NEW YORK: Dozens Of Catholic Churches Close As Archdiocese Consolidates

Reuters reports:

Teary-eyed and angry Catholic parishioners across New York attended final mass services on Friday in some of dozens of churches closing or stopping regular worship services. The closures follow an announcement by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in November that it would consolidate 368 parishes into 294, reflecting a national trend of parish closures in the United States caused by low attendance, a shortage of priests and financial troubles. Parishioners expressed sadness at the shuttering of churches like Our Lady of Peace, a red brick church with an ornate interior on Manhattan's Upper East Side that is more than 100 years old. "It's like a death in the family," said Manhattan resident Lola Skaro, a retiree in her late 70s, who became emotional when talking about the church she had visited everyday since her retirement.

The Daily News notes that workers were changing the locks at some of the nearly two dozen closing churches in New York City as the final mass took place. (Tipped by JMG reader Jerald)

TRAILER: History In The Making

Clip recap:

This feature-length documentary, History In The Making: The Marriage Equality New York Archives 2007-2015, follows an all-grassroots organization, Marriage Equality New York (or MENY) from the NYC streets to Albany and eventually to the Supreme Court. Directed & edited by Fred Anguera. Filmed by Cristina Wolff, Rob Martin, Reed Davis, Fred Anguera, Emmanuel Migrino, Carmine Nicholas Tzavis. Appearances by Cathy Marino-Thomas, Edie Windsor, Brendan Fay, Margaret Cho, Maggie Gallagher, Sen. Thomas Duane, Christine Quinn, Danny O'Donnell, Candy Samples, Gilbert Baker, Chic, Ann Northrop, Gov. David Paterson, Sassy, Ron Zacchi, Fred Anguera, Sheila & Jackie Marino-Thomas, Cynthia Nixon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Kate & Darcy Tuscano and more.

Get tickets to the screening.

Headline Of The Day

Via press release:

A New York farm that hosts wedding ceremonies for profit does not have a “religious freedom” right to discriminate against same-sex couples, Americans United for Separation of Church and State says. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed yesterday with the New York Supreme Court’s appellate division, Americans United argues that the First Amendment does not permit the owners of Liberty Ridge Farm in Schaghticoke, N.Y., to refuse service to gay couples. This brief is part of AU’s Protect Thy Neighbor project, an initiative that fights on behalf of victims of religion-based discrimination.

“If you run a for-profit business in New York, you have to be open to all comers,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “And if you think the First Amendment gives you the right to turn away LGBT persons, you may soon find yourself in legal trouble – just like the owners of Liberty Ridge Farm.” The case has been ongoing since 2012, when the farm refused to allow Jennifer McCarthy and Melisa Erwin to rent the property for their wedding ceremony. The farm’s owners cited their religious beliefs as justification for the refusal. In response, the rejected couple filed a complaint.

Last year the farm was ordered to pay a $10K fine.

Quote Of The Day - Daniel O'Donnell

"Ever since I was a boy, I dreamed of being a politician. But when I was imagining it, there were no openly gay politicians to look up to. I didn't think an openly gay person could be elected to public office. I pursued a legal career, not in the hopes of switching to politics, but as an alternative I could enjoy. My husband, John, and I hid our relationship for more than a decade -- not even sharing an apartment for fear of discovery. By the late 1990s, attitudes had shifted enough that I began to entertain a run for office. By 2002, I had been elected as the first openly gay man in the Assembly. Still, it would be almost another decade before marriage equality finally came to our state. [snip] On New York's anniversary, let us rejoice in our partnerships, and then use them to keep fighting for true equality, freedom from workplace discrimination, and rights for the transgender community. As we await the Supreme Court's decision, I'm hopeful that the justices will choose to open doors for the next generation of LGBT youth. I am excited to see what they can achieve when the way is cleared for them. - New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, celebrating the state's fourth anniversary of same-sex marriage.

NEW YORK: Upstate Court Rules That Pole Dancing Is An Art Form

Via the New York Daily News:

There’s no art in the champagne room. Pole dancing is artistic expression — but lap dancing is not, an upstate administrative law judge has ruled. That means a lot of dollars in the garter belt for Albany-area strip club Nite Moves — because it doesn't have to pay sales tax on about $1 million it pocketed in entrance fees between 2005 and 2010. In a ruling made public Friday, state Division of Tax Appeals ALJ Joseph Pinto found the on-stage pole dances count legally as “a place where a performance is given.” “There is a stage for the performers illuminated by spotlights; a dressing room for the dancers, who, at times, wear an array of different costumes; (and) tables and seating that are oriented towards the stage to focus audience attention on the performances;” and featured “choreographed dances,” Pinto wrote. He cited testimony from experts the club had hired, and the “very credible and candid testimony of Alize and Taylor, two of the dancers at Nite Moves.”

