Mayors Join Campaign for Marriage Equality

Tacoma, Wash., Mayor Marilyn Strickland. (Photo by Jamie McGonnigal, EqualityPhotography.com)

Freedom to Marry on Friday formally launched a campaign that includes 80 mayors from across the country who have pledged to push for marriage for same-sex couples.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Houston Mayor Annise Parker; Boston Mayor Thomas Menino; San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Tacoma, Wash., Mayor Marilyn Strickland were among those who spoke at a press conference at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Portland, Ore., Mayor Sam Adams; Glendale, Calif., Mayor Laura Friedman; Key West, Fla., Mayor Craig Cates and Chapel Hill, N.C., Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt were among those who were in attendance.

Mayors to Pledge Support for Marriage Equality

Freedom to Marry announced on Wednesday that a bi-partisan group of mayors have pledged to support marriage for same-sex couples.

Mayors for the Freedom to Marry will include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and Houston Mayor Annise Parker. Several are scheduled to attend a press conference during the U.S. Conference for Mayors meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday where they will officially unveil the group.

Will Mayors for the Freedom to Marry amount to a game changer in the fight to secure nuptials for gays and lesbians?

A marriage equality bill was introduced in the New Jersey Legislature earlier this month, while Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on Jan. 4 that she supports a measure that would allow same-sex couples to marry in the Evergreen State. Maryland lawmakers are expected to debate a marriage equality bill in the coming weeks.

New Hampshire legislators are expected to vote on a bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law as early as next month. North Carolina voters in May will consider a constitutional amendment that would ban marriage for same-sex couples, while a similar measure is on the November ballot in Minnesota.

The influx of donations that the four Republican New York state senators received after they voted for their state’s marriage equality bill in June as reported in the New York Times is proof that supporting nuptials for same-sex couples is no longer a politically risky proposition. The mayors who will speak tomorrow here in Washington, D.C., will certainly strengthen that premise.

Human Rights Campaign to Honor Bloomberg in D.C.

The Human Rights Campaign announced on Friday, Sept. 23, that it will honor New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at its national dinner in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1.

President Barack Obama is scheduled to deliver the keynote address. Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, who announced her U.S. Senate campaign earlier this month, is also scheduled to speak.

City Unveils Lottery to Accommodate Expected Crush of Same-Sex Weddings

With five days to go until gays and lesbians can legally marry in New York, city officials earlier today unveiled a lottery designed to accommodate the expected crush of same-sex weddings on the day the marriage equality law takes effect.

The lottery, which will accommodate 764 same-sex and heterosexual couples, opened at noon. It will close at noon on Thursday, July 21.

"We are going to make history on Sunday, with the eyes of the nation once again turning to New York City," said Bloomberg as he spoke at City Hall alongside City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and City Clerk Michael McSweeney. "We’ve done our homework, and it’s clear that the number of couples who want to marry on Sunday is more than the City Clerk’s offices could possibly handle. And the last thing we want is for couples to wait on line for hours and hours, only to walk away upset on what was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. The fairest way to determine who gets the chance to wed on Sunday and ensure everyone can properly plan for their own big day is through an even-handed lottery system."

Log onto the City Clerk's website for more information about the lottery.

Does Cathie Black tarnish Bloomberg’s education agenda?

Today is obviously not one of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s best days, but this flyer that just arrived in the mail here in Bushwick provides a rather ironic reminder that education reform will remain an essential part of his honor’s agenda.





Whether teachers, administrators and politicians will take his honor seriously in the wake of Cathie Black's brief; but tumultuous tenure, however, is another question.

Politicians, activists blast proposed cuts to NYC’s homeless youth programs

More than half a dozen New York City Councilmembers joined activists and young people on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 21, to blast Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed cuts to programs that support homeless youth in the five boroughs.

City Councilmembers Lew Fidler [D-Brooklyn], Daniel Dromm [D-Queens], Letitia James [D-Brooklyn] and Jimmy Van Bramer [D-Queens] joined Carl Siciliano of the Ali Forney Center, Dirk McCall of the Bronx Community Pride Center and others in lower Manhattan.

