NY: Senate Passes Family Health Care Decisions Bill

After being stalled in the Legislature for 17 years, the New York State Senate has finally joined the Assembly in passing the Family Health Care Decisions Act that enables a loved one to made health care decisions when the patient is not able to do so. The bill places a same-sex or opposite-sex domestic partner, just like a spouse, ahead of a surviving child or parent in making these decisions. Governor Paterson has said he will sign the bill into law when it is sent to him.

New York has been one of just two states where without a health care proxy, no one-not a domestic partner, spouse, or family member-could make health care decisions when the patient lacked the ability to do so. This gap in state law has sometimes forced loved ones to seek medical decision-making authority from a judge at the very time they should be focusing all their attention on caring for their partner.

The enactment of this legislation will allow loved ones including same-sex spouses who were married out-of-state or fit the domestic partnership definition to have the ability to make these decisions.

Full Story from Outcome
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NY: 50 Straight Couples Get Unmarried to Protest Gay Marriage Ban

Central Park's Bethesda Angel looked out at scores of brides wreathed in crowns of fake white hydrangea and grooms in thrift-store formalwear. "Enjoy the last two minutes of your marriage," Rev. Billy Talen of the Church of Life After Shopping yelled, as on the most romantic day of the year the blissful couples prepared to negate their nuptials in solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement.

The happy twosomes -- some married, some in long-term relationships -- arranged themselves before a floral trellis. The theatrical activist and former mayoral candidate, who typically preaches an anti-consumerist gospel, then stepped forward to take a rather slushy pulpit, officiating the Valentine's Day mass "unwedding."

"Can I have a same-sex-elujah?" the Reverend bellowed, as his ashy blond pompadour bounced.

Full Story from the Village Voice
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NY: Anti Gay New York Senator Expelled From Legislature

Late on Tuesday, the New York state senate voted 53-8 to expel Senator Hiram Monserrate, convicted last year of attacking his girlfriend, slashing her face with glass, and dragging her through his apartment building.

As you may recall, Monserrate is a Democrat from Queens who voted against the marriage equality bill when it came up late last year.

The NYT: "...rather than bringing the issue to a close, the expulsion vote could be the beginning of a lengthy legal fight that could create further instability in Albany’s volatile political atmosphere. Mr. Monserrate said on Tuesday that he planned to run in the special election. Even as the Senate moved forward with the vote, Mr. Monserrate’s lawyers were drafting a temporary restraining order seeking to have him reinstated. One of the lawyers, Norman Siegel, said the order would be filed Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan."

Full Story from Towleroad.com
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NY: New Gay Marriage Play Opens Off Broadway

"When Joey Married Bobby", starring Lady Bunny, two-time S.A.G.Award Nominee Tina McKissick and introducing former Detroit Tiger Pitcher Matthew Pender as Joey, opened on February 6, 2010 for an open-ended run at Off-Broadway house Theatre 80 St. Marks, between 1st & 2nd Avenues. In attendance at the opening night were Fred Schneider (The B-52's), Frank DeCaro (Sirius Radio), Randy Jones (The Village People), singer Athena Reich and Mike Diamond (LOGO).

From the comic mind, of GLAAD Award winning playwright, William Wyatt (Peachtree Battle, A Sunday Afternoon At Loehmans, The Limousine Ride and Veranda) comes a tale about gay marriage in an ultra conservative household. Bright-eyed hunk Joey (Matthew Pender) has finally met the man of his dreams and ready to take a plunge into marriage.

The thought of a gay wedding has Joey's southern socialite mother Sarah Edwards (Tina McKissick) in quite a tizzy. Worried that the news of her son's nuptials might jeopardize her chances of winning "Christian of the Year," Sarah stops at nothing to protect her name, image and reputation. The legendary Lady Bunny co-stars in the play as the power-wielding, Baptist Minister's Wife, Charity Divine.

Full Story from Broadway World
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Senator Gillibrand Introduces Bill to De-Fund Don't Ask Don't Tell

A bill that would withhold the cost of implementing the “don't ask, don't tell” policy is expected to be announced tonight by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at a gay fundraiser, the New York Times reported. Gillibrand is the keynote speaker at the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) ninth annual greater New York fundraiser in Manhattan. HRC, the nation's largest gay rights advocate, recently endorsed Gillibrand's 2010 candidacy.

The bill seeks to deny funding to the military for the costs of implementing the policy that bans gay troops from serving openly in Armed Forces. Gillibrand is expected to introduce her proposal as an amendment to the federal budget.

