Morning Sweep

The New York Times wrote on NYS Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith’s comments over the weekend at a fundraiser for HRC, where he said that there’s still work to be done to gain the votes needed in the Senate to pass marriage. Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle reiterated that this work is in progress: “Hope doesn’t deliver legislation. Hard work does…A Democratic majority in the Senate is not the finish line for marriage equality in New York State; it’s the starting line.”

Good As You’s Jeremy Hooper responds to the NYT story, saying that in the face of so many questions about whether marriage equality is possible in 2009, the best thing to do is to “do our part” by making our voices heard on the issue.

A New Jersey state judge has ruled that a lesbian couple married in Canada can legally divorce in New Jersey.

A NYT op-ed contributed by a veteran argues straightforwardly for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

After much talk about whether his new faith-based council would include LGBT representation, Obama has appointed a gay leader to the council.

A U.S. district court judge will soon decide whether a Miami woman can proceed to trial with her lawsuit against a local hospital for denying her visitation of her dying partner.

A measure to put a same-sex marriage ban before Wyoming’s voters has failed in the state legislature.

Perspective on marriage equality progress in New York State

We wanted to share with you a Perspectives column in this week's Gay City News written by Ross Levi, our Director of Public Policy & Education, about the evolution of marriage equality in New York State:

Marriage Equality's Political Mainstreaming
By: Ross D. Levi

At the press conference two weeks ago when Kirsten Gillibrand accepted Governor David Paterson's appointment to become New York's next US senator, she spoke about how she would be going to Washington to fight for economic and social justice issues like women's rights and marriage equality for same-sex couples.

This first-ever public commitment to marriage equality by a US senator from New York was certainly noticed by the LGBT community.

Less noticed was the fact that this was probably the most high-profile instance of a New York State politician using marriage equality as an illustration of their progressive Democratic credentials. In less than six years, marriage for same-sex couples had gone from being a controversial hot-button issue in statewide politics to a demonstration of New York Democratic bona fides.

It is easy to forget that not even six years ago, in 2003 when Canada became the first jurisdiction in our hemisphere where a New York same-sex couple could get legally married, national polls showed that only between 31 and 40 percent of Americans supported the idea of same-sex couples being allowed to marry, with between 51 and 56 percent opposed.

The Pride Agenda's most recent polling, in 2006, showed those numbers had basically flipped, with 53 percent supporting same-sex couples having the ability to marry versus 38 percent who opposed.

This evolution of marriage equality as a mainstream political issue did not occur by accident. On the contrary, marriage equality advocates have engaged in a long, hard-fought, and very deliberate campaign to have marriage equality - like reproductive choice - treated as a bellwether issue for Democrats from New York. The Empire State Pride Agenda, for one, knew that any high-profile LGBT equality and justice issue would need the support of a majority of New Yorkers before it would be passed into law.

So we began a statewide effort to change hearts and minds. Working with the LGBT community across the state, we held dozens of town meetings, trained hundreds of "Marriage Ambassadors," and created a statewide Family Photo Album, with pages showing loving LGBT families, that were displayed in libraries, community centers, and coffee houses all across the state.

In 2006, much of this work came together when, less than 12 hours after the state's highest court said New York's Constitution was not violated by same-sex couples being barred from marriage, we were able to organize thousands of New Yorkers to attend rallies in half a dozen communities from Buffalo to Long Island.

We also began gathering non-LGBT allies to stand with us, and advocate for us. We compiled dozens of testimonials from prominent New Yorkers in support of marriage equality, from local politicians to union leaders to clergy. Hundreds of faith leaders from dozens of congregations started speaking out publicly in support of marriage equality as part of our Pride in the Pulpit program. Unions began passing resolutions in support of it and, more importantly, began asking about the issue as part of their political endorsement process.

And we're not the only ones organizing New Yorkers to demonstrate their support for marriage equality. Similarly great work is being done by Marriage Equality New York and a more recent arrival, Join the Impact.

Now, six years later, the "hearts and minds" work is paying big dividends. Every Democrat who has been elected or appointed to statewide elected office since 2006 -Â including governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller - has been in full support of marriage equality, as well as other important LGBT issues like transgender nondiscrimination and safe schools for LGBT youth. Marriage equality also has the support of the speaker of the New York State Assembly and the majority leader of the State Senate.

And, most tangibly, in 2007 when the marriage equality bill received its first vote in any chamber of the New York State Legislature, it passed the Assembly 85 - 61.

