It’s that time of the week, when Queerty takes a break from the opinion-making and puts you, the readers, in charge. Each Friday, we invite you to be the pundit on a hot-button question facing the LGBT community and its allies. As always, we expect people to be respectful and considerate of others by refraining from personal attacks. We present the information, you make the decision.
Usually, when anything happens in the gay marriage efforts across the U.S. we can count on seeing our Inbox filled with press releases from the alphabet soup of gay-rights organizations letting us know their opinions on the pressing issue of the day. Yesterday, after Gov. David Paterson held a press conference introducing same-sex marriage legislation in New York, saying, “Anyone that has ever experienced degradation or intolerance would understand the solemn duty and how important it actually is…This is a civil rights issue. Civil rights don’t wait for the right time”, what we heard was the sound of crickets chirping.
To be fair, Paterson’s announcement caught just about everyone off guard, but we’re surprised to find that major LGBT organizations have either no response, or tepid ones, like Empire State Pride Agaenda executive director Alan Van Capelle’s statement that “This isn’t something that hinges on his popularity — it’s too personal of an issue. It defies ordinary Albany political logic”, which hardly sounds like ringing endorsement– or a promise to get into the fight.
As we argued yesterday, “The reality is, the struggle for gay and lesbian rights is one that will ultimately prevail, so long as we keep making our case… Paterson’s announcement [is] yet another opportunity for us to do so.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
We’re going to assume for a second that our readers want to see gays and lesbians marry in New York (a huge leap, we know), and ask you, if major mainstream LGBT groups are going to sit on the sidelines on this issue, what should grassroots and netroots activists do? As Paterson argues, there’s no ‘right time’ for a civil rights battle, but if groups like Empire State Pride, HRC and others decide that the NY marriage bill is a losing battle (and there’s nobody arguing that it won’t be a challenge), what can every day gays and lesbians, the sort of people whose lives who would be directly affected by a New York gay marriage bill passing, do?
It’s not that we don’t hear the argument from these mainstream groups that this is a tough and possibly unwinnable battle, but based on your comments, it’s a battle you want to fight. If you can’t rely on the traditional groups, where should you turn to? In California, grassroots activists have, over the course of several months, begun developing their own strategies and networks, separate from the traditional gay rights movement. Is it time for New York to do the same? Also, what good is a gay rights organization that won’t stand up for gay rights? It seems as if Governor Paterson is capitalizing on the moment. We put it to you: How should gays and lesbians capitalize on the moment that Paterson’s created?
dgz
but that’s just the problem: there *isn’t* anywhere to turn, unless you know a senator. our lobbying groups can’t do anything with closed minds, and they don’t want to pour all their money and manpower into what will likely be major setback in one of the bluest of blue states.
i know people are already emailing/snail-mailing legislators, but these polis know their platform and their constituents — they aren’t easily swayed. now don’t get me wrong; i’m not saying *not* to email/write a letter. in fact, please do so. but i am saying not to get your hopes up. there is a good reason those involved in politics are usually cynical.
my only advice is this: when you write, don’t argue your case, these peeps have heard it all before, and won’t read it. just say this: “this issue is important to me, please vote yes. if you do, expect my vote and donation in your next campaign.” that’s it. that’s all. good luck.
Wayne
Pick up the phone and call, or email, or go and visit your state legislators in the House and Senate. GET IN CONTACT. Tell them why we desire marriage equality. Let them see and hear from the real Americans who are denied equal access to the benefits of citizenship. And once you contacted them, Call them back! And it wouldn’t hurt to start lobbying our straight friends to do the same. Start asking your straight friends to call on their legislators to support equality. Be respectful, but be vocal!
InExile
All of these battles are worth fighting for. When I hear our various gay organizations are not turning up the heat on these politicians,it makes me wonder why not? These battles are rare and each one deserves an all out effort to hopefully get them passed. New Yorkers in support of marriage equality should be in the streets NOW!
mixed-fruits
I am saying make an economic case. And make it loud. Perhaps start a petition asking why legislators at this time of crisis are against New Yorkers spending their dough for weddings in NY. Why do we have to travel to one of the 5 neighboring jurisdictions, where same-sex marriage is legal, only to come back and waste our own AND the public’s money by going to courts to demand our rights? Why do I need to go to Quebec, Ontario, Massachusetts, Connecticut or Vermont, if I WANT to marry in NYS, I want to have a wedding in an area in upstate, which I am sure would not refuse my money. Why is the legislature wasting what practically will come to NY by default? If SSM is legalized, I bet the lgbt tourists will spend more even if it is just to get “fake married” (since it probably won’t be legal in their state)? Why not give the state an edge over others? My guess is that there would be an inflow of $$$.
