Today, after months of public and private pressure on the New York State Senate to bring a marriage equality bill to the floor for a vote, it finally happened. The Assembly had already passed their version of the bill and Governor David Paterson had vowed to sign the bill if it reached his desk. But passage in the Senate was never a done deal and today the bill was voted down by a margin of 38 to 24.
The loss wasn't necessarily a surprise, although it was certainly disappointing, particularly coming on the heels of the heartbreaking loss in Maine. But the margin, with 8 Democrats voting against the bill and NO Republicans voting in favor was certainly a big shock. Personally, I believed that a few Republican votes might make up for the Democratic deficit that had been evident for months. That did not happen.
Tonight at Times Square, an impromptu call for a protest rally drew approximately 200 to 300 people despite the threat of rain. My photos here. Selected ones below...
Rainbow flag designer Gilbert Baker came up with this banner. Black script on yellow. "N.Y. Crime Scene".
Angered by the results, the crowd was energetic and seemed ready for action. But there was also an air of uncertainty as what the next step should be. Most of the anger seemed directed at the 8 Democrats who voted against the bill with the crowd chanting "Vote them out! Vote them out!"
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer came out to the rally and spoke to reporters in condemnation of today's vote.
Blogger Joe Jervis (Joe.My.God) was there to cover the rally and to express his displeasure, singling out Queens Senator Hiram Monserrate.
Not proud to be a New Yorker tonight...
Update: Video of the rally from In The Life Media:
This week, my friends Carolina Cordero-Dyer and Claudia Glasser opened their home doors to Westchester's News12, and spoke about what it means not to be able to marry in New York State when it comes to their relationship and raising their twins. I thought I'd share.
It was as crowded a news conference as I've seen in quite a while. Thursday morning, New York State Governor David A. Paterson announced that he would introduce a bill to grant same-sex couples marriage equality. Yes, I know that Paterson's star has fallen quite a bit in political circles, but I was once again struck by his humility, humor and grace in explaining why he was introducing the bill now and not at a later date. This man who came to be governor due to unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances. This man who was handed a dysfunctional legislature and has struggled to pull it together. And yet, a man who stood by principle and kept his word in introducing this bill.
As for the press conference, it was wondrous in more ways than one.
For one thing, people who just hours earlier were criticising the governor for his renewed push for marriage equality were standing next to him, and legislators who would not have been caught a LGBT rights event just five years ago, were elbowing each other to stand behind Paterson for the photo op.
For another, it was striking that here was the state's first African-American governor making such a bold push for marriage equality, when often minorities are the first to be blamed as not being gay-friendly or supportive of LGBT rights. It also didn't escape me that among the people standing behind him were the first person of Asian descent to be elected to the City Council. John C. Liu, former councilmember Bill Perkins; and Latino US Representative José E. Serrano. A powerful visual, for those attuned to these things, that minorities are not monolithically homophobic as they are sometimes painted to be.
I bring this up because it is at times like these when local media go ga-ga over the homophobic rantings of a certain Pentecostal minister (and State Senator) named Rubén Diaz, Sr. He certainly makes good copy and - unfortunately - he has managed to find himself in a position where his one vote could deny equal rights to hundreds of New Yorkers.
And, like clockwork, there he was on Thursday morning, holding an "emergency meeting" of the New York Hispanic Clergy Association (more like a "Look at me! Look at me!" meeting, if you ask me).
As widely reported, Diaz used the media attention to bash Paterson and say that he would be organizing a series of Sunday mass activities in the month of May leading to a rally of thousands in opposition of the marriage bill. He also said he'd be calling for Governor Paterson to step down (so much for separation of church and state).
Given the Pastor's penchant for running his mouth off, it's not surprising that plans for the rally seemed vague, at best. But he has pulled one such rally in the past when 5,000 people showed up outside the Bronx Courthouse building.
