Could the New York City's first openly-gay City Council member, Christine Quinn, be tapped to replace Hillary Clinton's Senate seat once she formally accepts Obama's offer to be Secretary of State?

The answer is a definite maybe according to Sharyn O'Halloran, a political science professor at Columbia University. New York Governor David Paterson will make the appointment. Gov. Paterson is a champion of gay rights in New York and earlier this year, ordered the state to recognize same-sex marriages performed outside the state.

When asked about the possibility, Quinn made the standard non-denial denial a politician makes when asked about future political prospects, saying:

"There's a lot of steps that have to fall into place before we get to the point where we might have to look for a United States senator. I am very lucky to have a job right now, a job that I love and I am at this moment planning to run for both of the jobs that I have - local councilmember and speaker."

If Quinn were appointed, she would be the first openly-gay U.S. senator. Sorry Sen. Craig, you don't count. However, O'Halloran says the current top contender for the position is New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

The Cinema Society and Details presented a celebrity-studded screening of Milk, the biopic about America's first openly gay public official, Harvey Milk. Cindy Adams gossips that the arrival of the film's star went a little something like this:

"Aides, heralds, courtiers, gofers preceded Sean Penn's coming. He lacked only the Magi, the trumpets and a nimbus. Whispers came back like, "Sean may not stop . . . Sean mightn't talk to anyone . . . you know how Sean is . . . we never know how Sean is . . . well, that's how Sean is . . . "

Also seen- homophobic epithet slinger Mickey Rourke, Jeff Goldblum, Ed Koch, Steve Buscemi, Valentino, Willem Dafoe, Jon Voight, Ang Lee, Emile Hirsch, Natalie Portman, Adrian Grenier, Chace Crawford, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Patricia Clarkson, Jon Voight, Stanley Tucci, James Gandolfini and James Franco, who is just fine with playing gay again as Allen Ginsberg in an upcoming film version of Howl.

A group of conservative New York State Democratic Senators, dubbed the "Gang of Four" are threatening to withhold support for Sen. Malcolm Smith as Senate Leader unless a clear signal is sent that no gay marriage legislation will be allowed to get to the floor of the legislature.  In a statement released on word that one of the "gangs" members, Sen.-elect Hiram Monserrate had decided to support Smith, Sen. Ruben Diaz of the Bronx said:

“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 e 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.”

Sen. Carl Kruger of Brooklyn and Sen.-elect Pedro Espada of the Bronx are the other two members of the group.

Bette Midler and 50 Cent teamed up yesterday for the opening of the Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson Community Garden in Jamaica, Queens.

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Boxer-turned-politico Joe Mesi has had a change of heart.

A Democrat who's running for New York state's Senate, Mesi this summer said he did not support same-sex marriage. Then, earlier this week, Mesi switched gears and declared he will back legislative efforts to pass gay nuptials.

Even before that announcement, however, Mesi's been getting all sorts of pro-gay support:

During a nine-day period last month, Mesi received about $37,000 from individuals or groups who in one way or another have ties to organizations that support same-sex marriage rights. In June, during an interview on WBEN radio, Mesi said he opposed same-sex marriage.

Earlier this week, on the same radio station, he said he supports the right.
…
Supporters of same-sex marriage see opportunity, if Democrats can erase the slim GOP majority in the Senate — now at 31-29 with two vacancies — and win just a couple of the half-dozen seats in play during the upcoming election.
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In a statement, the Mesi campaign — without addressing the candidate’s change on the issue — said it doesn’t ask “whether our contributors are gay or straight…We accept contributions from people who believe we need change in Albany,” the campaign said.

In his own statement, Mesi said donors agree with his positions “and trust in my independent leadership.”

We don't know about trust, but there's no small amount of lust on this end. Hubba-hubba!

Has the entire nation gone insane? By the looks of some politically-inspired Halloween displays, we'd say yes.

First, we had John McCain-supporter Melissa Neese, a Georgia woman whose All Hallow's Eve spectacle featured the "shadow of death" standing behind Barack Obama. Then, after inspiring "surprising" outrage, Ms. Neese replaced the macabre character with another figure the right finds frightening: Hillary Clinton.

Now we find ourselves in Odessa, New York, where a man named Ron Havens erected this set-up: a KKK-hooded McCain running after Barack Obama, an image that's pretty objectionable. McCain may have inadvertently fueled racist sentiment last week, and opposed Martin Luther King Day, but we'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's not a member of the KKK.

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Don't judge Senatorial hopeful John Chromczak by his Republican cover.

The first openly gay Republican to run for New York state Senate, Chromczak knows his odds are slim, especially considering he's running for the 25th district, which includes lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn.

Though he's faced resistance from a variety of voters, he's particularly perturbed by some gay voters, many of whom Chromczak says have become politically close-minded.

Discussing his participation the recent Wedding March here in New York City, Chromczak laments:

When I've gone to some of these things, I get shot down as soon as somebody hears that I'm a Republican. To me, it's very discriminatory and goes against a lot of what people say.

I don't understand why, if you're a liberal progressive, you don't want to have an open mind and sit down and have a legitimate conversation about a variety of issues without automatically balking because I'm a Republican. It made me very angry.

Those are the same feelings as being in gym class and somebody's calling me a faggot - it's the same thing when I'm walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and somebody's berating me because I'm a Republican. How is that inclusive? How does that defeat bigotry and homophobia?

Before you yourselves balk, keep in mind that four New York state Republicans this year made serious headway with a queer inclusive anti-bullying bill.

Our editor recently sat down with Chromczak to discuss a variety of issues, like how the politico balances practicing Catholicism with his sexuality. Also, Chromczak tells voters how he intends on fixing the state's economy, tells us why Senator Chuck Schumer's a thorn in his side, informs us that we shouldn't care about John McCain's cancer, takes on the city's left-wing gay paper and offers his thoughts on why he - a medical technician with little political experience aside from union membership - should be sent to Albany. All that and more, after the jump.

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Those of you who live in or have visited New York will no doubt recognize AppleMoes front man Big Scot - he's a giant of a door man at gay bars around town and we think he's simply swell. He used to call our editor "Candy Man" because Andrew brought him sweets all the time. And Andrew does not give candy to any old schmo, so you know Scot's something special.

Anyway, our other friend Matt Nasser directed this video for the AppleMoes' latest track, "Better For The Butter," an irreverent, pervy pop song that will get stuck in your head.

From Me, The Editor: Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka better step it up, because Heather Matarazzo and gal pal Caroline Murphy are moving in their "cutest couple" territory.

The girls gave photogs a show of their love last night at the New York City premiere of my pal Anne Hathaway's new movie, Rachel Getting Married. I was also there, but the paps didn't care too much about him. How rude!

As for the movie - I know I'm biased because Hathaway and I are college chums, but it's really fucking good. Hathaway and the entire cast - even the less central characters - are genius. Director Jonathan Demme has done it again. And by "it," I mean "made a movie that resonates and becomes more endearing with each recollection."

I've included a trailer after the jump. Oh, and some other pictures, like a precious one of Alan Cumming get a bit of a rubdown.

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