“The city knows, the Bloomberg administration knows that every night 3,800 young people are sleeping homeless on our streets—they know this because they released it in their own report,” stressed Siciliano. “The city knows, the Bloomberg administration knows that hundreds of kids have to survive by prostituting every night—they know because they released it in their own report this past June.”

Siciliano, whose organization offers housing and other support services to homeless LGBT youth, said Ali Forney’s clients are disproportionately at-risk for violence, HIV/AIDS and even suicide.

“The Bloomberg administration knows these kids are suffering, and yet they still decided to make these cuts,” he added. “I don’t know to describe this except to say that it shows a reckless indifference to the welfare of children.”

The temperature was in the mid-30s, and the wind chill was in the low-20s during the protest.





City Councilmember Lew Fidler [D-Brooklyn]



City Councilmember Daniel Dromm [D-Queens]



These activists sent Mayor Michael Bloomberg a strong message.



Nathaniel Vanderhorst was among the young people who protested the proposed cuts.

Bloomberg wins, Corzine loses, Maine too close to call

With 97 percent of precincts reporting, the Associated Press has declared Mayor Michael Bloomberg the winner of the city's mayoral campaign with 51 percent of the vote. City Comptroller William Thompson, Jr., has garnered 46 percent.

Across the Hudson River, former federal prosecutor Chris Christie upset incumbent New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. Christie garnered 50 percent of the vote. Corzine received 44 percent. And independent candidate Chris Daggett garnered 5 percent.

Christie's election could have major implications on the future of marriage for same-sex couples in the Garden State, but it remains unclear as to whether the referendum that seeks to repeal nuptials for gays and lesbians in Maine has succeeded. The Portland Press Herald reports 50.12 percent of Maine voters cast their ballots against the referendum versus 49.88 of those who supported it.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Election Day in Bushwick

I just voted at IS 347 on Starr Street. And aside from a malfunctioning voting machine and a huge wad of chewing gum into which I stepped, the process went smoothly.

Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., signs hung on street lights and along buildings leading up to the school. A number of businesses along Knickerbocker and Wilson Avenues also displayed posters in support of Working Families Parties candidate Maritza Davila in their windows.

Recent polls indicate Mayor Michael Bloomberg is poised to win a third term in office. Obviously nothing is final until the results come in, but I will continue to post updates as they trickle in.

Bloomberg announces appointees to LGBT homeless youth commission

In what arguably was a campaign speech designed to court LGBT voters ahead of this year's general mayoral election, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last night at the annual Ali Forney Center fundraiser at the Chelsea Art Museum he had appointed 25 activists and others to the city's Commission for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Runaway and Homeless Youth.

These appointees include Ali Forney executive director Carl Siciliano, Ana Oliveira, president of the New York Women's Association and former executive director of the Gay Men's Health Crisis, incoming LGBT Community Center executive director Glennda Testone, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, Hetrick-Martin Institute executive director Thomas Krevor and Rickke Mananzala, executive director of FIERCE.

“New York City may be one of the most tolerant places on earth, but LGBTQ youth still face daily discrimination that forces many of them to leave home and sometimes make risky decisions,” Bloomberg said in a prepared statement released before he spoke at the fundraiser. “Today we are opening up a new front focused on serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning young people. The Commission’s recommendations will address the root causes of homelessness among this population and provide a blueprint for innovative and evidence-based solutions.”

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, comedian Sandra Bernhard and singer Rufus Wainwright were among those in attendance, but this announcement comes nearly a year after the city threatened to slash federal Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) funds that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene had awarded to Ali Forney to operate its Chelsea drop-in facility. The City Council unanimously voted in December to restore the organization's HOPWA funds.

In spite of these cuts, Quinn praised the committee appointees.

