NY Votes Marriage Equality

BREAKING : N.Y. State Senate Votes For Landmark Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Watch the live debate on the New York Senate floor :

Watch live streaming video from nysenate at livestream.com

Late Friday afternoon, the Republican Senate leader finally ended the frustrating delay of the vote.

“After many hours of deliberation and discussion over the past several weeks among the members, it has been decided that same-sex marriage legislation will be brought to the full Senate for an up or down vote,” the majority leader, Long Island Republican Dean G. Skelos said in a statement. “As I have said many times, this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate.”

BREAKING: Bachmann Gets Glittered

Michele Bachmann gets glittered in connection with the GetEqual glitter campaign.

At RightOnline conference in Minneapolis, Michele Bachmann was inducted into the Glitter Hall of Fame by local gay rights advocate Rachel E. B. Lang. Bachmann joins Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty in the anti-gay glitter circle.

You can run but you can't hide !

Let the glitter games begin !

Dr. Jacqueline Lewis Calls For Marriage Equality Reminding Us Blacks and White Could Not Marry 45 Years ago in the USA! LGBT and Straight Activist St

http://www.twitvid.com/82VPY{DirectActionNetwork} and then there were 31

Senator Roy McDonald, Republican of Saratoga joins fellow Republican Jim Alesi of Rochester and 29 Democrats.

We just need one more vote.

So please continue calling the following:

Saland

Lanza

Little

Ball

LaValle

Add to this: Hannon, Fuschillo, Zeldin, Martins

Keep it up. Cuomo's dropped the bill. Let's bring it over the finish line.

Dr. Jacqueline Lewis speaks out bravely and courageous pointing out she and her white husband could not be married in most States 65 years ago because it was illegal and calls for marriage equality!

Dr. Lewis, Ph.D. Middle Collegiate Church, 50 East 7th Street in the East Village

http://youtu.be/N-wkzJvjmxU

Rich Murray gets interviewed by Talking Points Memo as he courageously stands by more anti-LGBT protestors on the Broadway side of City Hall!

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/new-yorkers-rally-against----and-for----gay-marriage-at-city-hall.php

This gentleman has been with his life partner 25 years and wants the basic Civil Rights to be married.

http://youtu.be/eypPLx1Ylbs

Rev. Mike Vandersall and Rev. Anna Taylor Sweringen state that LGBT Equal Rights is a Civil Rights issue!

http://youtu.be/GNNRMA-dNtw

Jake Goodman Queer Rising

http://youtu.be/ZqtAs6yx4aM

Suzannah B. Troy

Straight Ally

Dr. Martin Luther King

Equality for All

http://youtu.be/BzJt-MhFx6U

http://youtu.be/0Z9w5ASqPPs

Dionne McClain-Freeney Speaking with Rev. Mieke Vandersall

MCC Metropolitan Community Churches

and our Wonderful Friend who marched

with us at the LGBT Easter Parade

Ronnie Mc, Melissa Kleckner wonderful supporter, TIF and another wonderful supporter.

I have more photos and YouTubes to upload.

A special thanks to Louis Flores who organized this counter-protest last minute so we would have a voice and presence in the face of religious intolerance with protestors on the steps of City Hall as we stood inside City Hall Park.

Thanks to NYPD Det. Duffy, LGBT Liaison and the young NYPD officers that stood by us and respect our rights. One bummer was the media tried to come over directly through to us but the NYPD City Hall NYPD prevented them so we were pleased that the media took the extra time to come the long way around to interview and take footage.

More uploads coming soon....very, very tired!

Louis Flores Organizer and in the background NYPD Det. Duffy

City Hall Park

Louis is filming as well.

We have so much footage but we are soo tired!!

Give us a thumbs up!

Thank you.

Special Thank You to Our Legal Advisor Jill Humphries, National Lawyers Guild

Sen. Shirley Huntley Now Says She Supports Marriage Equality

On Monday, State Senator Shirley L. Huntley announced her support for marriage equality in New York State.

Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens) made her announcement in support for marriage equality on the same day that three other state senators, who had each voted against legalizing same-sex marriage two years ago voted, also reversed course, The New York Times reported. The senators said that their constituents’ thinking had evolved on the this important stepping stone toward full LGBT civil rights had evolved.

The Times described the move as "significantly" improving the odds that New York state legislature will pass a law that legalises marriage equality, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Citizens in New York state stand on the cusp of charting a new course for LGBT civil rights nationally, and the state itself is on the verge of becoming the largest state in the nation to allow gays and lesbians to wed.

Meanwhile, Sen. Huntley made her announcement less than two months after a daring civil disobedience protest against her and her legislative office by two LGBT civil rights activists, Iana Di Bona and Alan Bounville, who are members of Connecting Rainbows.

