Campaign to Win GENDA in New York State!

There is hope that the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) has enough votes to pass in the New York State Senate and Assembly in the upcoming weeks.

The time is now to get active and push for the bill to come up for a vote. Empire State Pride Agenda urges you to...

1. Call Senator Tom Duane, lead sponsor of GENDA, at (518) 455-2451. Ask Senator Duane to bring the bill to the floor for a vote in February.

2. Call your own Senator to tell them that you expect them to bring GENDA (S.2406) to the floor and vote in support of it. You can find your State Senator's Albany phone number here.

Here are some talking points for your calls:

-Due to difficulty with job discrimination, one-fifth of transgender New Yorkers have incomes below $10,000 a year.

-28% of transgender New Yorkers have experienced a serious physical or sexual assault motivated by hate.

GENDA has widespread support, 78% of New York voters, Unions representing 2.1 million working New Yorkers, 30 Fortune 500 companies based in cities like Rochester, Corning, New York City and White Plains, and 547 clergy and lay leaders representing over 20 different denominations.

New York Marriage Inequality Protest Tonight!

After marriage equality suffered a 24-38 loss in the NY state senate, advocates are now protesting the outcome and demanding full equality for all residents.

Tonight marks the second rally in response to the vote and is organized by Marriage Equality New York. NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn is also expected to be among the crowd. Signs and noise-makers are highly encouraged.

Thursday, December 3, 2009
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Union Square - North End (17th Street)
17th Street & Broadway
New York, NY

New York Senators On The Fence or Opposed to Same-Sex Marriage

The New York State Senate is in limbo, with a 31-31 split, nobody knows which party is in control, and what legislation will make it before the session ends.

20 senators publicly stated their support for equal marriage, 32 are needed to pass the bill.

The following list of senators are either on the fence or opposed. If you are resident of their district please call, email, and write them and encourage friends and family to follow suit!

On the fence:

3. Brian X. Foley, D-Long Island (Blue Point)
4. Owen H. Johnson, R-Long Island (West Babylon)
6. Kemp Hannon, R-Long Island (Garden City)
13. Hiram Monserrate, D-NYC (Jackson Heights)
15. Joseph Addabbo, Jr., D-NYC (Ozone Park)
19. John Sampson, D-NYC (Brooklyn)
24. Andrew Lanza, R-NYC (Staten Island)
36. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Bronx/Westchester (Williamsbridge)
38. Thomas Morahan, R-Rockland/Orange (Clarkstown)
40. Vincent Leibell, R-Westchester (Patterson)
42. John Bonacic, R-Delaware/Sullivan/Orange/Ulster Counties
43. Roy McDonald, R-Upstate (Wilton)
49. David Valesky, D-Upstate (Syracuse/Onondaga/Madison Counties)
55. James Alesi, R-Upstate (East Rochester)

Opposed:

1. Kenneth LaValle, R-Long Island (Port Jefferson)
2. John J. Flanagan, R-Long Island (East Northport)
5. Carl Marcellino, R-Long Island (Syosset)
8. Charles Fuschillo, R-Long Island (Merrick)
9. Dean Skelos, R-Long Island (Rockville Centre)
10. Shirley Huntley, D-NYC (Jamaica)
11. Frank Padavan, R-NYC (Bellerose)
12. George Onorato, D-NYC (Astoria)
22. Martin Golden, R-NYC (Bay Ridge)
27. Carl Kruger, D-NYC (Brooklyn)
32. Rubén Díaz, D-NYC (Soundview)
39. Bill Larkin, R-Westchester (New Windsor)
41. Stephen Saland, R-Westchester (Poughkeepsie)
44. Hugh Farley, R-Upstate (Schenectady)
45. Betty Little, R-Upstate (Queensbury)
47. Joseph Griffo, R-Upstate (Rome)
48. Darrel Aubertine, D-Upstate (Cape Vincent)
50. John DeFrancisco, R-Upstate (Syracuse/Onondaga Counties)
51. James Seward, R-Upstate (Milford)
52. Thomas W. Libous, R-Upstate (Binghamton)
53. George H. Winner, Jr., R-Upstate (Elmira)
54. Michael Nozzolio, R-Upstate (Fayette)
56. Joseph Robach, R-Upstate (Greece)
57. Catharine Young, R-Upstate (Olean)
58. William Stachowski, D-Upstate (Hamburg)
59. Dale Volker, R-Upstate (Depew)
61. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Upstate (Clarence)
62. George Maziarz, R-Upstate (Newfane)

Use the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality form to identify your state senator and call them urging for their support.