“LGBTQ runaway and homeless youth face a unique set of challenges – from greater exposure to HIV/AIDS – to being ostracized by their families and communities,” Quinn said. “The group of experts serving on the New York City LGBTQ Runaway and Homeless Youth Commission give me great hope that we will be able to develop innovative solutions to confront these challenges.”

NYC mayoral campaign kicks into high gear

As September winds down, politicos and other interested parties can rejoice the fact New York City's mayoral campaign continues to kick into high year.

City Councilmembers Bill de Blasio [D-Park Slope] and John Liu [D-Flushing] won the runoff election for Public Advocate and Comptroller last night, but all eyes have shifted to the race between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and current Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. And so what does all of this expected politicking actually mean?

One can almost certainly continue to conclude Thompson has an extremely uphill battle ahead of him. Bloomberg continues to tap into his massive personal fortunate to fund his campaign, but one of Thompson's main problems is the majority of New Yorkers don't know him. And in addition, one of his principle campaign messages is his opposition to the mayor's decision to change the term limits law. This position is certainly valid, but the challenge that arguably lays ahead for Thompson is to convince New Yorkers he is something more than an opposition candidate.

On the other hand, Bloomberg must convince New Yorkers he is the person who can continue to lead the city through extremely tough economic times. Palpable anger remains over his decision to extend term limits so he could run for a third time. The question remains, however, whether this angst will actually make a difference on Nov. 3. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted from Sept. 15-21 found 52 percent of New York City voters support Bloomberg; compared to 36 percent of those who endorsed Thompson. Anything can obviously happen between now and the general election, but these numbers simply confirm the mayor remains relatively popular among city voters.

Stay tuned for more electioneering... and more ads that feature Bloomberg speaking Spanish!

Israel launches Gaza ground offensive

Israel's decision to launch an expected ground offensive into the Gaza Strip on Saturday has sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity to enact a cease fire that expired last month. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly and Congressman Gary Ackerman [D-New York] traveled to Sderot near the Gaza border on Sunday. And his honor was forced to take shelter after a siren warned of a possible rocket attack.

The all too obvious political implications cannot go unstated as Bloomberg lays the ground work for his re-election campaign, but his trip to the Jewish state represents the global concern, outrage, solidarity and sympathy that continues to grow as the Israel Defense Forces expand its offensive and civilian casualties inside the Gaza Strip and in Southern Israel continue to grow. This escalation may raise the obvious (or less than clear) questions: How is this conflict any different those that have raged in the Holy Land for more than 60 years? Why should the international community continue to stick its neck into what can arguably be described as ongoing disputes between Israelis and Palestinians? Is there hope the seemingly never-ending conflict will end?

The answers to these questions are arguably obvious depending upon who provides them. One thing that can be said with utmost certainty is the scenes that continue to emerge from the Gaza Strip and southern Israel are extremely disturbing. Hamas and the IDF have a fundamental responsibility to ensure civilians on both sides of the border are not caught in this seemingly never-ending cycle of violence. To fail on this basic account is nothing short of criminal.

NYC Mayor Bloomberg's Party Switch Intrigues Gay Politicos

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg provided gay politicos with their story de la semaine as he announced his defection from the Republican Party. The mayor -- and oft-speculated 2008 presidential candidate -- surprised few insiders with his announcement. He regularly bucked the GOP and clashed with President George W. Bush on numerous occasions. Gay Republicans downplayed the announcement about which this blogger wrote for EDGE yesterday. They will almost certainly have to re-evaluate their support of former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani over the next few months as he continues to move to the right. Let the political shell game continue!

The fallout from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s very public defection from the Republican Party on Tuesday, June 19, continues to unfold, with some possibly important repercussions to the LGBT electorate. Speculation as to whether the gay-friendly mayor will enter the 2008 presidential campaign has gone into overdrive. Most pundits agree Bloomberg’s announcement came as no surprise but they, along with some observers, say his decision amounts to a bombshell for gay Republicans.

