NY Sen. Ruben Diaz Defends Comparing Homosexuality To Bestiality

Blabbeando blogger Andres Duque has transcribed NY Sen. Ruben Diaz' appearance on Pura Politica, some of which I excerpted here yesterday. In the below clip, host Juan Manuel Benitez plays a 2009 interview segment in which Diaz compares being gay to having sex with animals, a position Diaz then defends. Start at around 6:00.

Friendly Voices - Jennifer Lopez

"It’s OK to be out. I do think it is. I do think it’s acceptable for people to be who they are. I am a huge advocate of that. In that sense, that’s the only way we can truly love ourselves, it’s by accepting who we are and letting everybody know who we are. So, I’m very proud – you know – I’m friends with Ricky [Martin] and I’m very proud of him and support him in everything he does. And all these people who have been... who want to step forward and tell the world who they are… I think that’s awesome." - Jennifer Lopez, in an interview with gay Latino blogger Andres Duque.

40 Activists Walk Into A Room....

Pictured above are the journalists, activists, researchers, allies and bloggers that attended this weekend's Haas Fund-sponsored conference on LGBT youth homelessness, suicide prevention, and immigration equality. All very good people.

UPDATE: Via the Windy City Times, here's everybody's names (from left to right).

Michael Rogers, Eden James, Phil Reese, Andrés Duque, Karen Ocamb, Jeremy Hooper, Jean Albright, Tracy Baim, Ksen Pallegedara, Zack Ford, Joe Mirabella, Carl Siciliano, Chris Geidner, Rod McCullom, Daniel Villarreal, Adam Bink, Chris Johnson, Ed Kennedy, Jerame Davis, Caitlin Ryan, Jason Cianciotto, Bil Browning, Rex Wockner, Elizbeth Plata, Matt Comer, Shannon Minter, Sunni Brydum, Andrew Belonsky, Joe Jervis, Cynthia Laird, Michael Jones, Liza Sabater, Ann Haas, Ed Plata.

Andres Duque: Betrayed By Monserrate

My friend Andres Duque, who blogs at Blabbeando, writes today of his former friendship with Hiram Monserrate, whom Andres took to Monserrate's first gay bar and who in 2008 bestowed a proclamation honoring Andres' "passionate fight for the recognition of same-sex partnerships." A snippet:

I might not consider myself to idolize political leaders but Hiram, at one point, was my hero. As a Latino political representative he not only broke the mold of other Latino political leaders in the city who are beholden to nepotism, allegiance to stagnant Democratic powers, and run based only on their ethnic identity, he also showed that he could represent the interests of the borough outside his Latino identity. Few will understand the extreme disappointment some of us feel about his latest turns and I told him as much last week when I wrote to him and said I would not be voting for him.

Read the entire essay, it's full of betrayal and disappointment. And if you live in Queens, get to the polls. They're open until 8pm.

Newly Elected Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla Discusses Same-Sex Marriage

Just elected Costa Rica president Laura Chinchilla says its time for her country to move forward on same-sex partnership rights, but adds that marriage itself must be left to heterosexuals. Clip and captioning by Andres Duque at Blabbeando.

Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz To Sen. Diaz: You Do Not Represent Latinos!

Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz rocked the house yesterday with her admonition to Sen. Ruben Diaz: "Mr. Diaz: You do not represent the voice of Latinos! Absolutely not! Not in our name!" Go to Andres Duque's excellent Blabbeando for extensive coverage of both the anti and pro-gay rallies, including many videos.