Still, I remain unconvinced that the Reverend reaches much more than a fringe element even in Latino communities and believe that money, time and effort countering his rants and rallies would be better spent highlighting the support of people like José E. Serrano and finding allies among Republican Senate members to counter the anti-gay votes of a few homophobic Democrats.
Having said that, it is clear that calls to his office from LGBT rights proponents in recent months have gotten under his skin. From an interview he did on Thursday with New York 1 Noticias:
DIAZ: By picketing my office, by calling my office, by sending investigators, by calling me 'homophobic', by calling me - eh - whatever you want, by calling me personal names, they will never get me to change my view. There is no way.
The only way that they will be able to get homosexual marriage: That more Democratic senators reach the Senate, and then my vote will not be necessary - and Governor Paterson is not helping out in that respect.
By the way, the guy responding on behalf of the National Lesbian and Gay Task Force? My great friend, Pedro Julio Serrano. He rocks! I'll be writing a bit more about him in my following post.
Above: The ladies of Mawu funk it out at the Mr. V "Welcome Home" store release preview back in May.
Yes, folks. In a town so nice they named it twice and one with such a vibrant underground house dance community, I guess it had to happen sooner or later.
On the footsteps of the 1st ever New York Dance Parade back in May, the 1st Annual House Dance Festival will hit New York next week (July 11th through the 14th). Full details here as well as on the organizer's MySpace page here.
The Village Voice also has a preview here. And yes, the ladies of Mawu will be there probably putting everyone on "So You Think You Can Dance" AND their mom to shame. Quentin Harris is amongst the participating DJ's.
On my birthday a few weeks ago, hubby Raul and William tried to get me to Coney Island on time for the sunset. Instead we ended up stuck in traffic and taking an early exit out in Brooklyn where we had some delicious birthday grub along with my BLFFE (best lesbian friend for-evah) Diana.
With a series of officially announced "impending" renovations at Coney Island's famed amusement parks (home to the world renowned Cyclone roller-coaster and the Wonder-Wheel ferris wheel, above) our fears that it would never be the same took over and we decided to check-out the annual Mermaid Parade on Saturday. And, by golly!, we made it!
It could not have been a better day weatherwise. So, without further ado, the 25th annual Mermaid Parade in images! The Mermaid Parade is all about... Red (hairy) Lobsters! The Mermaid Parade is all about... "I wouldn't f*ck you for practice" Pooh Bear bikers... The Mermaid Parade is all about... Some scary ass rides... The Mermaid Parade is all about... Cute kids watching the parade go by... The Mermaid Parade is all about... Ironically and cynically (?) hip topless redneck girls...
There were mermaids too but it would be unoriginal to post pics here, don't you think?
Last night I headed to the 9th annual Glam Slam competition organized every year by The House of Xavier.
A few days before the event Emanuel Xavier expressed concern that some of the local gay publications had shown little interest in profiling the event so I wasn't expecting too many people to know about it. If anything, though, the Bowery Poetry Club was packed with people and I had to remain standing during the performances since there no seats were left.
The performances were varied, some very good, and Emanuel who not performed but also produced the show's lighting and sound, was visibly giddy and happy about the turnout.
I managed to catch a small video of Mother Diva Xavier of the Loose Control Comedy Group a/k/a Chulisi a/k/a Andre Rodriguez (above) doing his thing as mc. Love him!
Emanuel fillis in the details over on his MySpace page here. He's also threatening to make next year's 10th annual Glam Slam the last one evah! I hope it's not but, if it is, I am sure that it will go out with a bang. Great night all around. Also at the event, the amazing percussionist Joyce Jones.
After debate and a vote, in a historical vote, the New York State Assembly has approved a bill to grant marriage rights to same sex couples by 85 in favor and 61 against!!!
To watch the New York State Assembly debate and vote live go here.
I will be updating this post as warranted throughout the evening (newer updates first):
7:42 PM - Born of immigrant Dominican parents, 39th District Assemblymember Jose Peralta (Queens) speaks movingly about his upbringing in a conservative Catholic family, of being taught to treat others with dignity and respect, of representing the 2nd largest Latino LGBT community in the United States (2nd only to Manhattan's). He invokes his "LGBT brothers and sisters" in supporting a yes vote on the bill.