Log Cabin Republican Executive Director Patrick Sammon told EDGE he was disappointed--but not surprised--by Bloomberg’s decision. Sammon downplayed the impact the billionaire’s move would have on how his organization would work within the Republican Party. "We certainly think he’s been a strong leader for New York and we wish him the best of luck as he leads the city," he said. "Mayor Bloomberg is a strong ally for gay and lesbian people."

Log Cabin Republicans routinely courted Bloomberg’s support after he declared himself a Republican in 2001. The former Democrat repeatedly bucked President George W. Bush and the GOP with his opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment. Log Cabin Republicans also vigorously endorsed Bloomberg’s 2005 re-election campaign. Then-Executive Director Patrick Guerriero cited the new York mayor’s support of pension and domestic partner benefits for same-sex partners of city employees when he made the endorsement.

Guerriero also cited Bloomberg’s overall record during his first term in office.

"Mike Bloomberg has delivered more jobs, less crime, accountability for our schools and a culture of respect for all New Yorkers," he stated. "These are core Republican issues and the reason why the New York City Chapter is proud to be working to re-elect Mike Bloomberg this fall."

Current New York City Council Speaker (and probable 2009 mayoral candidate) Christine Quinn [D-Chelsea] joined a chorus of other Democrats and gay activists who blasted Bloomberg’s decision to appeal state Supreme Court Justice Doris Ling-Cohan’s 2005 ruling that found New York State’s Domestic Relations Law unconstitutional.

Quinn also blasted the mayor after he fled a lawsuit to block the Equal Benefits Law, which would have mandated that any company doing business with the city anywhere in the country in excess of $100,000 annually had to provide its’ employees’ same-sex partners the same benefits as employee’s legal spouses. The bill, which passed with a huge majority of the City Council, could have a galvanizing effect on domestic-partner agreements nationwide, given the city’s clout and huge budget.

Despite these inconsistencies, WNYC-FM Radio Host Brian Lehrer said Bloomberg’s defection may hurt gay Republicans efforts to moderate their party. "When one of the voices that gays and other Republican moderates have within the party [leaves the party], the Republican Party is in effect a lost cause for pursuing those issues," said the pundit. "It weakens the cause."

Democratic political strategist Dorie Clark agreed. "I would hate to be the head of Log Cabin Republicans right now," she said, adding that Bloomberg "is socially progressive and fiscally conservative, which is a dying breed among Republicans." Gay Republicans who may have wanted to support a possible Bloomberg candidacy face a difficult choice in the months leading up to the first presidential caucuses and primaries, according to Clark.

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has garnered support from gay Republicans; but he, along with U.S. Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and the other major GOP candidates have expressed their opposition to marriage for same-sex couples, the federal Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" as they court their party’s socially conservative base.

Lehrer sees gay Republicans shying away from Giuliani due to his recent overtures to the right. "I don’t think Giuliani would be a reliable defender or promoter of gay rights because he is taking a different tack than Bloomberg," he said. "Gay Republicans need another candidate [or] politician to look to for support."

Clark said Bloomberg’s announcement shows social conservatives continue to dominate the GOP. "The main way Mayor Bloomberg’s leaving the Republican Party affects the presidential field is it showed the GOP has taken a sharp turn rightwards," she said. "Moderates no longer feel welcome."

Melissa Sklarz, the transgendered former president of Gay & Lesbian Independent Democrats, a New York political club, told EDGE Bloomberg never did not have much impact in the Republican Party. Sklarz added, however, voters may gravitate towards his mayoral record if he seeks the White House. "He has accomplishments, good and bad, that will appeal to people," she said. "He has accomplishments to back up his campaign."

New York City gay political activist Dirk McCall believes Bloomberg will, in fact, announce a candidacy but that it would make little difference within the national GOP. "Bloomberg has always been different from other Republican leaders," McCall said. "All the Republicans are standing against us for the most part; it doesn’t really change the calculus."

Sammon agreed that Bloomberg’s departure remains a possible harbinger of his future aspirations. "The impact is only to the effect that here’s a guy who has half a billion dollars to spend on a campaign," Sammon concluded. "Obviously that could impact the whole race."