New York-based homos Dan Pinello, 58, and Lee Nissensohn, 50 have some balls. Knowing full well that the Empire State doesn’t grant gay marriage licenses, the boys, 58 and 50, respectively, marched down to the Oyster Bay clerk’s office yesterday and asked for the ceremonial form.
Employees denied them the papers, of course, although voiced their support. Said one public servant: “We’re not trying to make statements here, we’re trying to do our jobs.”
Pinello and Nissensohn were, of course, making a statement, and had sent out hundreds of letters drumming up support.
The goal of the couple’s “act of civil disobedience” – as they called it – was to persuade Sen. Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) to pressure State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick) to take a bill that would allow same-sex marriage to the Senate floor for a vote.
A Marcellino spokeswoman has said the senator supports state law, which says marriage is between a man and a woman. Bruno has said he is against the bill.
Unfortunately for the couple, who have been together thirteen years, they got no sympathy from cops, who gave them tickets for trespassing after they refused to leave the office at closing time.
Now, obviously the boys knew they wouldn’t get their way, thus giving this event the appearance of a “stunt,” which it was. Interestingly enough, however, nearly 80% of Newsday readers describe this showdown as a necessary step toward positive legal change. That lack of cynicism is refreshing, no?
Paul Raposo
“…nearly 80% of Newsday readers describe this showdown as a necessary step toward positive legal change. That lack of cynicism is refreshing, no?”
This is why the anti-gay right is always painting us as freaks–as long as they can keep the faithful afeared of us, they believe they can win the culture war. But when LGBTQ’s like these two longtime companions are shown in the media, the faithful realise we are not monsters and suddenly their believing the believers seems foolish. Pride parades rock and I believe are important even today. But sometimes a suit and tie and some kind words will get us further along. That said, let’s not forget what Al Capone once said:
“You can get further with a kind word and a gun than you can with just a kind word.”
It’s ok to be homogenous, as long as we don’t get trampled, as evidenced by these men making a stand.
JerzeeMike
Good for these two gentlemen! What ever happened to civil disobedience as a tool toward advancing the awareness of civil rights inequalities faced by gay people in the United States? Where’s the spirit of Stonewall that sparked the gay rights movement and Act Up to bring awareness to the AIDS epidemic? We must recapture that spirit so that future generations of LGBT people can be a part of the broad fabric of American society.