I am worried about marriage equality in my home state now

[Chovexani]

With this Spitzer scandal I'm afraid any chance we had at marriage equality in NY is screwn. :(

I'm SO MAD at him. He's been one of the best allies we could have. I just knew NY would be the next state to legalize it, upstate rednecks be damned...now I am not so sure. :(

[Ian David]

1. I had that thought too. n/t

[ingac70]

2. Encourage Hillary to run for Governor. n/t

[soleft]

3. Bingo! I am really depressed

I frigging seat away from getting control of the senate.

[bodacious]

7. dont worry. Obama will win in November

and it all will be easier.

[soleft]

9. Dude, if you think you're agitating me

Save your energy. I'm an Obama supporter.

Never mind - he's already a goner.

[terrya]

4. That thought came to mind, also.

I thought exactly the same thing. There's no chance for marriage equality in New York State now.

:-(

[Zuiderelle]

5. Damn, you're right.

Ain't that a kick in the pants? :(

[bodacious]

6. cheer up

what is this spitzer scandal you talk about?

[Chovexani]

8. He was involved in a prostitution ring of all things

Here is the LBN thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3218984&mesg_id=3218984

[galledgoblin]

10. I'm so pissed at him

I stuck with him through the migrant worker mess (actually, I agreed with him, I just thought it was politically moronic to "steamroll" such a controversial issue when he could have focused on much easier and more popular issues), kept my "everything changes on day one!" poster on the wall.

now this.

very very very (did I mention VERY) angry and disappointed right now.

[closeupready]

11. I know what his promises were, but I don't believe he was doing much,

if anything, towards making good on them.

If change happens, it will be because it happened at the grass-roots level.

Still, to the extent he was an ally, I'm saddened by what happened today.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. he did try.

[closeupready]

15. Yeah, that's why I say as an ally (as he was), I'm sad for what happened.

but gays and lesbians can't look for knights in shining armor to come save us. If change is going to happen, it will happen because we came out of the closet, our families embrace us as we are, we pressure our religious organizations to change their dogma/doctrine.

The fight for marriage equality is about more than Eliot Spitzer. (which, I know you know, I'm just fleshing out my point here. :) )

[Chovexani]

16. I keep telling myself that

But it's hard to lose a visible and high profile supporter...especially when the state legislature is within reach. :(

Of course it's depressing as hell considering I moved to a state where we narrowly defeated a DOMA proposition on the ballot (and the local fundies and Mormons are trying to get it back on there for this election).

[Meeker Morgan]

12. I don't think the scandal will have any effect on marriage equality.

When there is enough popular support or possibly a court case.

That's all that matters.

It's not as if Spitzer were doing anything in particular for marriage equality.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. me too, i reallly really liked him

[Chovexani]

17. I'm very disappointed in him

Which is kinda silly because politicians are human and do boneheaded things like everyone else. It's dumb to think they're somehow better than that, particularly when they go on about ethics. But I really liked him. He was one of the few people I voted for that I didn't have to hold my nose about. I always tell people he was the last guy I voted for in NY (I voted absentee) and I did so with pride.

I think what hurts is I wanted to believe Spitzer was better than that. But politics like everything is a long string of disappointments. I hope the more starry-eyed folks in the Obama camp take a good long look at this situation and take a few lessons from it.

[galledgoblin]

18. 5:30... unless something is announced in the next hour (in time for the evening news)

or he wants a nighttime, formal press conference/announcement, I think he's planning to hang on.

refreshing http://news.google.com/news http://www.eliotspitzer.com/ and http://www.prideagenda.org/ and LBN the rest of the day

[Fearless]

19. Well maybe someone new will come along... change is rarely bad in the long run.

[AGirl]

20. I am worried about the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act

[Chovexani]

21. I hadn't been keeping tabs on that since I moved

Is it still being held up in the Assembly?

[closeupready]

22. Spitzer's successor, Paterson, is perhaps an even bigger supporter of GLBT equality.

Lt. Governor David Paterson, who will assume the responsibilities of governor of New York on Monday, March 17, is viewed by gay and trans activists alike as the staunchest of supporters for the LGBT community. Paterson will be the first African American and legally blind governor of the state.

“He has been there in every critical fight over the last two decades,” said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, naming hate-crimes legislation passed in 1987, the Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination Act (SONDA) passed in 2002, and the ongoing fight to legalize same-sex marriage.

Though SONDA was not trans-inclusive, transgender activist Melissa Sklarz, director of New York Trans Rights Organization (NYTRO), said Paterson, who was the state senate minority leader at the time, labored to find a route for protecting trans people...

Paterson was also an early supporter of same-sex marriage, going on record as early as 1994. According to LGBT activist and Democratic political consultant Ethan Geto, he took a critical part in lobbying for passage of Gov. Spitzer’s marriage equality bill in the New York State assembly last year.

http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid52647.asp

[galledgoblin]

23. beat me to it

we may come out of this better off!

"Senator David Paterson, is Senate Minority Leader. In that role, he has been a similarly strong for the LGBT community. He supports marriage equality and transgender non-discrimination. He worked hard to enact the state's Hate Crimes Act and Sexual Orientation Non Discrimination Act. He believes that under the law all Americans deserve full and equal protection, and promises to stand with the LGBT community in a shared commitment to fairness and justice."
http://prideagenda.org/portals/0/campaigns/06election/primary.html

Senators Duane and Paterson want the bill amended to become "trans-inclusive," which would extend the bill's protections against discrimination in jobs, housing and other areas to transgendered individuals.

"I would support the bill without the amendment if I had convincing evidence that the law currently protects transgendered people," said Mr. Paterson, who wields considerable clout in Albany as the incoming Senate Minority Leader.

"I would support it if that community were willing to let the bill go through as is," Mr. Paterson added. "If not, it's going to be very difficult. I want to be consistent with my personal belief that to exclude anyone is an affront to everyone."
http://www.observer.com/node/46856

in that second article, it says that Paterson actually fell FURTHER TO THE LEFT than ESPA.

[Chovexani]

24. Wow, that's great, I had no idea

All I knew about Paterson is that he's done a lot of good work for the blind community. This is a great bonus.

Maybe there's a silver lining in this after all.

[Chovexani]

25. Would you mind if I posted this in GD, btw?

This article deserves to get seen.

[closeupready]

26. not at all go right ahead.

:hi: