I received the following email from the Empire State Pride Agenda. It is a reminder to all who support Marriage Equality in New York and the nation, that even as we grieve, we have must remember to be grateful.
Twenty-four Senators stood up for equal treatment under the law. And many, many Senators proudly took the floor and argued passionately and eloquently for the righteousness of their position. Our opposition could find scare words to defend its ground. I was moved to tears by Ruth Hassell-Thompson's speech, entertained by Diane Savino's and inspired and awed by Eric Adams. The links lead to their videos, the NY Senate's video channel is here. I encourage you to check them out, if you missed them.
I am reposting Empire State Pride Agenda Alan Van Capelle's letter and all the 24's contact information after the fold.
I know that this week’s heartbreaking vote in the New York State Senate against marriage equality has deeply affected all of us. From the anger and sadness felt by those of you who, like my family and me, are directly affected by the denial of a marriage license and the legal protections that come with it—to the pain of being treated like second class citizens—to the emotions felt by our allies who are devastated by the discrimination against their LGBT friends and loved ones, we have all experienced a profound loss that we must ponder as we look to our future.
But as we react to the vote from our gut, heart and head, we must not forget to express our immense gratitude to 24 Senators who stood with us.
On Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, 24 Senators made history with their votes on the side of equality and justice for our families. There were 24 Senators who showed real leadership and had the courage and conviction to stand behind our community. And while only one of the Senators who voted "no" on the bill had any inclination to explain his vote, many of those who stood with us gave moving, poignant speeches about their dedication to rights for LGBT people and all New Yorkers. These Senators stood with our community, and we must now stand with them. It’s crucial that we thank these leaders and let them know how much we appreciate their dedication to protecting all of New York’s families.
The names, phone numbers and email addresses for the 24 Senators who voted
"yes" on marriage are below. You can click here to find out who your Senator is.
Please take the time to call and/or email all of these exemplary leaders and thank them for their support. Tell them your personal stories and how you feel about the important stand they’ve taken.
And make sure that they know that, as our community looks to the future and continues to fight for the crucial protections that LGBT New Yorkers and our families need and deserve, we are incredibly proud to have them by our side.
With hope,
Alan Van Capelle
OUR 24 HEROES
Eric Adams — (718) 284-4700, eadams@senate.state.ny.us
Neil Breslin — (518) 455-2225, breslin@senate.state.ny.us
Martin Malave Dilan — (718) 573-1726, dilan@senate.state.ny.us
Tom Duane — (212) 633-8052, duane@senate.state.ny.us
Pedro Espada — (718) 220-5480, espada@senate.state.ny.us
Brian Foley — (631) 360-3356, bfoley@senate.state.ny.us
Ruth Hassell-Thompson — (718) 547-8854, hasselt@senate.state.ny.us
Craig Johnson — (516) 746-5923, johnson@senate.state.ny.us
Jeffrey Klein — (718) 822-2049, jdklein@senate.state.ny.us
Liz Krueger — (212) 490-9535, lkrueger@senate.state.ny.us
Velmanette Montgomery — (718) 643-6140, montgome@senate.state.ny.us
Suzi Oppenheimer (video) — (914) 934-5250, oppenhei@senate.state.ny.us
Kevin Parker — (718) 629-6401, parker@senate.state.ny.us
Bill Perkins — (212) 222-7315, perkins@senate.state.ny.us
John Sampson — (718) 649-7653, sampson@senate.state.ny.us
Diane Savino — (718) 727-9406, savino@senate.state.ny.us
Eric Schneiderman — (212) 544-0173, schneide@senate.state.ny.us
Jose Serrano — (212)-828-5829, serrano@senate.state.ny.us
Malcolm Smith — (718) 528-4290, masmith@senate.state.ny.us
Daniel Squadron — (212) 298-5565, squadron@senate.state.ny.us
Toby Ann Stavisky — (718) 445-0004, stavisky@senate.state.ny.us
Andrea Stewart-Cousins — (914) 771-4190, scousins@senate.state.ny.us
Antoine Thompson — (716) 854-8705, athompso@senate.state.ny.us
David Valesky — (315) 478-8745, valesky@senate.state.ny.us
New York's Marriage Equality movement will be playing both a defensive and an offensive game now.
We have 38 targets to pick off. This is information we did not have Wednesday morning. And forewarned is forearmed. We as a community, the GLBT community and our progressive allies, need to instill in our opponents the same fear the teabaggers instill in the GOP. A vote against us, cannot be cast without consequences.
But we're also playing defensive game too. We need to protect those who stuck their neck out for us. We need to show them their courage was not in vain, and that we will be there for them come September, come November. There are already rumblingsthat Brian Foley may have painted a target on himself. He was publicly undecided on Wednesday morning and one of only three that broke our way. (The others being Ruth Hassell-Thompson and David Valesky.)
Tell them we appreciate their support, and we've got their backs!
And support Marriage Equality New York.