Empire State Pride Agenda to hire new leader

Empire State Pride Agenda, New York’s leading gay rights group, will select Brian Ellner to be its next leader, according to the New York Times’ City Blog. [1]

Ellner is the senior counselor for community affairs for Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.

Says The Times:

“The selection is part of a broader move within the organization to restructure after a bill to legalize same-sex marriage failed decisively in the State Senate late last year.

“Mr. Ellner would assume leadership of the organization at a time when it is trying to regroup after suffering the most significant setback of its 20-year history. A Harvard and Dartmouth graduate who ran unsuccessfully for Manhattan borough president [2] in 2005, Mr. Ellner would help coordinate the next effort to pass legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in Albany.”

[1] http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/gay-rights-group-to-choose-a-new-leader/
[2] http://www.brianellner.com/

Calif. Assembly modifies law seeking to cure gays

(Sacramento) California lawmakers have voted to modify a decades-old law that classifies gays as sexual deviants and calls for research on the causes of homosexuality.

Supporters say a change was long overdue in the law, which was written in 1950 in reaction to a series of sex crimes, including the molestation and murder of a 6-year-old girl in Los Angeles.

The law classifies gays as sexual deviants and requires the state to conduct research to find the causes of sex crimes against children. It also singles out gays as a group that should be studied, and calls for research into a cure for homosexuality.

The bill, approved 62-0 Monday by the state Assembly, changes that law by removing all references to homosexuals in the provision that calls for research.

The measure now goes to the state Senate.

Gay senator wants space shuttle to land in NYC

New York’s openly gay state senator wants to bring the space shuttle to New York City. And on Thursday, the state senate took a step toward realizing that dream, passing a resolution endorsing an application to receive one of NASA’s retiring crafts, according to a news release [1] from Sen. Tom Duane’s office.

Three NASA shuttles – Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis – are scheduled to be retired early next year. Duane hopes to bring one of them to Manhattan’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

[2]

“The spacecrafts are national treasures,” Duane said in the news release. “With more than 8 million residents and 46 million visitors each year, New York City would be without question the most high-profile and exciting place for the shuttle to land.”

The Intrepid Museum launched an online petition [3] and so far has collected nearly 45,000 signatures.

[1] http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-duane-spearheads-passage-resolution-bring-space-shuttle-new-york-city
[2] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-tom-duane-top.jpg
[3] http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/shuttle/

Withers: Fighting back against Monserrate

As many of you know, New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate is a worm. There is that misdemeanor assault conviction against his girlfriend, getting booted out of the state Senate, and his ability to compare himself to murdered civil rights workers.

And who can forget his efforts to make Albany more …

Indiana gay marriage ban moves forward

A constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in Indiana took a step forward after a Republican-controlled Senate committee approved the measure 6-4 Wednesday.

While the measure stands a chance of progressing through Indiana’s full state Senate, which is currently controlled by the GOP, it is unlikely to make it through the Democrat-controlled …

Gays vow fight as NJ same-sex marriage bill fails

(Trenton, NJ) Marriage equality activists are vowing to fight back through the courts after the state Senate voted down a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Minutes after the bill was defeated 20-14 on Thursday, gay rights advocates announced they would file a lawsuit seeking to get the state’s top court to …

NJ votes no on gay marriage

As expected – but not as hoped. Vote was 20-14.

I’m in the JetBlue terminal, about to fly to Charlotte, NC – I’ll have more for you when I land.

I’m back online: Here’s what AP has:

NJ Senate defeats gay marriage bill

(Trenton, NJ) New Jersey’s state Senate has defeated a bill …

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 …

The New York Blade Suspends Publication

The New York Blade, one of the two major gay and lesbian newspapers in New York City, has laid off its editor in chief and suspended publication, the chief executive of its publishing company said on Wednesday.

“Everyone was let go, but the people on The Blade know that they may come back if The Blade is coming back,” said the executive, Matthew Bank, of HX Media, which was formed in 2005 by the merger of The Blade and HX Magazine.

The moves came on Tuesday after HX was sold to undisclosed buyers. The Blade, a biweekly paper with a free circulation of 22,000, was left with an uncertain future.

“It doesn’t have an issue scheduled until a week from Friday.” Mr. Bank said. “There are a lot of things that can happen between now and then.”

The decision to suspend publication comes at a particularly active period for journalism concerned with gay issues: the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the gay pride parade on Sunday, the proposed same-sex marriage bill in the State Senate and discontent over the Obama administration’s performance on gay-rights issues.

“It is an incredibly exciting time for gay journalism,” said Kat Long, who had been editor in chief of The Blade since February. “It’s important that gay papers are around to document it.”

Paul Schindler, editor in chief of Gay City News, the rival New York City gay newspaper, said The Blade had “made good contributions over the years.”

See New York Gay Newspaper Suspends Publication

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