Withers: NY rep accused of harassment
New York Democrats are having a lousy week. Gov. David Paterson is hanging on by a thread. Rep. Charles Rangel lost his powerful committee chairmanship due to ethical lapses. Lastly Rep. Eric Massa announced he was not seeking reelection because of health reasons.
The western New York representative does have non-Hodgkin’s …
Update: NY court upholds gay marriage recognition
New York State’s highest court unanimously fought off a challenge to the NYS policy signed by Gov. David Paterson that recognizes gay marriages performed in other states.
However, the judges ruled narrowly, and asked that the legislature resolved the question of marriage equality.
From the New York Times:
…the decision gave gay advocates …
NY gov calls for session on gay marriage
(Albany, NY) New York Gov. David Paterson is calling the Legislature back to Albany for a special session to cut the budget and possibly vote on legalizing same-sex marriage.
Paterson wants the Senate to give final legislative approval to same-sex marriage. But there’s no guarantee there are enough votes to carry …
Military Gay Discharge Moratorium Bill A Non-Starter
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has decided not to pursue a senate amendment that would pause military discharges based on sexual orientation, gay weekly the Washington Blade reported. Gillibrand, the freshman senator appointed by Governor David Paterson after President Obama tapped Hillary Clinton to head the State Department, signaled last week she would introduce the reform as an amendment to a Defense Department reauthorization bill. The amendment would place an 18-month moratorium on the military gay ban, also known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the law that prescribes discharge for gay and lesbian service members who do not remain celibate or closeted.
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NY Gov pushes for Sept. marriage vote
David Paterson will push the State Senate to pass a same-sex marriage bill in a special session.
Gov. Paterson to push for vote on same-sex marriage in September
(Albany) New York Governor David Paterson announced that he will push the State Senate to vote on legalizing same-sex marriage in a special session in early September. Gov. Paterson, a supporter of marriage equality, said that he will push for the vote in the fall because the Senate is not …
Paterson’s Gay Marriage Soft Sell
Gov. David Paterson this morning said he has started talking – not lobbying mind you, just sort of casually chatting – with senators about his gay marriage program bill.
The governor has said he will at some point personally press recalcitrent lawmakers to support the measure, which was passed by the Assembly last week for the second time since 2007.
So far, he seems to be favoring the toe-in-the water approach rather over the jump-in-with-both-feet method.
” I wouldn’t say I was actively lobbying,” the governor said. “But I’ve run into a couple senators here and there and talked to them – some who are for it and some who are opposed.”
“So I have put my word in with those who are opposed and as the session goes on, and the session’s coming to an end, I will talk to the legislators that are not interested and try to persuade them that they should maintain any feelings that they have about marriage equality.”
“But the reason we think the law should be passed is because it would then keep it in line with the other laws that exist on our books.”
That last bit is a new line of reasoning from the governor, who has heretofore cast his call for legalization of gay marriage as the next great civil rights battle – an approach that apparently isn’t sitting all that well with black clergy in Buffalo (not to mention Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. and his fellow Hispanic religious leaders).
See * Paterson’s Gay Marriage Soft Sell New York Daily News Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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Massive NYC rallies on both sides of gay marriage
(New York City) Tens of thousands of people staged competing gay marriage rallies in New York City just hours apart Sunday. Together, the rallies stretched from Gov. David Paterson’s Midtown Manhattan office almost to Times Square.
The protest against equal marriage was organized by Hispanic clergy opposed to gay marriage and …
Koch’s Gay Marriage Advice To Paterson
If Gov. David Paterson is serious about getting personally engaged in the Senate’s gay marriage battle, former Mayor Ed Koch has an idea about how to go about that.
“When the New York City Council in 1986 was faced with a vote on a bill that I introduced that barred sexual orientation discrimination in the private sector in employment, housing and education, I as Mayor, having already barred such discrimination by the city government by executive order in 1978, called into my office those members of the City Council, Democrat and Republican, who were wavering on the issue,” Koch wrote in his most recent weekly commentary, which he subsequently quoted in a May 12 letter to Paterson.
“I told them that if their primary opponents or general election opponents used their “yea” vote on the issue against them, I would support them irrespective of their party affiliation and campaign for them,” the former mayor continued.
“My suggestion is that the Governor do the same. Because of the Governor’s low popularity, there should also be an effort to assemble a broad, bi-partisan coalition of private and distinguished citizens that would make the same commitment.”
See Koch’s Gay Marriage Advice To Paterson
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Governor defends gay officer in New York Army National Guard
Governor David Paterson lambasted the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on Thursday and defended a gay New York National Guardsman who’s facing dismissal for violating it.
First Lt. Daniel Choi, 28, of New York City, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2003 and served as an Arabic interpreter in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. In March, he joined a West Point alumni group called Knights Out and identified himself as a gay officer.
Military policy forbids homosexual service members from disclosing their sexual orientation. Choi received a discharge notice from the Army last week.
Paterson, who recently introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, spoke out Thursday on Choi’s behalf:
“What public interest does it serve for this veteran who risked his life in Iraq to be discharged from the military for exercising the democratic rights that he defended overseas?” he said. “This case is more proof that this policy needs to be changed.”
See NY Governor defends gay officer in New York Army National Guard Times Herald-Record * Tags = gay men gay news lesbian news transgender bisexual
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