Take Action for Marriage Equality in New York

Governor David Patterson has announced the introduction of a marriage equality bill within New York state. A previous bill under governor Eliot Spitzer passed the state house but was not allowed to come up for a vote in the then republican controlled senate.

New York now needs to pass the bill again within the assembly and to garner enough votes to pass the bill within the senate. The governor will then sign the bill into law making New York the next state to have full marriage rights for same-sex couples.



Sign the Empire State Pride Agenda's E-contact Form to urge your representatives to go on record supporting marriage equality.

Prospects for Marriage Equality in New York on Thin Ice

CALL TO ACTION: Dec 1st, please take action on this issue!

In New York it boils down to marriage equality or a continuation of denying equal rights. Democrats now have a very slim majority in the senate which paves way for the opportunity to introduce a marriage bill which already passed the legislature, and which the governor is eager to sign into law.

The current obstacle is three socially conservative democrats who refuse to support a democratic majority leader who will put forth a same-sex marriage bill for a vote. These three senators will possibly even cross party lines and caucus with the republicans in order to ensure it doesn't happen.

It is uncertain how a vote on same-sex marriage would turn out, not all democrats support it, and not all republicans oppose it. 5-6 republican senators are likely to vote in favor of marriage equality.

Below are the three socially conservative democrats opposing same-sex marriage and a majority leader who will allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote:

Senator Carl Kruger
kruger@senate.state.ny.us

Office of State Senator Carl Kruger
2201 Avenue U
Brooklyn, NY 11229
Tel: (718) 743-8610

Senator Ruben Diaz
diaz@senate.state.ny.us

1733 East 172nd Street
Bronx, NY 10472
Tel: (718) 991-3161

-Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. - No contact info found

It is imperative that we contact these senators and urge them to vote along the New York Democratic Party platform which supports same-sex marriage. When calling please be sure to let them know as democrats it is their obligation to support Malcolm Smith for majority leader. The fate of marriage equality very well may lie in the hands of a few socially conservative democrats trying to impose their will on the majority.

Urge Senator Ruben Diaz to Support Marriage Equality

The New York state house leadership passed a resolution to allow gay marriage, but the bill has been stalling in the republican controlled senate that will not allow it to come up for a vote. Now that New York democrats have gained slight control of the senate it could possibly come up for a vote. Four democrats are likely to side with the GOP. Senator Ruben Diaz of the Bronx has said this regarding gay marriage:

“If Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate has made a decision in Puerto Rico to endorse Senator Malcolm Smith, that is his decision. I have not made a decision yet and hope the others have not either. I have not committed myself to anybody, and my position as an ordained minister and a pastor will not allow me to support any would-be leader that will bring gay marriage to the Senate floor.

“This is nothing new. Mr. Smith and all my colleagues have known my position for more than a year. That does not make me a Republican. Where is it written that in order to be a Democrat you have to suport gay marriage? And where is it written that if you do not support gay marriage you are not a good Democrat? I have always been a Democrat. I remain a Democrat, and I will continue to be a Democrat. A Democrat who rejects gay marriage and abortion based upon my beliefs."(Politics on the Hudson)

Please contact Senator Diaz and give him compelling reasons why he should support marriage equality and let the senate bring the bill to a vote. The NY democratic party supports marriage equality and the majority of New Yorkers support it as well and its wrong to deny equal rights to all NY residents regardless of ones religious beliefs.

1733 East 172nd Street
Bronx, NY 10472
Tel: (718) 991-3161
Fax: (718) 991-0309

diaz@senate.state.ny.us

NY Dem Senate Candidate Now Favors Marriage Equality

Joe Mesi (D) is running for the state senate seat in New York. He previously announced he was opposed to same-sex marriage but now has gone 180 on his position and announced he supports equal marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.

This is a significant development within New York politics. The house has approved a gay marriage bill and Governor Patterson is eager to sign it. The current barrier to passing this legislation is the republican dominated senate. The GOP currently has a 31-29 slim majority. With many seats up for grabs and the majority leader Joseph Bruno (R) retiring, this could pave the way for a democratically controlled senate.

If the democrats pick up the senate this November we could very likely see a marriage bill come before the house. While not all New York state democratic senate members support marriage equality, the N.Y. democratic platform does support same-sex marriage.

If Joe Mesi gets elected it will enhance our chances of winning true marriage equality in the state.

Endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats and supported by gay philanthropists, please be sure to drop a thank you email to Joe Mesi for support marriage equality.

2001 Niagara Fall Blvd
Amherst, NY 14228
phone: 716-625-9013