6:00 PM - Recess is taking a bit longer than expected. According to Capitol Confidential it was taken to "accomodate the Republican minority who wanted to meet" just before the debate. The Confidential also says that support might be in the 80's with some Republicans rumored to be joining the Democratic majority in voting in favor of the bill (76 yay votes are needed for the measure to pass the Assembly).
4:59 PM - House in recess 'til 5:30pm; off the floor The Agenda is reporting that the Assembly Rules Committee has voted 21-8 to advance the bill. Among those votes? ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER WHO HAS VOTED IN FAVOR OF MOVING THE BILL FOWARD.
4:21 PM - The oh-so-boring roll call process is being enlivened by - ehem - hunky Democratic Assemblyman Luis M. Diaz from the Bronx who for some reason is sitting in Speaker Sheldon Silver's chair and overseeing the process. Debate on the marriage bill has yet to come up.
The Albany Times-Union Capitol Confidential blog puts the time of debate at 4:00pm and has a memo released by the Catholic Conference stating that, while they dignify us and love us, marriage for the gays would be "disastrous" for society. Big surprise.
The New York Daily News Daily Politics blog says that the debate will open after 3:30pm and says that some conservative State Assembly Republicans see this as a win since they predict that the move to debate such a bill will ultimately reflect bad on Democrats in the Assembly.
The Assembly will debate a gay marriage bill today, according to the bill's prime sponsor, Danny O'Donnell of Manhattan.
"That's right," he told me. "I'm a little nervous."
He said that the bill was reported out of the judiciary committee yesterday "with no negative votes by the Democrats," but he stopped short of making any predictions about its fate.
It should be said that the mere fact that the Assembly is having this debate is historic, and it certainly has the potential -- depending on how things go -- to become national news.
They Assembly is in session now, and the debate is expected later today. You can watch the session live here.
This follows a report from the The New York Sun this morning saying that the Assembly seems ready to pass it.
Gay City News is reporting tonight that the Judiciary Committee of the New York State Assembly has voted in favor of the "marriage equality" bill sponsored by Governor Eliot Spitzer and and sponsored by Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell and Senator Tom Duane. For details go here.
On Wednesday, June 20th, the New York City Council will be hosting its annual LGBT Pride celebration at the council chambers. It's the second year in which the proceedings will be overseen by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the first gay person (or woman) to hold the seat.
Christine, a former dynamo LGBT rights activist turned political maverick, has quickly ascended in the local political ranks and has long been rumored to be mulling a run for the Mayor's Office in 2009 after current Mayor Michael Bloomberg is set to leave office due to term limits.
A cover page profile and interview in Thursday's Gay City News gives an overview of some of Christine's major accomplishments as Council Speaker and also gives voice to some people in the community who express dismay at some of the compromises she has made for what they argue is political expediency. But reporter and GCN Editor-in-Chief Paul Schindler does a good job in distilling the realities of political activism vs. the political process and comes out with a fairly balanced and ultimately glowing profile.
I too have been critical of Christine in the past, particularly of her alliance with some of the least progressive Democratic party leaders in Queens, but as Council Speaker she has been pretty tremendous, including her latest effort to push campaign finance reform that would reduce the influence of business interests in city races.
A day before the Council pride celebration, on June 19th, I will be joining well over 100 of the city's LGBT leaders in hosting a fundraiser for Christine with tickets ranging from $35 to $100 for those of you who might want to join us.
