her writing that any point she’s trying to make just gets lost.

Now don’t get me wrong. I certainly have no problem with that!

She’s in trouble though with this issue and the desperate tone in her writing shows it.

America’s moving away from her on the marriage issue and there’s not much she can do about it.

When Sam Brownback gets booed at a Republican Presidential candidate debate for stating his support for a Constitutional amendment banning marriage between two people of the same sex, you know things are changing.

Perhaps it’s the war. Perhaps it’s the decline in America’s reputation around the world. Perhaps it’s the skyrocketing economic and political clout of China.

Whatever it is, it’s seems evident that the days of gay marriage as a wedge issue in national elections are coming to an end. That’s good for all of us, whether we be LGBT or otherwise.

Now maybe we’ll start talking about the tough issues we’ve been ignoring.

Maggie, are you listening?

Logo/HRC Presidential Forum is Tonight at 9PM

We’ve been providing you an overview all week long of what’s being said about tonight’s Logo/HRC Presidential Forum so we know you’re probably aware its happening from 9PM-11PM EST.

The candidates will be appearing in alphabetical order: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson.

We're very curious about how tough the questions will be and whether they'll focus on the same few issues or explore some of the community's concerns that are frequently overlooked.

If you don’t get Logo on your television, remember Logo will be streaming it live online and will have it available afterwards as well. Go to Logo’s Presidential Forum website called VisibleVote08 for details and also to made comments about the forum. Prep yourself in advance on the candidate’s positions on LGBT issues by reviewing HRC’s scorecard.

Finally, we wanted you to know the Pride Agenda has been asked to provide its thoughts about the forum in a few places tomorrow. We’ll let you know more about that in our Morning Sweep.

Tonight’s forum is a first-ever for the LGBT community and America so don’t forget to watch!