The policy has come under heavy scrutiny since President Obama called for an end to the law during his first State of the Union address. On Tuesday, the Pentagon's top brass – Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates – told a key Senate panel considering the issue that the military should end the policy.

Full Story from On Top Magazine
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NY: NoH8 Holds Photoshoot in New York City

You’ve certainly seen the photos — white backdrop with white t-shirts, mouths taped shut, glossy bright eyes and the standard “NOH8″ logo on the cheek. Since November 4, 2008 (the night Prop 8 passed in California), Adam Bouska (the photographer) and his partner, Jeff Parshley (the visionary), have been photographing thousands of individuals in California for the photo project and silent protest known as the NOH8 Campaign. The project has grown exponentially over the last year to include notable celebrities and politicians: Jane Lynch, Kathy Griffin, Cindy McCain, Meghan McCain, Ashlee Simpson, Pete Wentz, Marlee Matlin, and Isaiah Washington have all posed for the campaign.

However, until this week only those in LA LA land had the opportunity to participate (shoots have also been held in San Diego and Palm Springs). On February 1, an open shoot was held at the Empire Hotel in New York City, inviting everyone and anyone to throw on their best white t-shirt and strike a pose. Over 500 New Yorkers lined up from 2 – 8pm (despite the cold) to have their photo taken by Bouska and during the time I was there, I saw a healthy mix of ages, races and gender.

While in line among strangers, I chatted with two adorable men living in Brooklyn, Steven and Abdul, ages 31 and 26, who had been following the campaign since the beginning: “I had been following them online and just waiting for them to come to New York, just stalking them til they got here. We stand and get photographed for tons of other things that aren’t important at all, so why not be photographed for something and make a statement? We support the idea of marriage quality.”

Full Story from Autostraddle
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NY: Possible Ousting of Anti Gay Marriage Queens Senator

A special New York Senate committee is likely to recommend that his fellow Senators consider ousting state Sen. Hiram Monserrate for beating up his domestic partner. You may remember, Monserrate, a Queens Democrat, was convicted in October of misdemeanor assault, and was sentenced to 3 years probation, ordered to serve 250 hours of community service and undergo a year’s worth of counseling for jealousy and anger issues, for slashing his live in girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, in the face with a broken glass last year after dragging her across the lobby of his apartment building. You may also remember Monserrate joined Republican senators last month to “defend traditional marriage” and vote against marriage equality legislation for New York State. Full Story from Lez Get Real: http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24354

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NY: Governor Paterson Bans Discrimination Against Transgender State Employees

Governor David Paterson received a standing ovation at the LGBT Community Center in lower Manhattan earlier today as he signed an executive order to ban discrimination against transgender state employees. "For far too long... the transgender community has had to wait for the same equality others enjoy based on employment," he said. "That ends today." Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle, Michael Silverman of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, Melissa Sklarz of the New York Transgender Rights Organization, Glennda Testone of the Center and Pauline Park of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy were among those who joined Paterson on the stage. State Sen. Tom Duane, state Assemblymembers Deborah Glick, Dick Gottfried, Micah Kellner and Danny O’Donnell and City Councilmember-elect Danny Dromm were also in attendance. "Transgender people, like all New Yorkers, need stability, and it starts in the workplace," Sklarz said. Full Story from Edge Boston: http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=100172

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NY: Republican Explains: I Voted Against Gay Marriage Because of Politics

Is it enough to have your heart in the right place even if the decision you make is wrong? Or, in local state Sen. Jim Alesi's case, if the vote you cast is unjust? He left me wondering about that question yesterday after we spoke about the clip, now making the YouTube circuit, of him holding his head in his hands while voting no to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. Lots of people want to speak to the Perinton Republican these days. The New York City papers are beckoning. So deluged Thursday morning was his Albany office with venomous calls, he says, that staff there summoned State Police to monitor the lines. Comments left on his Facebook page changed from appeals to support marriage equality to warnings that he's going to lose the next election. Alesi says he's planning now to visit with a few people he's disappointed in hopes of rebuilding frayed ties. Full Story from the Democrat & Chronicle: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20091204/NEWS0203/912040331

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NY: Jewish Groups Split Over Gay Marriage Vote