Dance Party at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial

Adam Kokesh is promoting a Dance Party at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC. Here is a video of what happened during a May 28, 2011 flashmob at the memorial.

A public event is planned for Saturday, June 4. You don't have to risk arrest, you can dance on the steps outside in support -- or join us in civil disobedience in the memorial ! The dancing will commence at EXACTLY 12pm ! To R.S.V.P. for the June 4 Dance Party, visit the Facebook event page for the Dance Party at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Dan Choi and other LGBT activists were arrested then later released following attacks by Neo-Nazis during Moscow Pride Day

Newly posted YouTube video : LGBT activist Lt. Dan Choi films inside the police wagon as he and other activists are being taken to jail following their beating by Neo-Nazis and arrest by Moscow police in Moscow.

Video of Beating and Arrests : LGBT activists Lt. Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin were beaten by Neo-Nazis in Moscow. Why did Moscow police arrest the LGBT activists, if they were just peacefully assembling ? Join Lt. Choi and others by signing an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, demanding that the United States government ''condemn the anti-LGBT violence in Moscow and to reaffirm the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Russia and around the world.''

U.S. Army Lt. Dan Choi (discharged under DADT) has been apparently released from Moscow police custody, after a mass arrest of pro-LGBT equality activists and Neo-Nazi protesters in connection with Moscow Pride Day.

The above video was among the first to be posted on YouTube, to show the breakout of violence.

Joe My God posted an early report of the Moscow Pride Day arrests, reporting that among the other activists, who were arrested, included Andy Thayer, Louis-Georges Tin, and Anna Komarova -- among others. In an e-mail statement issued by Lt. Choi at 5:50 a.m. New York time, Lt. Choi wrote LGBT activists were arrested following attacks by Neo-Nazis : "Right ear ringing small bleeding, 8 in the car including me and Andy Thayer."

A second YouTube video has been posted about the violent turn of events at Moscow Pride Day.

Bigot Bell - Episode 2

Bigot Bell - Episode 2 - Failure of Adequate Protections

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

They were on the Wrong Side History in respect of Civil Rights -- and Marriage Equality

OP-ED : My prediction for how history will judge the New York State politicians, who are blocking marriage equality :

‎''You should not be inbetween on equality,'' to quote Iana Equality Di Bona.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 *	NEW YORK MARRIAGE EQUALITY **
The bill came before the full Senate for debate on March 30, 1964 and the "Southern Bloc" of 18 southern Democratic Senators and one Republican Senator led by Richard Russell (D-GA) launched a filibuster to prevent its passage. Said Russell : "We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states."	The bill has yet to come before the full Senate for debate and already the notorious hate group National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has forged an alliance with Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. (D-Bronx), to prevent its passage. Diaz and NOM sponsored a hate rally in the Bronx on the same day as AIDS Walk New York. Said Diaz : "We're sending a message to the governor that the Hispanic community is against gay marriage."
The most fervent opposition to the bill came from Senator Strom Thurmond (D-SC) : "This so-called Civil Rights Proposals, which the President has sent to Capitol Hill for enactment into law, are unconstitutional, unnecessary, unwise and extend beyond the realm of reason. This is the worst civil-rights package ever presented to the Congress and is reminiscent of the Reconstruction proposals and actions of the radical Republican Congress."	The most fervent opposition to the bill came from Senator Martin Golden (R-Staten Island), who introduced a hostile "defense of marriage" bill that would declare same-sex marriages entered into outside of New York void under New York law : "I am sending the message that there is some normalcy in this great state when it comes to the principled idea that marriage is between a man and a woman."
Michael Rubens Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University, where he joined Phi Kappa Psi, and graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in electrical engineering.	In 2005, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg appealed a landmark marriage equality ruling and has been providing financial support to right-wing Republican legislators, including Senator Golden.
Christine Quinn was not yet born when the Civil Rights Act was enacted.	In 2008, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn changed the term limits law to reward Mayor Bloomberg with a third term in office.
Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., was born in 1964.	Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Queens) voted against marriage equality in 2009 and is sitting on the fence as to whether he will support or oppose the pending marriage equality bill.
Carl Kruger was a teenager when the Civil Rights Act was passed into law.	Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) voted against marriage equality in 2009, even though Sen. Kruger has recently been outed as being gay. Yet, he still has the gall to yet say whether he will support marriage equality in 2011 for other LGBTQ New Yorkers.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, who wanted the bill passed as soon as possible, ensured that the bill would be quickly considered by the Senate. Normally, the bill would have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator James O. Eastland, Democrat from Mississippi. Given Eastland's firm opposition, it seemed impossible that the bill would reach the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield took a novel approach to prevent the bill from being relegated to Judiciary Committee limbo. Having initially waived a second reading of the bill, which would have led to it being immediately referred to Judiciary, Mansfield gave the bill a second reading on February 26, 1964, and then proposed, in the absence of precedent for instances when a second reading did not immediately follow the first, that the bill bypass the Judiciary Committee and immediately be sent to the Senate floor for debate.	Governor Andrew Cuomo, who wanted the bill passed as soon as possible, has not yet ensured that the bill would be quickly considered by the Senate. Normally, the bill would have been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator John J. Bonacic, Republican from Mount Hope, New York. Given Bonacic's firm opposition to marriage equality, it would seem impossible that the bill would ever reach the Senate floor. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Long Island) has backed away from initially signaling that senators should "vote with their conscience" on the bill and has now, instead, threatened to not allow a vote on marriage equality. Thus far, excepting for intense lobbying and some major political demonstrations, the bill has not progressed within the state legislature after having been first introduced in the Assembly on May 10, 2011, by Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell.
Shirley Huntley participated in the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.	Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Queens) marched in Selma and didn't learn a thing.