Clearly the work is far from over. For example, there is one lone holdout among statewide elected officials - Senator Charles Schumer, who has yet to voice his support for marriage equality. Also, there are not yet the necessary votes committed in the New York State Senate to pass a marriage equality bill - but there will be, with continued hard work by all of us across the state.

In the meantime, it is worth noting that a significant milestone has already been reached. When the nation watches the "debut" of a new senator from New York, and she proactively highlights her support for marriage equality for same-sex couples, the issue has certainly arrived as a threshold litmus test for all statewide Democrats. And now that it is out there, there is no shoving this issue back into the political closet.

Morning Sweep

Have you noticed the ad running on NYC subways and billboards across the state that declares housing discrimination is illegal “based upon race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disability” – but that doesn’t mention it’s also illegal based on sexual orientation? The state housing agency is now working to remedy the inaccurate omission, since discrimination based on sexual orientation has been illegal since SONDA passed in 2003.

Legal experts say that recent same-sex marriage rulings in California could indicate that the federal DOMA could one day be ruled unconstitutional.

The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned a state family court's ruling that a lesbian's longtime relationship with the biological child of her former partner was sufficient to award her de facto parental protections. The ruling means that an “emotional bond” isn’t enough for an unmarried parent to claim custody rights of a child they haven’t legally adopted.

Bishop Gene Robinson testified in favor of New Hampshire’s marriage equality bill yesterday, saying “Don't let the religious opponents to marriage equality you will hear from today and in the days to come make you afraid to do what is right.”

A federal bill to give the same-sex partners of legal U.S. residents the same immigration rights as heterosexual couples will be reintroduced next week.

Morning Sweep

The man accused of opening fire in a Knoxville church last July, in part because of the church’s acceptance of gay people, will plead guilty to killing two people and wounding six others.

Several religious right groups are challenging Obama’s picks for top Justice Department positions.

Joe.My.God blogs about “Tell 3,” a new joint effort by several LGBT rights groups to encourage people to talk to their families and friends about being gay.

Morning Sweep

A Manhattan judge has issued New York state's first ruling that the survivor of a legal same-sex marriage is entitled to inherit a dead spouse's estate. More here.

The Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center is receiving support from the community after this past weekend’s vandalism.

The Oscar Wilde Bookshop in Greenwich Village, which is believed to be the oldest LGBT bookstore in the country, will close in March due to economic troubles.

Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner from New York's 9th District will serve as the vice chair of the U.S. House's LGBT Equality Caucus. Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin are co-chairs of the caucus, which was formed last June.

A bill to keep Wyoming from recognizing same-sex marriages performed legally out of state, like New York does, is moving in the state legislature.

The California Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Prop. 8 on March 5, and will have three months to rule on the case.

The Obama administration will soon announce a new faith-based advisory council that will help steer government money to religious and neighborhood groups doing social service work. The LGBT community is expected to receive some sort of representation on the council.

The Department of Justice has re-hired Leslie Hagen, an attorney who was fired during the Bush administration due to rumors she was a lesbian.

Morning Sweep

Police are investigating a possible hate crime at the Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center, where the front door and the center’s vehicle were vandalized.

The final tally shows that more than $83 million was spent by people either in support and opposition of Prop. 8. In the end, slightly more was raised by opponents, due largely to donations in the last few days before the election.

David Mixner is really sick of talking about Prop. 8, and would like to move on to 2009’s more pressing LGBT issues.

Openly gay U.S. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is calling on Hillary Clinton to make the State Department more LGBT-friendly.

Morning Sweep

The Gotham Gazette summarizes what's happened so far in the string of NYC arrests of gay men on trumped-up prostitution charges. The story also links to Gay City News’ series on the arrests.

Obama is building trust with military leaders before pushing his campaign promises of recalling troops from Iraq and repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

The L.A. Times editorializes in favor of keeping Prop. 8 donors’ names public, pointing out that the best way to deal with illegal harassment against them is through law enforcement, not by stopping crucial disclosure laws that keep government transparent and open to all.

Iceland’s new prime minister, openly gay Johanna Sigurdardottir, was sworn in over the weekend.

An Austrian pastor who claimed Hurricane Katrina was “divine retribution” for gay sinners in New Orleans is being promoted to the rank of bishop.

The New York Times has an interesting story on “womyn’s lands” – small lesbian separatist communities that are becoming increasingly uncommon as newer generations of lesbians are less likely to retreat from what some call “a man’s world.”