Orthodox leaders commended and Reform leaders condemned the New York State Senate's vote to defeat a measure legalizing same-sex marriage. Agudath Israel of America and the Orthodox Union lauded Wednesday's 38-24 vote against the bill. "While we must always respect all individuals as created b'tzelem Elokim, in the image of G-d, Jewish teaching clearly opposes homosexual conduct and the legal recognition of such relationships as being akin to traditional marriage," the Orthodox Union said in a statement. The OU also said it must "respectfully repudiate those who misquote or misappropriate Jewish law or thought in support of this legislation." Agudah noted the work its members did in advocating against the measure. "When our community comes together to respond to challenges, good things happen," said Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, the group's executive vice president. New York Reform leaders were disheartened by the vote. Full Story from JTA.org: http://jta.org/news/article/2009/12/03/1009517/orthodox-laud-reform-disappointed-by-ny-gay-marriage-vote

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NY: Poll Finds 51% of NY Voters Support Gay Marriage

Many New Yorkers are taking to the streets to vent their frustrations, after the State Senate voted down a bill that would have given gay and lesbian couples the right to marry in New York State. --- The vote comes in the wake of a new poll that finds a slim majority of New Yorkers in support of legalizing gay marriage. In a Marist College survey of 805 registered voters statewide, 51 percent say they support same-sex marriage and 42 percent oppose it. The same poll found that 61 percent of surveyed New York City voters supported gay marriage. Full Story from NY1: http://ny1.com/5-manhattan-news-content/top_stories/109824/new-yorkers-protest-defeat-of-gay-marriage-bill

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NY: Paterson Won't Introduce Gay Marriage Again Unless Passage Assured

Gov. David Paterson says he won't re-introduce the gay marriage bill that failed on the Senate floor yesterday unless its passage is assured, DN Capitol Bureau Chief Ken Lovett reports. “I won't reintroduce the issue unless I see substantial change in the position of the legislators,” Paterson said on Rochester's WHAM-AM. “The vote was 38-24; that's pretty substantial.” Paterson said again that he believes there are actually sufficient votes in the Senate to pass the bill, but lawmakers were too afraid of the political consequences to actually follow their consciences when the measure finally reached the floor. “People don't want to go down on a losing ship, and unless they're sure the votes are there, they're not going to vote that way,” the governor said. "...If I saw some change next year, I would introduce it." Full Story from the NY Daily News: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/12/paterson-no-timetable-to-try-a.html

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NY: Why Gay Marriage Failed in the New York Senate

Despite the spin, most everyone pushing for a bill legalizing same-sex marriage privately acknowledges that the 24-38 loss in the State Senate was a whopper, and while theories abound, there's no clear explaination for how the bill was so soundly defeated. Senator Eric Schneiderman started by blaming Republicans. "If you look at the Assembly, there were lots of Republican yeses," the liberal Manhattan Democrat said. "I don't believe it. They clearly decided not to allow a vote of conscience. I know that there were Republicans that wanted to vote yes." That's hardly fair, considering eight Democrats voted against the measure. Democrats—under the leadership of Malcolm Smith—took the chamber's majority in 2008 after promising advocates that they would pass the marriage bill, and that they would pick candidates who would vote in favor. That did not happen; Joe Addabbo, a senator from southeast Queens, was elected over Serphin Maltese. Full Story from the NY Observer: http://www.observer.com/2009/politics/thousand-fathers-marriage-inequality

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NY: Possible Senate Vote on Gay Marriage Today

After the State Senate deals with an Assembly-passed $2.8 billion deficit-reduction bill in a special session starting around now, advocates are saying there's a strong chance they'll begin debate on the marriage-equality bill that has been waiting outside their chamber doors for months now. Last night, the State Assembly re-passed their version of the bill, which had been passed in a regular session earlier this year. By passing it in a so-called "extraordinary session," they ensured that if the Senate passes it in their own extraordinary session today, there are no obstacles to sending it straight to the governor. (A bill can be halted if the versions passed by both bodies are even only slightly different from one another.) Gay-rights group the Empire State Pride Agenda hailed this move as a sign of "continued momentum." Of course, nothing ever goes as planned in Albany, so that "momentum" could easily "continue" in a holding pattern for days, if not weeks. Full Story from NY Magazine: http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/12/there_could_be_a_gay_marriage.html

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NY: Senate May Vote on Gay Marriage Bill Today

