Think Progress Names The Eleven Best House Reps For LGBT Rights

Last week Think Progress named the seven most anti-gay members of the U.S. House, basing their selections on bills presented during the current session. Using the same criteria, today they give us the eleven best reps for LGBT rights. My own Congresswoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, makes the list for her bill to provide same-sex couples equal access to unpaid leave.

NYC's U.S. House Members: It Gets Better

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Members of New York City's Congressional Delegation -- Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Ed Towns, Eliot Engel, Carolyn Maloney, Joe Crowley and Jose Serrano -- released a video to combat the scourge of suicide among LGBT American youths. They join thousands of others across the country working to help those who are at risk. The It Gets Better Project was created in 2010 to address the alarming increase of reported suicide among LGBT youths.

NYC House members except the Republicans.

HRC's 2010 Congressional Scorecard

Shown above are the ratings for my three reps in Congress, according to how the HRC judges their support for LGBT issues. Another benefit of living in this moonbat commie/socialist paradise. The HRC notes via press release:

In the House, 145 members scored 90 percent or above, compared to 128 members last congress. In the Senate, those scoring 90 percent and above rose from 32 to 36. But disturbingly, the number of Senators with a zero percent score doubled from 16 to 32 this Congress. In addition, the number of House Members that consistently oppose LGBT equality has remained essentially constant increasing from 143 to 144. “As more and more Americans support equality for LGBT people, some members of Congress are showing real leadership while others are digging in their heels to cater to an anti-LGBT fringe constituency,” added HRC Legislative Director Allison Herwitt.

Check out the just-released 2010 edition of the HRC's Congressional Scorecard and report back here on your own reps' ratings.

Maloney Won't Challenge Gillibrand

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-UES, my Congressperson) has backed out of her plan to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in the 2010 election.

"The right decision for me and the people I represent is to stay in the House of Representatives and use the leadership positions I hold, including Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, to get things done. I make this decision, not because I fear a tough political fight, but because I love one. In this Congress, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to enact meaningful health care reform, restore the trust and confidence in our financial systems, and take a step toward a clean energy future."

Rep. Jose Serrano (D-Bronx) also announced today that he won't be running against Gillibrand. Clearly, Democratic leadership is pressuring everybody to clear the road for Gillibrand.

Sen. Gillibrand Pledges To Sponsor DADT Repeal, Says "I Stand With Dan Choi"

Sen. Kristin Gillibrand (D-NY) has published an opinion piece on Huffington Post in which she declares, "I stand with Lt. Dan Choi." Gillibrand goes on to pledge to cosponsor a repeal of DADT.

I am firmly committed to repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. To that end, I am working closely with Congressman Murphy and Senator Kennedy's offices to develop support for repeal legislation and will be among the original co-sponsors of the bill when it's introduced. In the weeks and months ahead, I plan to work with Lt. Choi to repair the damage that has been done to his career and spare thousands of innocent, brave men and women, from the same injustice.

RELATED: Gillibrand's Senate seat will be challenged in 2010 by my House member, the fabulous Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D), who represents NYC's Upper East Side.

Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney is thumbing her nose at the Democratic establishment, telling fellow pols she'll take on Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand at the polls next year. The upper East Side Dem would be running head-long into an organized party effort - captained behind the scenes by Sen. Chuck Schumer - to clear the primary field for Gillibrand. Maloney is expected to make an official decision about her candidacy by July 4, but she's already alerting colleagues that she'll challenge Gov. Paterson's pick to replace Hillary Clinton.

When Gov. Paterson picked the relatively unknown Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton, some considered her to be a mere placeholder until the Dems could find a suitably powerful figure to run for the seat in 2010. That talk seems to have died down.

The WPA On The UES

My congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (whom I adore) is telling her constituents how the Second Avenue subway construction is helping the city economically.

Yesterday, Representative Carolyn Maloney released a report detailing how construction for the Second Avenue Subway, as well as the East Side Access plan, have helped out the economy. According to the findings, the Second Ave Subway has created 16,00 jobs, generated $842 million in wages, and produced $2.87 billion in economic activity, while East Side Access has created 22,000 jobs, generated $1.176 billion in wages, and produced $4 billion in economic activity. And by the end, she said, “The stock market may be slumping, but these two transit megaprojects are delivering a very healthy return on the federal and state investments in them... While these projects won’t cure everything that ails our economy, they are a huge help in getting us back on track.” Last month, NY1 focused on 2nd Avenue businesses that have taken a hit since the dig—Second Avenue Business Association says, "Within the first six months of the construction process commencing, business declined between 15 and 20 percent."

This is probably a good example of what Obama hopes to do with his national infrastructure plans to rebuild the nation's bridges and highways. It's the WPA all over again. On the downside, the sidewalks on my stretch of Second Ave have been sliced to one-third of their former width and three of the twelve storefronts on my block have closed - two restaurants and a bodega. That may or may not be related to the construction, however. On the really downer side, the subway won't be finished until 2017.

New York Primary Deadline Is Friday, Register To Vote Online Via LGBT Center

This Friday, August 15th, is the deadline to register for New York's September 9th primary. The NYC Gay & Lesbian Community Center has a goal of registering 2000 new LGBT voters by then. You can register to vote online via their site.

All of New York's 29 seats in the House of Representatives are in contention, as are all 436 seats nationwide. Of New York's 29 Congressional districts, 25 incumbents are running to keep their seats, including my own Congressperson, the fabulous Carolyn Maloney.

BUT, three out of the four retiring New York Reps are Republican, including Staten Island's vile, anti-gay Vito "Family Values (With A Mistress And A Love Child)" Fossella, the only Republican representing NYC in Congress. THAT is why the NYS primary is important, my tender kittens. Staten Island homos, represent.

And lets not forget the 150 seats in the state Assembly or the 62 seats in the state Senate, all of which are up for grabs. Openly LGBT Assembly members Daniel O'Donnell, Deborah Glick, Matthew Titone, and (my own Assemblyman) Micah Kellner need your support.

As does Thomas Duane, the only openly gay (and openly HIV positive) member of the state Senate. Duane's district stretches down the west side of Manhattan from 85th Street to Canal Street and encompasses major gayborhoods Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, and the East and West Village.

If you are not registered to vote in New York, please help the LGBT Center reach their goal.