Ask your senator to support the marriage equality and GENDA bills!

You can help kick off the new legislative session in Albany with marriage equality and GENDA bills that are stronger than ever by asking your state senator to support or co-sponsor both. Communication from constituents like you is essential to changing the hearts and minds of elected officials.

Before marriage equality and GENDA are re-introduced for the new 2011-2012 legislative session, state senators have the opportunity to show their support by becoming co-sponsors of the bills. This is a new opportunity for senators to step up and publicly endorse these bills now that the recent elections have shown how supporting our issues is a winning strategy.

Contact your senator right now. Email them through our action center or call them on the New York State Senate switchboard at 518-455-2800 with the reasons why they should support and even co-sponsor these bills:

"As your constituent, it's important to me that all New Yorkers are treated fairly. Will you support both the bill to allow same-sex couples to get married in this state and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act?"

Your work to persuade your senator is vital to regaining the momentum towards the broad bipartisan support that will be necessary to actually pass GENDA and marriage equality into law.

Governor Cuomo has already shown a commitment to LGBT equality and justice by calling for marriage equality this year in his State of the State address, by promptly reissuing the executive order prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in state employment, and by appointing Alphonso David -- an African American gay attorney -- to the newly-created position of Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights. We need the New York State Senate to follow his lead. We need you to call your senator early in the legislative session to tell them why they should reconsider their position on legislation providing marriage for same-sex couples and basic transgender civil rights.

Next step: let us know what happened! If your senator's office responds, please contact our Director of Legislative and Political Affairs Brian Coffin at bcoffin AT prideagenda DOT org and tell us what they said.

Sen. Hugh Farley denounces GENDA and marriage: "abhorrent"

Incumbent Senator Farley opposes marriage for same-sex couples and GENDA, the most basic of civil rights protections for transgender New Yorkers. Empire State Pride Agenda's Political Action Committee is endorsing challenger Susan Savage. Won't you help us get out the vote this weekend for Susan and other pro-LGBT candidates? GOTV opportunities >

Check out this shocking video of Farley speaking at an event organized by extremist anti-LGBT lobbyist group New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms where he calls marriage "abhorrent" and dismisses GENDA, saying: "I won't even get out of my chair. NO."

Powerful editorial for marriage in Albany Times Union

Today the Times Union in Albany called on the State Senate to stop delaying and vote on marriage immediately. The powerful editorial is below.

Time to take the plunge

It is time for Democrats to show that they were deserving of the trust placed in them last year when voters gave them control of the chamber. They must recognize that with power comes not only privilege, but the responsibility to use it. That means, among many other things, acting on one of their party's clearest planks and following through on an implicit promise to pass a gay marriage bill. Or, at the very least, to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Instead, what we see is "inactivity," the word that repeatedly came up last week as the state's top judges heard two cases over whether state and local governments could recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

That inaction has left it to politicians, government agencies, gay marriage opponents and gay and lesbian couples to fight this battle on the fringes. In the two cases before the court, the judges are deciding whether Westchester County and the state Department of Civil Service rightly or wrongly recognized same-sex marriages from neighboring states and Canada in providing couples with health benefits.

On one side is the Alliance Defense Fund, a self-proclaimed defender of religious liberty and what this group from Arizona declares to be the interests of New York taxpayers.

On the other is what New Yorkers are really about: equality and tolerance, and the real meaning of religious liberty. Last we read, it was the right to live in a nation where "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Implicit in that is not having religious views concerning marriage imposed on citizens by those like the Alliance Defense Fund.

As for the interests of New York taxpayers, the lawmakers who were elected to represent their interests could save some small measure of public funds by not leaving it to other governments and the courts to be their proxy on this issue.

The Democrat-led Assembly earlier this year passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Democratic Gov. David Paterson is ready to sign it. Only Senate Democrats, insistent on trying to first finesse this behind the scenes rather that put this bill on the floor and make every lawmaker stand up and be counted, are holding it up.

Enough. Senate Democrats should put this bill on the agenda when the Legislature next returns to Albany and let it win or lose in a fair, open fight.

It is time to bring clarity to this issue and stop leaving it to the courts to have to express the will of New Yorkers every time some right-wing group tries to challenge this state's progressive traditions.