It took the state auditor "ten to fifteen visits" to the private champagne room to make his decision on lap dances.

NEW YORK: Couple Sues Chili's For HIV Exposure After Waiter Spits In Drink

After the police used a DNA test to confirm that a waiter had spit into their drink, an upstate New York couple is suing a Chili's restaurant and the waiter for potential exposure to HIV and hepatitis.

The Yerdons plan to sue Lamica and the owners of Chili's this week. They want compensation for the psychological trauma they endured not knowing whether Yerdon had contracted HIV or hepatitis because he'd sipped from the cup twice before seeing the spit. Ken Yerdon, 45, a traveling operator for a power company, tested negative for HIV and hepatitis immediately after the incident. But he had to wait six months to be tested a second time to ensure he was in the clear. "It was a long six months of anxiety," Julie Aluzzo-Yerdon said. Marissa Rice, director of youth services at ACR Health in Syracuse, said today that saliva is not one of the four bodily fluids through which HIV can be transmitted. Even if someone had blood in his or her saliva, swallowing that person's saliva would not transmit the disease because it has to get into someone's bloodstream, said Rice, who's trained by the state in AIDS prevention education.

The couple says that they are suing Chili's because the company took no action against the waiter before he quit. The spitting reportedly occurred after the couples complained about their meal and then asked for drinks to go. The waiter's Facebook page has been screencapped at the above link.

Quote Of The Day - Daniel O'Donnell

"As for many, there is a deeply personal element to this historic victory for me. I am very recognizably Irish-American, from my face to my name, but until these last few weeks, I have often felt that I don’t belong. Last month I was invited to Ireland by the Lawyers for Yes Campaign to help kick off the final weeks of advocacy. As the legislative sponsor of Marriage Equality in New York State, I shared my experience on the fight to achieve equal rights. Irish people from all over the world returned home to vote in this election. I returned to the birthplace of my family to help in any way I could. I feel proud to be Irish in a new way today after the people of Ireland declared that one can be Irish and gay and recognized in loving same-sex relationships. Thank you, Ireland, for voting for another step toward universal human rights for all." - New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, in a letter published today by the New York Times.

Ruben Diaz: My Wife Was Denied City Job Over Position On Gay Marriage

New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, the leading anti-gay nutcase in the legislature, is screaming that his wife was denied a job with New York City because she opposes same-sex marriage. Via the Observer:

A Bronx state senator is charging that Comptroller Scott Stringer denied his wife a job because she opposes same-sex marriage–even though Mr. Stringer’s office claims she was never offered a position. State Senator Rubén Díaz Sr., a conservative Democrat, said in an email today that his wife, Leslie Díaz, was recently offered an unspecified position in Mr. Stringer’s office. When Mr. Stringer found out that she, like her husband, is not a supporter of same-sex marriage, the offer was rescinded, according to Mr. Díaz. “Leslie’s co-workers gave her a very nice going away party. We were all very happy that Leslie was going to be working for the New York City Comptroller’s Office,” Mr. Díaz wrote in one of his periodic emailed missives known as “What You Should Know.” “Then, two days before her expected start date for her new position, she got a phone call informing her that Scott Stringer had just received a copy of a video that shows Leslie standing and participating with me–her husband–at a peaceful demonstration that we held in opposition to same-sex marriage,” he continued. Mr. Díaz said his wife was informed that because of the video, Mr. Stringer, a fellow Democrat and backer of same-sex marriage, would not offer his wife the job.

A spokesman for Stringer says that Diaz is spewing "nonsense" and that his wife was never even in consideration for the position. Diaz, you surely recall, bused in the majority of the attendees at the last two hate marches organized by NOM. (Via Aksarbent)

NEW YORK: State Assembly Committee Advances "Ex-Gay" Torture Ban

Court: Chimpanzees Are Legal Persons

NPR reports:

A New York judge has granted two research chimps the writ of habeas corpus – a move that allows them to challenge their detention. The decision, says Science magazine, effectively recognizes chimps as legal persons, marking the first time in U.S. history that an animal has been given that right. The order, dated April 20, requires Stony Brook University to appear in court and provide a legally sufficient reason for keeping the two chimps, Hercules and Leo. A hearing is scheduled for May 6.

The Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), the group that filed the case on behalf of the chimps, said in a statement it believed the Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Barbara Jaffe's order "implicitly determined that Hercules and Leo are 'persons.'" But Richard Cupp, a law professor at Pepperdine University who opposes personhood for animals, told Science, "It would be quite surprising if the judge intended to make a momentous substantive finding that chimpanzees are legal persons if the judge has not yet heard the other side's arguments."

Read more at Science.

New York State Sen. Ruben Diaz: NOM Gave Me 117 Buses For Their Hate March

"You should know that this coming Saturday, April 25th, 117 buses will take more than 6,000 people to Washington, D.C. These buses are being donated by the National Organization for Marriage, led by my friend, Brian Brown. The buses will leave from all parts of the New York metropolitan area - including Long Island where Apostle Carlos Luis Vargas, President of the International Freeport Bible Center is taking 20 buses, and New Jersey where Bishop Jose Lopez, President of the Evangelical Pastor’s Association of Hudson County is in charge of another 20. The buses will arrive in Washington, D.C. at 12:00 noon where a prayer vigil will take place in front of the United States Supreme Court. We will be joined by people of faith from all parts of the nation. The purpose of this prayer vigil is to praise our God and to pray for the very important decision about same-sex marriage that the Supreme Court will render this year. Therefore, we have decided to travel to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. where the Supreme Court is located, and there we will publicly praise our Lord and pray for His intercession so He could lead the minds of the Justices to make the right decision." - New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, who last year claimed that he was bringing 100 buses to Hate March II. Attendance last year was estimated at 2000 total, so obviously that was a lie.  (Via Good As You) 

RELATED: During his failed attempts to stop same-sex marriage in New York, Diaz twice led hate marches through the streets of New York City. Brian Brown helped carry the banner in the second march in 2011, which culminated with a call for the death penalty for homosexuality while Diaz' gay granddaughter, Erica Diaz, stood in plain view in the audience. See my slideshow of that day. NOM later stole my video of Brian Brown's speech and posted it to their YouTube channel without permission or attribution. Attendance at both Diaz hate marches was inflated by busing in the New Jersey listeners of a Hispanic evangelical talk radio station.

NEW YORK: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Bans State-Funded Travel To Indiana

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's move came after pressure from gay New York state legislators.

The five gay lawmakers in the state Legislature wrote a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today urging him to boycott Indiana’s “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” and ban state travel to the state. The lawmakers—Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymembers Deborah Glick, Daniel O’Donnell, Harry Bronson and Matthew Titone—joined the growing chorus of criticism over the law, saying Cuomo needs to sign an executive order to bar state-funded travel to Indiana because they said the law is discriminatory toward gays and same-sex couples. The bill makes “clear that Indiana businesses are permitted by law to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in matters including housing, employment, and access to public accommodations,” the letter said.

Hit the link to read their letter.

NEW YORK: Prison Guard Suspended After Facebook Threat To Shoot Gay Neighbors

A part-time corrections officer in a Buffalo suburb has resigned after his superiors were notified that he had posted a Facebook message in which he threatened to shoot his gay neighbors. He has also been suspended from his full-time job at the infamous Attica state prison. Via the Buffalo News:

Richard “Rick” Pilarski Jr. resigned Saturday as a cell block attendant for the Cheektowaga Police Department after he acknowledged the Facebook exchange with family and friends in which he threatened to shoot gays. The exchange was spurred by a news account about a proposed ballot initiative in California known as the “Sodomite Suppression Act,” which calls for imposing the death penalty on gay men and women who are sexually active.

“We brought him in today and he decided to resign from the position,” Assistant Police Chief James J. Speyer said Saturday. “He was remorseful and apologetic. It is one of those situations where he never intended it to be something that would come out.” Speyer said the department received a complaint late last week and immediately suspended Pilarski without pay while beginning an investigation. Pilarski, 33, also was placed on administrative leave Friday from his job as full-time state corrections officer at Attica Correctional Facility, as the state investigates the complaint.

“Wouldn’t this be the greatest thing in the world??? The guys around the corner would be the first 2 faggots in my sights. What you do in your house is one thing but when you fly flags of equal rights and the rainbow flag in a small quiet neighborhood is another,” Pilarski posted Monday on Facebook. Pilarski acknowledged the Facebook posts were his but explained that he thought he was having a private conversation, Speyer said. After admitting the Facebook exchanges, Pilarski resigned from his part-time job, Speyer said. He worked five shifts a month in the cell block.

