Some lucky New Yorkers got a treat Thursday night when David Paterson and Gavin Newsom came together to fight Proposition 8, which would overturn gay marriage in California.

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Ten New York Republican Senators made some serious gay headway when they introduced a queer inclusive anti-bullying bill last week. The move surprised many, especially considering that Senatorial Republicans have for six years dismissed a similar bill, the Dignity Bill. It's not that oppositional Senators support bullying, but many objected to the bills' explicit inclusion of gender identity and expression, ananathema for right-leaning lawmakers.

Entitled the "Safe Schools for All Children Bill," this latest measure looks a lot like the Dignity Bill, including trans protections, but there are subtle differences. Perhaps most importantly, "Safe Schools" leaves no room for litigation. That is, students and parents aren't granted the right to sue, a subject the Dignity Bill didn't address. Safe Schools also includes the pragmatic cyber-bullying stipulation, another piece left out of Dignity.

Legislative differences aside, an examination of Safe Schools' success over the oft-dismissed Dignity Bill provides some lessons in political persistence, timing and a bit of post-9/11 geography.

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Alliance Defense Fund's really going out on a limb.

The Arizona-based, right wing group filed a lawsuit earlier this year alleging New York Governor David Paterson overstepped his power when he ordered New York to recognize out-of-state gay marriages.

n addition to citing separation of executive and legislative branches, ADF's relying on a far less sophisticated legal tactic: "The suit also cites the online edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary as evidence that the word "marriage" applies only to a bond between a man and a woman." Ah, yes, the old dictionary defense. Because, like social conservatives, words can't evolve.

The judicial fun begins tomorrow.

Maria Passannante Derr, a community activist who is running for City Council out of NYC District 3, offers her thoughts on gay pride, civil rights in New York and how she would use her powers for homo good - after the jump, of course…

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Governor David Paterson definitely made an impression during yesterday's pride here in New York. Thousands of parade revelers cheered as Paterson marched down Fifth Avenue, obviously seduced by the governor's pro-homo politics.

Paterson made a big impression earlier this month when he announced that New York State would honor out-of-state same-sex marriages. While some politicians only turn out to pride during election years or out of official obligation, Paterson informs NY Times that he's been going to pride since the event's early days:

He said he attended his first parade in 1976 at the urging of a gay friend and had walked in them on and off ever since.

“Back then, we would march in the back,” he said. “But then we learned that wasn’t cool because you couldn’t hear the music in the back. So we moved up.” He added that in those early years, he did not generate quite the same amount of attention from the crowd.

“I don’t think I’ll be anonymous today,” he said.

Honey, you'll never be anonymous again. You're a regular queen!

New York state proved its progressive chops once again!

Just weeks after Governor David Paterson declared that the Empire State will honor out-of-state gay nuptials, the Senate voted 61-0 today to extend the family court law to include the queers. New York City's Anti-Violence Project's press release, which we've included after the jump, provides some more details:

The bill, waiting to be signed into law, represents an important change from the current law, which only allows people related by blood, marriage or a child in common to obtain civil orders of protection. The new law will also bring New York in line with every other state in the U.S. that already protects victims who live with their abusive partners. "AVP has been involved in fighting for this law for a decade," said Jeannette Kossuth, AVP's Director of Client Services. "It will be instrumental in helping us to advocate for those who live with the risk of help coming too late.

Here's the PDF of the aforementioned press release. It's absolutely titillating.

Alright, back to the news.

Things are pretty sweet for New York state's trans inmates. Except for that prison part…

Transgender youth in New York's juvenile detention centers are now allowed to wear whatever uniform they choose, be called by whatever name they want and ask for special housing under a new anti-discrimination policy drawing praise from advocacy groups.
…
The policy went into effect March 17, the day Gov. David Paterson was sworn into office. Last month, Paterson directed all state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere as valid in New York.

Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield said the policy reflects the state's intent to be "tolerant, responsive and respectful" of gender identity and gender expression issues.
…
The new policy prohibits staff from asking residents about their sexual orientation or gender identity and says any disclosure must be voluntary. It also directs staff to talk to youth who decide to reveal their gender identity.

Could this be "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" at its best?

New York Bishop William Murphy does not appreciate Governor David Paterson's gay marriage push:

In a column in The Long Island Catholic, Murphy suggested the governor was "subverting the democratic process" because he issued the order without consulting the state Senate or Assembly, or the public in general.

"Sexual intimacy between persons of the same sex does not pass muster," Murphy wrote in the newspaper of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Homosexual relationships "do not serve the common good. They cannot do so because they contradict biological teleology and the natural law."

Obviously Murphy's unaware that same-sex desire exists among other species, not just the "Biblically-backed" humans.

New York Governor David Paterson caused controversy when he declared the Empire State would honor out-of-state gay marriages. While social conservatives scoffed at Paterson's progressive stance, it seems New Yorkers are giving him the thumbs up: 53% support his edict.

That's all well and good, but thinks get a little more complex as your break it all down:

A majority of voters, 55 percent to 30 percent, said the issue should have been decided by the Legislature, not the governor. Democrats supported the governor’s executive order by a margin of 64 percent to 30 percent, and independent voters by a margin of 56 of 37 percent, while Republicans opposed it, 57 – 37 percent.

The poll revealed a complex division of opinion when asked about whether same-sex marriage should be permitted in New York State:
* 42 percent said same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry;
* 31 percent said these couples should be allowed to form civil unions, but not marry;
* 21 percent said there should be no legal recognition of same-sex unions.