Key :

* Quoted entirely from Wikipedia, excepting for the references to Speaker Quinn's birth, Sen. Addabbo's birth, Sen. Kruger's age, and Sen. Huntley's march in Selma.

** Quoted from other sources over the Internet.

IMF Chief accused of rape resigns

http://m.nypost.com/;s=Vy5cdb5Z0qDg23UstSvA113/f/mobile/news/local/sex_rap_imf_big_quits_Ut5LJ1AlbhXtmJovJY4ImM

Bigot Bell - Episode 1 - We Have a Problem

Connecting Rainbows Members Launch Parody YouTube Campaign Against Taco Bell

The LGBTQ civil rights group Connecting Rainbows has announced a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants following a case of alleged employment discrimination against a member of Connecting Rainbows.

In April 2011, Jason Smith, an openly gay employee of Taco Bell in Louisiana, who is a member of Connecting Rainbows, was dismissed from his job, after another employee made a threat against Mr. Smith based on his sexual orientation. A Taco Bell manager witnessed the threat. After Mr. Smith was dismissed, Taco Bell conditioned Mr. Smith’s return to his job only after Mr. Smith deleted each of his Facebook profile and the entire website of Connecting Rainbows, the former which Mr. Smith refused, and the latter over which Mr. Smith has no control. Connecting Rainbows is a democratic collective of LGBTQ activists and allies, with no hierarchy.

To read more about the incident, please read Mr. Smith’s own description of the events on Connecting Rainbows website.

Connecting Rainbows is outraged by this discriminatory treatment and has launched a parody campaign that lampoons Taco Bell for its apparent bigotry.

To spread word of the injustice that Mr. Smith has suffered, members of Connecting Rainbows launched a petition on Change.org, to publicise Mr. Smith’s plight.

Connecting Rainbows demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community;
• Rehire Mr. Smith and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages; and
• Provide diversity and cultural competency training to every employee -- worldwide!

Connecting Rainbows also demands legislative remedies :

• Connecting Rainbows demands that Congress amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include ‘’sexual orientation’’ and ‘’gender identity’’ to the major forms of discrimination that are outlawed ; and
• Connecting Rainbows also demands that federal legislators pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (''ENDA''). ENDA is routinely introduced in Congress, but never passed. It is time for Congress to prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Connecting Rainbows is a group of active people organizing civil rights walks and other actions in America. The group’s mission is to create a mass movement, demanding full civil rights for LGBT Americans. Connecting Rainbows uses the power of a social media platform, where people create online profiles, meet others, plan events, join groups, blog, and participate in online forums.

Visit : http://connectingrainbows.ning.com/ or http://www.bigotbell.com/

Man Licking Shoes on New York Subway

Man Licking Shoes on New York Subway

After the Spaghetti Eating Scandal in the New York City subway, now comes this YouTube video : a man giving his shoes a spit polish by licking them clean.

What's next, is somebody going to make a YouTube of Mayor Bloomberg riding the subway ?

Gov. Cuomo to LGBTQ New Yorkers : You're (Not) Getting Married Today

Was ''Marriage Equality'' just another fairy tale ''promise'' by Candidate Andrew Cuomo to be faithful to the LGBTQ community -- the way straight people recite their wedding vows to one another, nowadays, only to father babies with their maids ?

Because of campaign promises, everybody has been expecting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to use his political capital to lobby for the passage of a marriage equality law by the New York state legislature.

The reality is that, now, marriage equality activists are losing patience with Gov. Cuomo, because he seems to be backpedalling. Over two months ago, Gov. Cuomo ''vowed'' to make a personal ''push'' for a marriage equality law.