Although host committee members are listed in their individual capacity, they include a diverse array of community leaders including Michael Adams, ED of Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE); Richard Burns, ED at the LGBT Community Center; Gerard Cabrera of the Out People of Color Political Action Club (OutPOCPAC); Daryl Cochrane of the Human Rights Campaign and GMHC; transgender advocate Carrie Davis; Latino Commission on AIDS ED Dennis deLeon; NYS Senator Thomas K. Duane; People of Color in Crisis ED Gary English; National Gay and Lesbian Task Force ED Matt Foreman; Assemblywoman Deborah Glick; Councilmember Rosie Mendez; Gay City News columnist and Brooklyn's Lambda Independent Democrats' Christopher Murray; ACT UP member and Gay USA co-host Ann Northrop; Assemblymember Daniel J. O'Donnell; Gay Men of African Descent ED Tokes Osubu; Lambda Independent Democrats' Gary Parker; New York City Anti-Violence Project ED Clarence Patton; Gay Officers Action League's Vivian Rodriguez; Stonewall Democrats of New York Tom Schuler; Queens Public Library's James Van Bramer; Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS' Tom Viola; Stonewall Democrats of New York's Jon Winkleman; Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson; and actor BD Wong, among many others.
It's actually a pretty impressive list and shows that, well ahead of a possible 2009 mayoral run, the Speaker enjoys wide support from the New York City LGBT political establishment should she chose to make a run for it.
First it was supposed to be gloriously sunny and mild earlier in the week, then it was supposed to be rainy all day long. Luckily the rain held off for most of the day and the 1st annual New York Dance Parade was able to get off the ground a little after the announced 1pm starting time.
The deal: 157 dance organizations dancing in 57 different dance styles.
The goal: To shine a light on New York’s unfair cabaret law, which bars three or more people from dancing in a venue without a special permit; a law reinforced by one of our own current presidential candidates, Rudy Giuliani and his Nightclub Enforcement Task Force which clamped down on - gulp! - unlicensed dancing (where's Kevin Bacon when you need him?).
We've got more photos here but, most importantly, we also got lotsa videos too! Including a carioca version of Danny Tenaglia's "Music is the Answer," those hottie cops I mentioned before, Freedom doing "Everybody Dance Now" despite some technical problems that plagued his performance (OMG, I think I can hear myself singing in that one) and his protege Alkebulan.
Best ones by far, Afro Mosaic Soul and the Dance Factory (see below for YouTube videos).
PLEASE NOTE!!! UPDATED POST WITH YOUTUBE VIDEOS OF THE CONCERT AND MORE ARE AVAILABLE HERE:A moment of pure blissful happiness (Sept. 16, 2007) --- Summer's just around the corner and we just might have "the. concert. of. the. year" already lined up for the Fall:
Today the immensely influential UK band Underworld announced that they would be making a couple of United States stops in their upcoming world tour and, hey! New York is one of them! The surprise is that the venue will be... Central Park!
No details other than the date (Sept. 14, 2007). They will also be hitting the Hollywood Bowl (Sept. 9) and Red Rocks in Denver, Colorado (Sept. 11).
I've written about them in the past so giddy-up. In the meantime I suggest the following:
Underworld with special guest James Holden Friday, September 14th starting at 4:30pm at Central Park's Rumsey Playfield Advance tickets $45 from ticketweb.com while supplies last Standing room only rain or shine Event info line 917.723.9381
Photo above by Perou (www.perou.co.uk). In the meantime... you. bring. light. in... you're. so. beautiful... rock. n. rock. n... roll... indeed...
From Albany, New York, comes word that a banner announcing a June 2nd Black & Latino Gay Pride celebration was slashed earlier in the week by vandals. Capital News 9 has the story (as well as video if you go to their webpage).
The annual event is put together by Albany's LGBT people of color organization In Our Own Voices.
Let me tell you a couple of things about the Reverend Luis Barrios:
• In 2006 he was honored by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation when they named him the Outstanding Spanish-language Newspaper Columnist of 2006. For years Reverend Barrios has written an influential weekly opinion column in the New York daily El Diario La Prensa which he has often used as a platform to advocate for LGBT rights.
