Ok, this post has almost nothing to do with Barack Obama himself, except that the spirit that Obama represents is a bottom-up fight for justice spirit. And on the issue of marriage equality, we the people are going to have to lead the fight for justice. . . .
Recently Kos posted a story lamenting the lack of action in response to Prop 8. I certainly hope that my brothers and sisters in California soon live in a state where all citizens have equal rights and gay people are not denied the right to marry. BUT WE CAN GET MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN NEW YORK NOW & you can help make it happen!
Follow me around the fold for the details. . . .
New York Governor David Paterson supports marriage equality. The New York state Assembly has passed bills in favor of marriage equality, but the State Senate, which was controlled by Republicans, consistently blocked progress on the issue. This November, the people of New York spoke - they gave New York a Democratic state Senate. The path to marriage equality seemed set. Enter State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. and two other Democratic senators (Pedro Espada Sr. & Carl Kruger) who are acting like George W. Bush Democrats and threatening to stand on the wrong side of history
Senator Diaz is a "Democrat" who strongly opposes marriage equality and other basic civil rights. After The Democrats won a majority in the Senate, Diaz pulled a Joementum and threatened to caucus with the Republicans and thereby return Senate control to the Repubs. First, he claimed to be upset because America has a black president, New York has a black Governor, and the new Senate Majority leader, Malcolm Smith, is also black. Seriously. (And, no Diaz did not have these concerns three years ago when America had a white president and New York's governor and Senate Majority leader were white). Apparently those divisive and petty racial politics weren't enough to justify Diaz's obstructionism, because Diaz soon found a new justification for threatening to caucus with the Republicans: opposition to gay marriage.
So, Kossacks, here is our challenge: A majority of New York's elected officials seem to support marriage equality. This coalition includes a strong majority of Democrats and some Republicans. On the other side stands Senator Diaz and 3-4 other Senators who seem proud to stand in the way of history. We need to beat them or change their minds. Call Senator Diaz's office at (718) 991-3161 or (518) 455-2511. Be respectful. Be polite; but ask him not to stand in the way of progress in New York. And, if Diaz insists on denying us this civil right, let's find a good candidate who can beat him in the 2010 primary.
For those of you on facebook, join the Marriage Equality New York group - it's a great tool for getting organized. And we're organized (Democracy for New York City is among many groups push this issue hard).
Thanks to everyone who has been pushing this issue, especially Jeff Campagna, who has helped get some especially fantastic coverage in the New York Daily News and in El Diario, a Spanish-language newspaper.
Our work has already made progress: Thanks to all of the pressure we have been applying, Diaz may have recently committed to vote for a Democrat, but we still need to get him to commit to Malcolm Smith. Keep calling and applying pressure! As for the two remaining George W. Bush Democrats, they need to get out of the way of progress or they should get ready to feel the same pressure Diaz felt. I'm guessing you all are ready to make some more calls. . . .