Gov. Cuomo's marriage proposal was met with a resounding, ''Yes,'' because, for this engagement, he got down on one knee and opened a little velvet box : ''Mr. Cuomo’s commitment to using his political savvy and muscle could give advocates something they had long lacked: a unifying, persuasive leader who understands the wiles and ways of Albany,'' reported The New York Times.

But since making his proposal in March, LGBTQ New Yorkers have been left standing at the alter, waiting for Gov. Cuomo to show up at our wedding.

Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club - Queer Rising - Marriage Equality Press Release - Gov. Cuomo

Under the weight of heavy social opression that suffocates all LGBTQ New Yorkers -- including closeted gay legislators such as Sen. Carl Kruger, who is now facing corruption charges -- now come LGBT affinity groups such as the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club and Queer Rising to demand that Gov. Cuomo read up on wedding etiquette.

Another LGBT civil rights group, Connecting Rainbows, has already turned up the pressure on key ''NO'' vote senators, such as Sen. Shirley Huntley, who claims she is ''inbetween'' on equality.

In the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., :

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

(See also Andy Humm's poignant letter to the editor of The New York Times, which was reprinted by Michael Musto in The Village Voice.)

When Gov. Cuomo first made public his wedding announcement, LGBTQ New Yorkers celebrated, as if the trip down the isle was going to be imminent. Haven't we been invited to a similar fairy tale wedding before ? The wedding song that keeps getting played over and over is Stephen Sonheim's ''(Not) Getting Married Today'' from the musical, Company.

When are we going to hear Felix Mendelssohn's ''Wedding March'' from A Midsummer Night's Dream ?

Shirley Huntley Corruption Scandal

New York State Sen. Shirley Huntley, who is ''inbetween on equality,'' faces multiple corruption investigations.

Sen. Shriley Huntley (D-Queens) was among the state senators, who voted to deny marriage equality in 2009. Now, she is facing two corruption investigations for steering $400,000 in taxpayer money to shady ''non-profit'' groups that are connected to her and to her family.

First, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating Sen. Huntley for directing thousands of dollars in discretionary ''member item'' budget monies to questionable non-profit groups.

Now, Sen. Huntley has received a federal subpoena in connection with a new investigation of her use of the New York State Legislature's scandalous ''member item'' system of budgetary earmarks that are constantly used by legislators to reward political allies -- and to enrich themselves.

After a previous vote for marriage equality failed in the New York Senate, activists said that they would target Democratic legislators, like Sen. Huntley, who voted against marriage equality.

A Look at Christine Quinn's Record on LGBT Issues

Protest Against Christine Quinn - A Look at Quinn's LGBT Record

In 2005, Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered lawyers for New York City to appeal the trial court ruling issued by New York Supreme Court Judge Doris Ling-Cohen, who decided that marrying the person of one's own choosing was both a privacy right and a liberty right. If he really believed in marriage equality, why did Mayor Bloomberg appeal Judge Ling-Cohen's ruling ?

If City Council Speaker Christine Quinn really believed in LGBT civil rights, why did she change term limits in 2008 to reward Mayor Bloomberg with a third term in office ?

Watch has how protesters talk to one of Speaker Quinn's campaign donors -- and convince him to leave Speaker Quinn's fundraiser.

Even though some groups discriminate against LGBT New Yorkers, Speaker Quinn defends using city taxpayer money to support those hate groups.

More and more, as New Yorkers learn about Speaker Quinn's record, they, too, will walk away from her mayoral campaign.

Taco Bell Discrimination Petition

Yum! Brands Employee at Taco Bell in Louisiana is Dismissed Because He is Gay

The LGBT civil rights group Connecting Rainbows is calling for a world-wide boycott of Yum! Brands restaurants.

Jason Ray Smith, a gay employee of Taco Bell restaurant in Bossier City, Louisiana, was dismissed from work because he was honest about his sexual orientation on his Facebook profile and on his Connecting Rainbows profile.

Members of Connecting Rainbows have started an online petition on Change.org, demanding that Taco Bell institute cultural competency training.

Mr. Smith was told he needed to be taken out to the corn field and have the gay beaten out of him. When he reported it, Mr. Smith was harassed and intimidated by Taco Bell management.

Connecting Rainbows, in turn, demands that :

• Yum! Brands restaurants apologize to Jason and the LGBT community ;
• rehire Jason and provide a hostile-free work environment, or compensate Jason for his loss of income and other damages ;
• stop discriminating against LGBT employees ; and
• provide diversity, cultural competency, and sensitivity training based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression for all Yum! Brands restaurant employees WORLD-WIDE !

Mr. Smith said that Taco Bell conditioned his rehiring on Mr. Smith deleting his Facebook account and deleting his Connecting Rainbows profile, which Mr. Smith has said he will NOT do. Sign our petition demanding that Taco Bell follow through on its commitment to diversity.