GAY TRUTH

With word at the Capitol being that same-sex marriage legislation may be on hold until next week, state Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr. -- one of the measure's most vocal opponents -- is going after Mayor Bloomberg for supporting the bill. State Senate GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos just said there is no decision to bring gay marriage out for a vote, our Glenn Blain told me.  Skelos said they were still deliberating the religious exemption issue and working on changes to the bill.  Staffs will continue to work on the issue during the weekend but since Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be observing the Sabbath, not much official can be done until Sunday. Meanwhile, the Rev. Diaz,  who's taken plenty of heat from gay rights activists for his opposition to letting gays wed in New York , is calling out Bloomberg for hypocrisy. "Bloomberg has been spending a lot of time and money in Albany to show how much he wants New York’s marriage laws redefined.  If we want to document the

Image via Wikipedia Gay marriage advocates hope to regain their momentum in Albany this week after a series of hard knocks, but some of their allies have begun to wonder whether the string of bad news was more than just coincidence. They are looking for signs of a coordinated effort behind their recent setbacks, which have seemingly trimmed the chances that any Republican senators might break ranks and join with Democrats to pass a same-sex marriage bill before the session ends June 20. Mark Grisanti and Andrew Lanza — Republican senators considered potential swing votes — said last week they remain opposed. Brooklyn GOP Senator Marty Golden introduced an anti- gay-marriage bill just two days after his ally, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, trekked to Albany to lobby for Republican support for marriage. And Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said opposing gay marriage will be a litmus test for the party’s endorsement in 2012. “This is not a coincidence. This is the Senate Republican

Image via Wikipedia A pro- family coalition in New York is organizing marches and rallies throughout the state on the day the new same-sex “marriage” law takes effect, to demand that the legislature allow the voters to make the final decision on the definition of marriage. The pro-referendum coalition, calling itself “Let the People Vote ,” has organized the demonstrations in Manhattan, Albany, Buffalo , and Rochester for July 24 at 3 p.m.  “The actions of these legislators and the Governor not only betrayed the trust of those who elected them, but also outraged the silent majority,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage . “Voters in 31 other states have been able to decide the definition of marriage for their states, but New Yorkers have been denied that right.” Let The People Vote describes itself as a coalition of “many diverse religious and ethnic communities” that are united around the principle of protecting the definition of marriage as the

Image via Wikipedia New York’s Senate Republicans are discussing among themselves today whether they will take up Gov. Andrew Cuomo ’s same-sex “ marriage ” bill, or kill the legislation by tabling it. Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R- Rockville Centre ) told the  New York Times  that the GOP would discuss what to do about the measure among themselves behind closed doors. “This will be decided by the conference, when they’re going to bring it out,” Skelos said Thursday morning. “I expect it will be a lengthy conference, a thoughtful conference.” The Democrat -led Assembly approved a same-sex “marriage” bill last week. Although the Senate appears divided 31 – 31 over same-sex “marriage”, Cuomo has expressed confidence that a few more Republicans will break with their colleagues and his legislation will pass when the votes are finally counted. Any debate on same-sex “marriage” will likely take place after the Senate finishes voting on leftover legislation and could take pla

Image via Wikipedia Senate Republicans in New York continue to remain silent about whether they will kill the same-sex “marriage” bill, or pass an amended version with more religious protections before going into summer recess. Since Republicans control the Senate chambers 32 – 30, they can block the legislation from coming to a floor vote, but they are staying tight-lipped about their intentions, leaving both friends and foes of gay “marriage” sitting on pins and needles. The Democrat -dominated Assembly already approved legalizing same-sex “marriage” last Wednesday, in an 80 – 63 vote. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy, both Democrats, have exerted enormous personal pressure on Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to pass the same-sex “marriage” bill. Already those efforts have yielded success as two Republicans, Sens. Jim Alesi of Monroe County, and Roy MacDonald of Saratoga County, have joined the Democrat caucus to support same-sex “marriage,” putting the balance o

Image via Wikipedia The fate of true marriage in New York now depends on Senate Republicans after the Democrat -controlled Assembly voted to extend the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples. The Assembly voted Wednesday evening 80 – 63 to legalize same-sex “marriage.” Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo has campaigned heavily for the bill along with Lt. Gov. Bob Duffy , meeting with Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to secure their support. Already two Republicans, Sens. Jim Alesi (Rochester) and Roy MacDonald (Saratoga Springs), have switched their votes from “no” to “yes” on same-sex “marriage.”  Alesi has claimed that he only cast his vote against gay “marriage” in 2009 as a political move, to help Republicans reclaim the chamber in 2010. An unofficial vote count has the Senate split 31 – 31. If that count is accurate and the GOP allows the bill to come to the floor, then the tie-breaking vote would fall to Duffy as lieutenant governor, resulting in the bill’s