This text can work as a sample -> http://mixed-fruits.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-about-this.html
NewYorkness
The groups need to jump on this pursuit and take hold of it. Paterson may have done this for reasons personal and political but at the end of the day, isn’t this one of our most just gay causes of the current times? When we have THE NY GOVERNOR pursuing gay marriage in New York, our grassroots groups and GLBT organizations should endorse and do a full press court on engaging state senators (questions on whether senate has the votes) to vote.
…or would this take the limelight out of some of the GLBT organization leaders….hmmm…sort of the same thing Paterson is being criticized of.
To not take hold of this endorsement and pursuit by Paterson may backfire on us. Non-Gay gay marriage supporters and foes may look at us and think “well if they are not backing the governor then why should we?” OR “well we have momentum going for us so let’s put 110% muscle into this gay marriage ban and pursue state amendments or the like”.
’nuff said.
Wayne
Here is a list of email address for New York State Senators:
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
ajax
Talk to someone in your office, at the grocery store checkout, in the elevator – wherever you have someone’s ear for a few minutes – about why equality is so important to you. Get your mother and father and brother and sister and cousin to do the same thing, too. Tell them to tell everyone how much hurt they feel because someone they love is not treated equally.
I’m going to a wedding this weekend. I’ll know only a handful of people. But I will talk to many. I will introduce them to my partner and tell each new acquaintance how touched we are by the beautiful occasion and how much my partner and I hope to be married in front of our family and friends someday.
Do these things yourself. You don’t need a group to create change.
Chitown Kev
Look, it’s a Hail Mary by Paterson but still, he didn’t have to do this. The man is walking the walk.
Unlike Ah-nold, who vetoed 2 marriage equality bills.
playasinmar
This Headline No Verb!
Erick
What Should the Gay Community “what?” About NY Marriage?
rogue dandelion
@playasinmar: that what i thinking!
Also, i think queerty might be jumping the gun a little bit. I think HRC will get on board.
Robert, NYC
Exactly how many votes does the NY State Senate need to pass legislation? We need to concentrate on getting those numbers raised and ignore the three conservative democrats, Rev. Ruben Diaz, Pedro Espada and Carl Kruger who are going to help defeat marriage equality by voting with the rethuglicans. While I’m at it, why is a religious cult minister allowed to hold political office, isnt’ that a conflict of interest with the separation of church and state prohibition? I don’t quite get that. Maybe that’s something else we should be looking at as well as the removal of tax-exempt status of every religious cult and faith based organization that meddle in the political process and try to influence the outcome of equality legislation as we saw in California.
How to Win Marriage…
If you want equality, come out to everyone–grandparents, great uncles, etc. It’s that simple. I read interviews with four GOP NY Assemblymembers who changed their stance from anti to pro-marriage equality. They did so because someone in their family or circle or friends/coworkers came out to them and explained the issues. It became personal and real. It also helped that these lawmakers discovered LGBT people actually lived in their districts or that folks in their districts had LGBT nieces, nephews, uncles, etc. It’s important to also note that none of these lawmakers lost their re-election bids; and most are in conservative upstate New York.
And I reject Queerty’s assumption that groups like HRC aren’t involved in the NY battle. Obviously Empire State Pride Agenda has been strategizing this for ages. Most of the important work goes on, unseen, in the background, not in front of the news cameras.
Alan Van Capelle and ESPA have done amazing work and deserve our support, not our cynical bitchiness.
Mark Woods
I agree that coming out to everyone, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you or them feel, is key.
In a way, coming out for gays is an equivalent action comparable to refusing to sit in the back of bus, for people like Rosa Parks.
And Rosa Parks didn’t wait until a committee told her not to budge, she just acted upon her conscious, from what I understand.
If every gay person in my life would stop hiding to ‘protect’ older relatives who just ‘wouldn’t understand’ what it means to be gay, the effect could be extraordinary.
I think Paterson has the highest motives, and that we should, too. If not New York, then where? If not now, then when?
Why doesn’t Paterson’s leadership drag us out of our comfy SUVs and into the streets?
Perhaps the cautious national gay leadership needs a kick in the ass, and maybe Paterson is just the guy to do it.
Mark
Well done Wayne, that’s what we needed. Okay everybody, now we have their email addresses. Spread the word and start to send messages.
Bruno
1.) Put HUGE pressure on Republican Senators from liberal districts, if those exist, by petitioning, emailing, and phoning.
2.) Create an environment where Diaz et al. are labelled “homophobe” and “bigot” at any possibility. This may be something that has to be worked out with the NYT.
3.) Take to the streets. Those November demonstrations really worked, NYC and Albany should be the main targets. This is the time for NYC gays to show their stuff.
The Gay Numbers
@Bruno: Ditto on the Republican point.