Pride Agenda calls for Senate vote on marriage, GENDA and Dignity

In response to developing events in the New York State Senate, the Pride Agenda has released the statement below. Also of note is this entry from the the New York Times' City Room blog, which quotes Senator Pedro Espada Jr., a co-sponsor of the marriage bill, as saying that he personally wants to bring same-sex marriage to a "vote of conscience of the senators." Stay tuned for more updates from the Pride Agenda as this situation unfolds:

Pride Agenda calls for Senate vote on marriage equality, GENDA and Dignity
Statement by Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle

“The Empire State Pride Agenda and our allies have fought hard to make sure that same-sex couples in New York are given access to marriage and the 1,324 rights and responsibilities that come with a state marriage license. We have also fought hard to end legal discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and bias-based harassment in schools.

The marriage equality bill recently passed by an overwhelming margin in the State Assembly and was gaining momentum in the State Senate as the end of the session approached. The same is true for the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and the Dignity for All Students Act.

Our issues are not partisan issues. They are about equal rights for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are treated like second class citizens. Our hope and expectation is that yesterday’s events will not derail efforts by our community to win the equality we so desperately need.

It is time to bring marriage equality and these other LGBT issues to the Senate floor for votes and have members vote their conscience. We urge the Senate to schedule these votes as soon as possible before the end of the legislative session.”

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.

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.

Family Court access bill is back in the news

We’re glad to see the NYT editorialize today about the long overdue need to fix New York’s behind-the-times Family Court system. In its editorial, the paper said:

"The Legislature should also fix a serious gap in the law: the inability of people in serious relationships with no children in common to obtain orders of protection in Family Court. Most states allow such orders, which are critical for public safety.

But the Republican-controlled State Senate has blocked them for years largely out of reluctance to treat same-sex couples as 'family.'"

We talked to you about this issue in April and want to emphasize again for the record where New York stands in relationship to other states on how our Family Court system treats same-sex domestic partners.

We’re among the last three of four states in the country where same-sex domestic partners who don’t share children are given no standing in Family Court. And we should also say just about the same holds true here in New York for opposite-sex domestic partners who don’t share children. Yes that’s right – New York is that regressive when it comes to this.

There is simply no good reason why we should continue to lag behind states like Mississippi and Alabama when it comes to who is deemed to be “family” in Family Court.

This year, for a change, there is actually a Senate Republican sponsor of a bill aimed at putting an end to this. But will the State Senate do what the Assembly has already done and pass the bill?

We’ll find out in just a few weeks.

Is this the year the Family Court access bill becomes law?

After passing the Assembly two weeks ago, a bill opening Family Court to domestic partners and other unmarried people was approved this week by the Senate Judiciary Committee. With movement in both chambers of the Legislature, advocates of this long-stalled measure are beginning to believe this may finally be the year this bill becomes law.

So how does this affect the LGBT community?

Well, believe it or not, New York is the only state in the country – yes the only state -- that limits the umbrella of protections it provides to victims of domestic violence to people who are married, have been married, or who legally share a child. This means states like Mississippi and Louisiana are more progressive than New York in how they treat unmarried partners in situations when domestic violence occurs.

This bill expands New York’s restrictive definition of “who is family” to include domestic partners and people in dating relationships – both same-sex and opposite-sex -- so that they, like married couples, will have access to Family Court and the protections it provides. The practical effect of this bill is significant.

For a married couple in an abusive relationship, the person being abused can obtain an order of protection from family court without initiating criminal procedures, which most abused parties do not want to do for a variety of reasons. Family court also has the ability to issue orders of protection that exclude the abuser from the common residence and can mobilize other types of social services aimed at addressing the situation.

Currently in New York for a same-sex couple, or any unmarried couple who does not share a child, the individual being abused has no recourse but criminal court and must find a district attorney willing to initiate criminal proceedings before any order of protection can be issued. Criminal court also has no ability to issue an order of protection that keeps the abuser out of the common residence nor can it mobilize any social services that may be helpful.

In short, family court is structured to deal with problems that are unique to two people who share an intimate relationship while criminal court is not.

There was real hope in 2001 and 2002 that this issue would be dealt with once and for all as part of larger bills dealing with domestic violence -- but it never happened. Since then the Assembly has continued to pass its bill sponsored by Assemblymember Helene Weinstein (D-Brooklyn) while things have been much quieter over on the Senate side. This year, though, a Republican in the Senate became the bill’s prime sponsor -- Senator George Winner (R-Elmira). Those who follow politics are speculating this means there is a new willingness on the part of the State Senate to get this done.

We certainly hope so.

Now that the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the bill, the only thing left is for the Senate to vote on it. We sent out an action alert this week asking everyone to call their State Senator to urge them to get the bill to the floor for a vote.