The New York Senate will likely vote on a gay marriage bill Tuesday, local NBC affiliate WGRZ reported. A spokesman for state Senator Dale Volker confirmed to the television station that the bill could reach the Senate floor for a vote tomorrow. The bill remains a priority of Governor David Paterson, who has pledged to sign it into law if it clears its final hurdle in the Senate. Whether Democrats have the votes to approve the measure, however, remains unclear. Several senators reversed course after voters in Maine “vetoed” a gay marriage law approved by lawmakers in the spring. Win or lose, gay activists say they want a vote on the bill to put senators on record. A similar bill is expected to receive its initial vote in the District of Columbia on Tuesday and final approval before Christmas. Full Story from On Top Magazine: http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=4934&MediaType=1&Category=26

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NY: As Senate Meets Tomorrow, Unclear if Gay Marriage Has Votes to Pass

Gay rights advocates have launched a final push to win support of a same-sex marriage bill in New York, as state lawmakers are slated to gather tomorrow to vote on the measure. Gov. David Paterson has called legislators to Albany for the vote -- saying he believes the measure will win enough support to sign into law. But, sources said negotiations are expected to go late into Monday night as Democratic leaders discuss whether to put the bill to a full vote in the Senate without knowing whether it will have enough votes to pass.  The State Assembly passed the bill earlier this year. Advocates on both sides of the issue lobbied senators over the weekend, but it was still unclear whether the measure could earn the 32 votes needed for approval. Democrats hold a shaky 32-to-30 majority in the Senate -- and the measure does not have full support across the party line. Full Story from NBC NY: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Gay-Marriage-Bill-in-Albany-Faces-Uncertain-Fate-69554487.html

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New York Governor Interviewed on Gay Marriage

New York Governor David Paterson has scheduled a special session of the state Senate for this Tuesday, November 10. Paterson has placed a marriage equality bill on the session's agenda. Yesterday, Corey Johnson and I sat down with Paterson for an exclusive interview with Paterson in his office in Harlem to discuss that bill and ask him whether or not he believes action will actually take place on Tuesday, and what conversations he's had with Senate leadership that indicate it might be acted upon. We also ask him if he thinks Obama needs to take a stronger position on issues important to the gay and lesbian community like the ballot measure in Maine. Says Paterson of the marriage equality bill: "People who've lived together for 10, 20, 30 years are waiting, hoping that this legislation will pass while they still have the breath to elicit an 'I do' on the altar, and I think it's time that it happens, and if I have to see legislation fail so I can identify who voted against it to better persuade them, then I'll take that chance." Full Story from Towleroad.com: http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/paterson.html

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Gay Marriage Vote on Agenda for Tuesday in NY Senate

Gov. David A. Paterson said Thursday that he would include gay marriage on the agenda of an extraordinary session he is calling for Tuesday, potentially setting up the first vote on the issue in the State Senate and a dramatic floor debate. Senate Democratic leaders could still block the issue from coming to the floor and have done so before, though it appears more likely to be put to a vote this time. Gay rights advocates, who feared holding a vote amid a Senate leadership feud this summer, cheered the governor’s action. The measure’s chances of passing, though, are seen as far less likely. While a same-sex marriage bill has already been passed twice in the Assembly, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Democrats have a shaky 32-to-30 edge in the chamber, but several Democrats have said they will vote against the measure, and no Republicans are publicly supporting it. Full Story from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/nyregion/06marriage.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion

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Gay Marriage Friendly Scofazza (R) Throws Support Behind Democrat in NY

One day after withdrawing from the race for the vacant congressional seat of New York’s 23rd district, Dede Scozzafava proved her unworthiness for support by “real” Republicans of the ideological right-wing base of the GOP, and endorsed the Democratic candidate, Bill Owens. Yesterday’s article on this page, Scozzafava's withdrawal marks end of GOP echoed the sentiment of many political writers and speakers of the day, when it stated that Scozzafava's exit from the race was the result of a significant message being sent by the conservative base to the moderates in the Party, get very conservative, or get out. Full Story from The Examiner: http://www.examiner.com/x-24111-Liberal-Issues-Examiner~y2009m11d2-Scozzafava-backs-Democrat-in-NY23-race-and-GOP-still-dead

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Governor Paterson: Gay Marriage Will Pass in New York in Coming Weeks

New York Gov. David Paterson says he expects to sign a same-sex marriage bill into law in the coming weeks. Paterson says he expects the state Senate to give the measure final legislative approval in the coming weeks and then he will sign it. That would make New York the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. Paterson can’t force the Senate to take up the bill and admitted to reporters he can’t guarantee its approval, but he says he’s now confident it will pass, as advocates and sponsors of the bill in Albany have been quietly working to build support. Full Story from The Chronicle: http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2009/10/31/the_chronicle/news/15.txt

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