Tag Archives: NY Senate

NY Sen. Ruben Diaz Blocking Trans Rights

As expected, this week the New York Assembly passed GENDA, a comprehensive transgender rights bill, for the third time. The bill is now mired in a state Senate committee staffed by the state’s most notorious homophobe, Rev. Ruben Diaz. GENDA currently awaits action in the Investigations and Government Operations Committee chaired by Nassau County Democrat Craig Johnson. Though Johnson is …

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Anti-Gay Religious Groups Endorse Former NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate

In response to Fight Back New York’s campaign to thwart former NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s return to office, the convicted girlfriend slasher has proudly announced that he’s been endorsed by anti-gay religious groups in Queens. Monserrate announced he’s being supported by a bunch of clergy who are praising him for his support on one particular issue: same-sex marriage. Specifically, his …

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New York Senate Approves Partner Healthcare Bill

Seventeen years after its approval by the state Assembly, the New York Senate has finally approved the Family Health Care Decisions Act. Domestic partners will now have priority over biological family members when it comes to the medical needs of an incapacitated partner. Via press release from the Empire State Pride Agenda (my bolding): New York has been one of …

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Heavy Hitting New PAC Takes Aim At Anti-Marriage Equality NY Politicians

The powerful Gill Action Fund has joined with other well-financed LGBT activists to create a new political action committee called Fight Back New York, who plans to target the state senators who voted against December’s marriage equality bill. First to face the ire of this new coalition is recently expelled NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who is running to re-take his …

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PhoboQuotable – NY Sen. Ruben Diaz

“The Governor went out on a limb for the gay community in his efforts to support marriage equality and to bring that bill to the Senate floor, even though he knew it did not have sufficient votes to pass and that thousands of people in New York State did not want it and will not support him for election because …

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NY Sen. Hiram “Slasher” Monserrate EXPELLED By Fellow Lawmakers

Tonight Hiram “Slasher” Monserrate was expelled from the New York Senate over his domestic abuse conviction of last year, which stemmed from a broken glass attack on his girlfriend, leaving her with 40 stitches in her face. This is the first time in almost 90 years that a New York state legislator was expelled from office by fellow lawmakers. Monserrate …

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NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Is Finally Coming After NY Sen. Pedro Espada

NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed court papers to force state Sen. Pedro Espada to comply with a five month old subpoena regarding his many, many violations of campaign election laws, non-profit rules, and state labor laws. You may remember Espada as one of last summer’s Gang Of Three that upended the state Senate over a leadership battle peripherally …

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NY Senate Panel Recommends Expulsion Of Hiram “Slasher” Monserrate

Local NYC television reports this afternoon that a NY Senate panel has just recommended the expulsion of Sen. Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat convicted last month of slashing his girlfriend’s face, causing 40 stitches. Monserrate enraged gay activists late last year when he reneged on a promise to vote for marriage equality. This morning he told reporters that even if …

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One Down, Seven To Go: NY Sen. George Onorato (D) To Retire

NY Sen. George Onorato, one of the eight Democrats who voted against marriage equality, is retiring. Because the gays are coming after him! State Sen. George Onorato, a veteran Queens Democrat, won’t seek reelection to the seat he has held since 1983, clearing the way for a run this fall by Assemblyman Michael Gianaris. At 82, Onorato is the Senate …

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NY Sen. Carl Kruger: I’m Am Not Gay

Anti-gay closet case NY Sen. Carl Kruger says local activist Allen Roskoff is a “bottom feeder” for saying that he’s gay. Which he’s not. Totally. No, really, he’s not. At all. Brooklyn state Sen. Carl Kruger became the No. 1 target of gay activists when he voted against same-sex marriage last month. Now, his enemies are circulating photos taken of …

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Catholic Church Thanks Anti-Gay NY Senators For Their Bigotry

It’s that time of year when you thank all the fellow bigots in your life, so New York’s Catholic Church has sent Sen. Ruben Diaz and his fellow “No Homo Marriage” voters a note of appreciation for all of their hard work in keeping those dirty queers down. “On behalf of the Bishops of New York State and millions of …

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Upstate NY Senator Wants To Split State

Sen. Joseph Robach (R-Rochester) thinks it’s time to resurrect the old plan to split New York into two states. Forget the fact that New York State’s boundaries have been largely unchanged since the Constitution was ratified. That only two states have been admitted to the Union by splitting off from other states (Maine from Massachusetts in 1820, and West Virginia …

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Sen. Hiram Monserrate Has His Fans

Elizabeth Benjamin at the NY Daily News reports the above flier is being distributed in Queens’ Lefrak City, the same area that saw some anti-gay fliers about newly-elected Councilman Daniel Dromm.

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NY Senate Lays Groundwork To Expel Sen. Hiram “Slasher” Monserrate

Yesterday a New York Senate committee report indicated that the expulsion of Sen. Hiram Monserrate may finally be in the works. Senator Hiram Monserrate behaved recklessly and callously after his companion was hurt during an argument at his Queens home, failing to call 911, dragging her violently through a hallway and taking her to a hospital miles away, according to …

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A Very Hiram Christmas

A group of gay protesters crashed the holiday party of NY Sen. Hiram “Slasher” Monserrate last night on the one year anniversary of his assault on his girlfriend. Monserrate is still not allowed to see her, you may recall his recent insanely hypocritical complaint about that: “Two adults who are consenting and who are like-minded and within their mental capacities …

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Poll: 47% Of New Yorkers “Disappointed” That Marriage Equality Failed

According to a new Sienna poll (PDF), 47% of New Yorkers are disappointed by the Senate’s vote on same-sex marriage. Most interestingly, 40% also say that their Senator’s position on the issue will be the deciding factor on whom they choose to support for re-election. Forty-seven percent of voters were disappointed that the Senate rejected the bill to legalize same …

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Monseratte Gets His Payoff From Diaz

Convicted girlfriend slasher Sen. Hiram Monserrate has gotten his reward from Sen. Ruben Diaz for his vote against marriage equality. Monserratte’s payoff? A letter from Diaz to Senate leadership decrying any attempt to expel him for being a domestic abuser. Paul Schindler at Gay City News: Surprise, surprise — on December 7, Diaz sent a letter to the Democratic and …

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The Shame Of 38

Law professors Darren Rosenblum (Pace University) and Sonia Katyal (Fordham) have published an article in the National Law Journal about the recent failure of marriage equality in the New York Senate. An excerpt: It is an insult to our dignity and that of our families. The Senate shamed our state by failing to establish the right of New Yorkers to …

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NY Sen. George Onorato (D) Explains

“Thank you contacting me regarding same sex marriage. While I continue to support civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, I remain opposed to same-sex marriage. I believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. In the months leading up to the vote, I heard frequently from constituents on both sides of the debate, and I believe my …

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Another Potential Challenger To NY’s Anti-Equality State Senators

Queens activist Brandon Brock directs us to this Facebook page urging support for LGBT ally and civil rights attorney Jeremiah Frei-Pearson (at left in photo) who is considering challenging anti-equality incumbent NY Sen. George Onorato in the 2010 primary. Today Jim Luce writes in the Huffington Post about Frei-Pearson: This fall I am adding my voice to the chorus that …

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