• In July of 2006 he spoke up against the New York State Court of Appeals' decision that the state is not required to provide equal access to marriage for same-sex couples. In an Empire State Pride Agenda statement, the Reverend was quoted as saying:
"It is a shame that the Court made a decision to not protect the rights of all people. This unfavorable decision affects people that love and take care of each other. Family values lost out today. However, just because the court did not require the legislature to act does not mean that it should neglect its duty when it comes to lesbian and gay couples and their children. We now call upon the legislators to pass a law that allows loving same-sex couples to marry so that they have access to the same life-and-death legal rights and responsibilities that are given to all other families."
• In a 2006 profile from the Columbia school of journalism news service he tells Alison Ogden the reason why he allows condoms to be distributed at his church services: Three of his brothers died of AIDS in the mid-1980's.
• In May of 2006 he spoke movingly of long-time gay activist and journalist Juan Mendez upon his untimely passing when I asked him to reach out to Gay City News for an obituary they were drafting in Juan's honor.
• In 2004 he accepted my invitation to participate as a panelist at a Hostos Community College forum on the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples and riled against homophobic Reverend (and state senator) Ruben Diaz, Sr. for the pro-Bush and anti-gay rally he'd organized weeks earlier at the Bronx Courthouse.
• In 2001, he accepted my invitation to say a prayer in memory of Eddie Garzon at a memorial vigil that I organized in Queens a couple of days after Eddie died from injuries he sustained when he was beaten up on the streets of Jackson Heights as he walked home from a nigh out at the gay bars.
• Hm, he also was kind enough to bring me some Dominican cigars from a trip to the Caribbean island last year.
Still, I swear that I am not being biased in my suggestion that he shouldn't go to jail.
You see, ever since he attended an anti-Bush demonstration at the United Nations in September of last year, Reverend Barrios had faced charges of assaulting an officer, of disorderly conduct and of resisting arrest; charges that could have sent him to prison for five years (or more).
Fortunately on Wednesday the court decided that some of the charges had been less than credible and dropped all charges except "violation of disorderly conduct" for which he was charged with time served and a fine of $95 dollars.
Reverend Barrios maintains that he was innocent of all charges and says that the disorderly conduct charge is the price to pay nowadays for civil disobedience.
All in all, we are happy to still have the Reverend amongst us, free to predicate his inclusive sermons.
As you might have heard elsewhere, in trying to move the site of their annual LGBT Pride Festival to accommodate increasing crowds and secure a more welcoming environment, New York City's Heritage of Pride has ran smack into Mayor Mike Bloomberg's sreet event policies and the New York City Police Department's regulations on street event permits.
The City has decided that in moving the event from the narrow streets of the West Village to the wider 8th Avenue in the Chelsea district and by changing the date of the PRIDEfest from the day of the actual Pride March to a week earlier, HOP has created a "new" event and, as such, will tax police department resources.
The result? A permit has been denied and Heritage of Pride has been forced to cancel this year's festival.
BUT they would like for the community to express themselves loudly and demand that a permit be granted immediately for next year's event. More information on their site including a sample letter that you can send to local political leaders, including Mayor Bloomberg.
Other views: Blogger Frank León Roberts has another take.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) invites you to a “meet & greet” with Antonio Medina, well-known journalist and editor of Letra S, La Jornada’s monthly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and sexology supplement. La Jornada is one of Mexico’s most important newspapers. Medinawill share his own experiences in trying to eradicate sensationalistic LGBT images in mainstream media.
Hear – from someone who’s always been at the forefront – how the LGBT community enacted Mexico City’s civil unions. Medina and his partner, Jorge Cerpa (pictured above in a photo from La Jornada) became the first gay couple who signed a civil union in that city.
Come & create ways to share vital information between your organization and Mexico’s LGBT community.
Date:Friday, April 27, 2007 Location: GLAAD 248 W 35th St, 8th Floor New York, NY10001 Time:7pm-9pm
Snacks will be served.