It’s way overdue for New York to catch up with the other forty-nine states when it comes to domestic violence and who is protected.

Governor Spitzer talks about marriage equality in New York

In a call-in show called “Vox Pop” on WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, Governor Spitzer talks about marriage equality and provides his views on the current political environment around the issue in New York. You can hear his discussion with “Vox Pop” host Alan Chartock beginning at 2’45” on the audio clip. For those of you downstate who are not familiar with “Vox Pop”, it is not too unlike “Inside City Hall” on NY1 in that it’s considered “must listening” for political junkies.

This is the Governor’s first extended remarks about the issue since the Assembly passed marriage equality legislation last year by an 85-61 vote. Spitzer reaffirms his support for the issue, talks about Republican support the bill received in the Assembly and how passing it in the State Senate will be an individual issue, a “Senator by Senator determination.” He concedes that having Democrats controlling the State Senate “probably would matter” in getting a vote, but emphasized that support from Senators will be more individual than partisan.

We thank the Governor for his continued strong support for marriage equality. We agree with him when he says support from legislators is individual in nature. Our community and our many allies and friends across the state made the case for marriage equality on a legislator-by-legislator basis last year leading up to the vote in the Assembly and that made a difference when the voting finally took place. It will also make a difference with State Senators when they take their vote on marriage equality for our families.

The Governor sharing his views on the issue came in response to a caller named Phil who identified himself as man in his upper 70’s who has been in a relationship for over twenty years. He said about his partner and himself: “We Pay taxes, we vote, we pay our dues to our community.” His question for the Governor: “Do you have any sense that within our lifetimes the state will recognize our relationship so that we can benefit from the privileges and responsibilities that other married couples enjoy in New York State?”

Organizing for marriage equality on Long Island

Last night more than 200 Long Islanders crowded into Central Synagogue in Rockville Centre to hear about where the marriage equality bill stood in the state legislature and how they could get involved in making marriage for same-sex couples a reality in New York.

The event, organized by the Pride Agenda, HRC, NYCLU and Marriage Equality New York was also co-sponsored by about two dozen local Long Island LGBT groups and supportive religious congregations.



LGBT people and straight allies began filing in at 7:00 PM and listened to a four-speaker panel (one from each of the sponsoring organizations) discuss the marriage equality movement and how we’ve gotten to where we are today--nationally and in New York State. They learned about actions they could take on the spot to help move the needle on Long Island, and ways that they could get involved in this crucial election year.


Panelists emphasized that the New York State Senate was the only remaining roadblock to marriage equality in New York. The crowd was eager to know where their State Senators were on marriage equality and Pride Agenda Program Director Desma Holcomb, using the Pride Agenda Legislative Scorecard, pointed out that many Long Island Senators have yet to publicly declare where they are on the issue. Holcomb said the next step is for Long Islanders to move these "undecided" Senators to support marriage equality and, if unsuccessful, then seriously think about replacing those who are opposed.

Panelists also stated that the 2008 electoral strategy for LGBT New Yorkers is to elect a pro-LGBT majority -- consisting of both Democrat and Republican Senators-- that is willing to take up marriage equality and other bills important to the LGBT community. Because the current Senate Republican leadership continues to say very publicly that it has no intention of letting the bill come up for a vote, this means making a significant change in the State Senate to move the bill, something almost every political pundit agrees can happen this November.

After the discussion, attendees signed letters and made phone calls to their State Senators stating their support for marriage equality. And each person provided the names and contact information of at least five more supportive Long Islanders who can actively participate in organizing support for marriage equality.

The (W)rath of Mary Lou

We've heard of some great legislative meetings today, many of them resulting in scorecard movement (which we'll talk about more in a later post). There's one however, that we found to be quite dispicable: Republican Mary Lou Rath, a Buffalo-area State Senator, flat out denied a constituent a meeting this morning.

Now, we know that elected officials are busy people, but what are they if not directly responsible to the people who they represent? This constituent, 23-year old Paul Neenos, dropped by Senator Rath's office simply to request a quick conversation, but was instantly rebuffed by a staffer who said: "we're not meeting with any of you people today."

Any of you people?

What's more is that Paul's family (almost certainly unbeknownst to the Senator, because there was no time for explanation) knows Ms. Rath personally pretty well. How embarrassing.

We hope that this note is circulated widely among Senator Rath's constituents, and that they remind her who exactly it is that hired her--and who can fire her.