A late night phone call with Gov. David Paterson’s appointee to the Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand by the Empire State Pride Agenda has convinced the group that she’ll represent LGBT issues, despite having the lowest score of any Democratic New York congressperson as measured by the HRC. She says she’ll support a repeal of DOMA and Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell, though she opted out supporting previous legislation aimed at killing those measures.
ESPA Executive Director Alan Van Capelle told the New York Daily News:
“After talking to Kirsten Gillibrand, I am very happy to say that New York is poised to have its first U.S. Senator who supports marriage equality for same-sex couples.
She also supports the full repeal of the federal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) law, repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and passage of legislation outlawing discrimination against transgender people. While we had a productive discussion about a whole range of LGBT concerns, I was particularly happy to hear where she stands on these issues.”
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Anarchos
Given her record, what evidence is there that anyone should believe her?
Robert, NYC
Another thing, she once said that she did not believe in marriage equality, has she had a sudden change of heart just so she can get the senate seat? I’ll hold my breath on this one.
stevie
How many times are we going to be duped by these politicians.
Smith promised that as soon as he became majority leader (with our support) he would support gay marriage. He lied. The Governor said the same thing and have you heard a word about from him. Now she is suddenly going to change her positions to get our support.
We need to stop supporting all of them. When they do something for the glbt community, then let them come back to us for help.
Hint
She seemed very strategic in her support from previous interviews I’ve read from her. She’s from a more conservative upstate district so she played the game to get ahead. That doesn’t bother me (hello Hillary)….
She seemed to favor civil unions in all 50 states first and then working to marriage in each of them. She was more strategic about it and it made sense. But if now that’s shes freed from the conservative part of the state and represents the state as a whole, it seems smart for her to represent the views of her constituents.
I say good for her.
Robert, NYC
What they say to get picked or elected and what they do or say once in office is quite another. Look at Obama…13 years ago he said he supported marriage equality, now he doesn’t. I don’t trust any of these straight democrats, political whores whose careers are foremost, not the needs of the people. Paterson actually believes that Gillibrand will be good in so far as getting upstate conservatives and independents on board. He’s playing with fire. We shall see what transpires in two years when he’s up for election. To me, this smacks of Obama’s selection of the other arch-bigot homophobe Warren. Once again, thrown under the bus at the 11th hour. How can someone with the poorest voting record on LGBT issues suddenly have a change of heart just so she is appointed? Sounds more like political expediency to me. I don’t trust any of them with my vote any longer.
Jon B
Robert – I’d like to point out that HRC gave her an 80 out of 100. While that may be the lowest of any democratic New York State Congressperson, it’s not a terribly low score.
Stevie – Patterson single handedly made it so that gay marriage is recognized in New York, and Smith has barely started his majority tenure. Besides, in all honesty, do you really think that gay marriage is as important (or at least as important to the Governor and State Congress) as New York’s failing economy and budget deficit? Give them some time, and in the meantime, you can go get married in Connecticut and still be recognized as married in NY.
Matthew Van Houten
Here’s the way I see it. Gay rights, marriage equality, hate crimes HIV laws,anti-gay violence, and all the other issues that face gay men and women have essentially been tabled. This is occurring on the state and federal level.
Furthermore,Jon B. I’m a New Yorker and I want to get married at my house in New York, not it Connecticut. While I agree that there are more pressing issues at the moment that doesn’t mean that our state government cannot address several disparate issues at once.
As a matter of fact I expect our state and federal government to be able to act on a number of issues and laws at the same time.
The economy will rise and fall but the need for equal protection remains static and unchanged.
I’m glad she’s pro-gun, so am I but she’s not thoughtfully pro-gun since that would turn off her upstate constituents (which personally probably doesn’t give them enough credit).
Her record on gay issues is terrible. She’s caving in to this for political expediency.This was a miserable choice by a governor who has consistently made bad choices so it’s not entirely surprising.
I already miss Hillary. Is it too late to get her back?
Robert, NYC
@Matthew Van Houten:
Matthew, I too am a New Yorker and I don’t see why I should have to go to Connecticut, Massachusetts or Canada to get married. Yes, the economy is first and foremost a top priority but in this day of multi-tasking, passing marriage equality shouldn’t be at the bottom of the heap either. We shouldn’t have to tolerate or accept discrimination any longer just because there are more pressing issues. Let them walk in our shoes for a change. We pay taxes don’t we? We fight their wars, die for them, don’t we? Why should we have to put up with their crap, excuses and delay tactics? I’m not going to be so naive and think that Gillibrand has had an epiphany on LGBT issues either. Politicians are notorious for flip-flopping in the name of political expediency. We have an ace up our sleeve too. We can put them all on notice that continued, persistent delay tactics could cost them our votes in 2010, 2012 and beyond. For far too long, they’ve been taking them for granted. I’ve got news for them…..NO MORE if they don’t deliver.
Hint
@Robert, NYC:
Its not an epiphany its smart politics. As the rep for a moderate upstate district, she represented the views of her constituents. As the rep of the entire state, she will move to the left to represent the views of the state as a whole. She’s already doing that (check out her speech). If she didn’t she would face primary challengers and lose in two years. That’s democratic politics.
PS she has now declared herself in support of full marriage equality, something the gays beloved Hillary has never done.
Nick
Lower than Diaz?!?
Bob
New York is such a dump… who are we kidding? Democrats or “liberals” cannot even handle “diversity” of opinion in their own party. Gillibrand is labeled “anti-immigrant” because she does not want to give ILLEGAL ALIENS driver’s licenses? Uh, we are supposed to give border-jumpers licenses to drive? Wow!! She supports the right to bear arms… big whoop!! The “party of inclusion” only does so if you agree with them. Anyway, NY is a dying state like so many in the Northeast… due to lose more political influence after the 2010 census- going down from 31 to 29 electoral votes while Florida goes up to 29 electoral votes. Yeah, give us more taxes, more political correctness and more liberal policies that include being against Democrats that are not in tune with the wacked out left-wing, anti-American wing of the party. I mean, how in the hell can you defend giving illegal aliens a driver’s license? And this makes her anti-immigrant? Plus they are NOT immigrants… we are headed to be California- another dump that is tax ridden thanks to all the illegals and a decline of white population. NY- your power is slipping badly. WE once had 45 electoral votes and now 29 for 2012… I would call that a free fall- good.