YOU MUST RSVP: E-mail Mónica Taher at taher@glaad.org or call Hunter Aldrich at 646-871-8007.
[NOTE: This statement was sent out to community activists in .pdf form earlier today. I have not been able to find a direct link to the statement at the Health Department's site but the LifeLube blog also received the document and has uploaded and made it available for download here]
THE CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner
Recent media reports misrepresent the Health Department’s response to recent studies showing that circumcision significantly reduces HIV transmission in some contexts. We do not yet know what impact circumcision could have on HIV transmission in New York City, and we have not suggested or planned any initiative or campaign. Quite to the contrary, I indicated in an interview with the New York Times (the source of the misrepresentation) that I very much doubted that even 1% of men at high risk in NYC would undergo the procedure.
As a result of rigorous studies, we now know that circumcision reduces risk of female-to-male spread of HIV by about 60%. There is some evidence, but no proof, that circumcision may reduce male-to-female transmission. There is also some evidence, but again no proof, that it may protect men who engage in insertive anal sex from male-to-male transmission.
Our goals are the following:
• Inform the community of the facts regarding what is known and what is not known about circumcision’s effects on HIV transmission; • Promote discussion among community groups and health care providers to explore how circumcision may be relevant in New York City; • Increase access to circumcision for men who want the procedure.
The need for new effective prevention methods is urgent. But even if circumcision is as effective in preventing male-to-male transmission as it is in preventing female-to-male transmission, it does not by any means eliminate the risk of becoming infected with, or spreading, HIV. Any new approach, including circumcision, needs to be seen as an addition to our existing portfolio of proven HIV prevention strategies, including reduction of unsafe sexual encounters and consistent condom use.
There will be a community forum in the next few weeks to discuss these issues and we hope you can attend.
Sincerely, Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. Commissioner
Can You Flush Paper Towels Safely?
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Knowing whether paper towels can be flushed safely could save your plumbing
from disaster—discover the surprising truth before you flush.
The fake populist.
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The following article was written by my friend, *Chauncey DeVega*, for *Salon
Magazine. *
"Donald Trump is not a real populist. That fact will not cha...
Aquí estamos y no nos vamos…
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En primer término, expreso mi mayor solidaridad con todas las personas que
—en este momento y en el pasado— han perdido sus empleos por los cambios en
GFR ...
Great Sex Games For LBGT Acceptance
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The following are some great sex games for everyone to enjoy, regardless of
their sexual preference. They can be used in a number of different ways and
t...
Schön Küche Renovieren Aus Alt Mach Neu
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cool gros einbaukuche weiss hochglanz einbauk c3 bcche from küche
renovieren aus alt mach neu Dieses ist erstaunlich, wie man Farbe aus einer
alten Tür e...
White Feminism Did Not Save Us
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It is the morning after and my feed is full of angry posts about who is
responsible for this. I have a suggestion:
Back off from third party voters or eli...
Club Fonograma's Best Music Videos of 2015
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*“Amor Fantasma”*
((The Plastics
Revolution))
10. Sefárdico
"One day, when you sober up, we can be the Coen Brothers or whoever you
want..." sighed by w...
Diversidad Capital: discriminación por edad
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Esta semana en Diversidad Capital por Capital 21 hablamos sobre
discriminación por edad con: Ana Francis Mor. Humberto Álvarez. Victoria
Beltrán del Consej...
MIT Fellowship and Relocation
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Very excited and grateful to begin a new chapter in my life. The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has awarded me one of ten Knight
Science Journalism ...
The Years Of Writing Dangerously
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Thirteen years ago, as I was starting to experiment with this blogging
thing, I wrote the following: [T]he speed with which an idea in your head
reaches th...
Joining the Trans Advocacy Network
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Post by Christopher Argyros, Pride Agenda Transgender Rights Organizer I’m
excited to announce that the Pride Agenda has joined the nationwide Trans
Advoca...
Chess, anyone?
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Art by MUROB
From Wikipedia...
Chess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It
specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early r...
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