Prison officials and Pilarski's corrections officers union have declined to comment. His Facebook account has been deleted.

NEW YORK: Gay Pol Thanks Miley Cyrus For Help With Homeless Youth Funding Bill

Openly gay New York Sen. Brad Hoylman today thanked pop star Miley Cyrus for helping win millions of dollars in state funding for homeless youth shelters. Via DNA Info:

The 2015 New York State Budget now has $4.5 million in funding for homeless youth shelters, the first significant increase in seven years — thanks to Miley Cyrus. State Sen. Brad Hoylman said credit for convincing Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to include the funding belongs to the "Wrecking Ball" singer. "I want to thank Miley Cyrus for her advocacy in helping raise awareness through our #5000TooMany social media campaign," Hoylman said in a statement. "Miley’s advocacy on behalf of homeless kids made a difference and is a perfect example how star power can be used to help others." Cyrus sent a letter to the Albany power trio a week ago urging them to include the funding in the budget.

State funding for homeless youth had been cut by two-thirds since 2008. The restored funding will reportedly pay for 1000 new shelter beds. The above-linked story does not specify how the new funding might be distributed to homeless LGBT youth services such as the Ali Forney Center.

CHERRY GROVE: Fire Destroys Two Hotels, Gay Nightclub, And Several Residences

A massive fire swept through Cherry Grove's commercial district on Fire Island last night, destroying several private homes, the Holly House Hotel, and the Grove Hotel, the last of which was home to the famed Ice Palace nightclub. For decades the Ice Palace hosted the Miss Fire Island pageant and served as the kickoff location for the annual Fire Island Pines Drag Invasion. Local authorities say that the source of the blaze, which reportedly broke out on the nearby boardwalk, is unknown. About 80 firefighters were on the scene and two suffered injuries, but no residents were hurt, possibly because most of Fire Island is unoccupied at this time of year. Last night's fire was yet another in a recent string of disasters to strike Fire Island's two predominantly gay towns. The commercial district of neighboring Fire Island Pines was destroyed in a 2011 fire and both towns were flooded during 2012's Hurricane Sandy.

(Via Towleroad)

UPDATE: Contrary to the above-linked Newsday report that the Grove Hotel is a "complete loss," this news item says the Ice Palace nightclub portion of the complex suffered only minor damage.

TODAY: Day Of Action To Pass Trans Rights In New York State Senate

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act has passed in the New York Assembly SEVEN times, but shamefully it has never been allowed to come to a vote in the state Senate. Today openly gay Sen. Brad Hoylman (above right) and Sen. Daniel Squadron will attend a rally at the state capitol building. Via press release from the Empire State Pride Agenda:

“It is unconscionable that, in most of the state, an individual can lose his or her job or home or be denied the right eat at a restaurant based on gender identity or expression," said New York City Public Advocate Letitia James. "These are not hypothetical scenarios—one out of every three transgender New Yorkers have been homeless; two out of three experience discrimination at work; and one in five have been fired explicitly for being transgender. New York City is one of only 11 cities and counties in New York State that have passed local GENDA laws. Outside these communities, this despicable discrimination is perfectly legal. GENDA is a basic human rights law and it must be passed statewide and it must be passed this year to secure the most fundamental protections against discrimination."

Come on New York, this is embarrassing.

NEW YORK: Teen Confesses To Murdering Gay Man In Apparent Craigslist Hook-Up

An upstate New York teenager has confessed to brutally murdering a 62 year-old gay man during an apparent Craigslist hook-up. 

Kyle A. Box, 18 [photo], a junior at Carthage Academy, faces second-degree murder charges in the death of Randy J. Bent, 62, of 821 Morrison St. Police began investigating the case as a murder when firefighters reported to them the victim had multiple stab wounds. Box was arrested on Monday after admitting to police he stabbed Mr. Bent several times then set him on fire Sunday night, police said. An autopsy was conducted Monday afternoon, but the results have not been released. Police continue to withhold information about how Box and Mr. Bent knew each other, saying that information is evidentiary. Two of Mr. Bent’s friends, Dorothy “Dottie” M. Miller and John G. Miller, said Mr. Bent — who was openly gay — often went on Craigslist to meet men. They said they warned him to stay away from the online personal classified ads because they feared for his safety. On Tuesday afternoon, the Times found a listing in the casual encounters section of the website under the heading “18-year-old in need of help — m4m (carthage).” The personal went on to say “Hello my name is Kyle and I’ve had trouble looking for a job so if anyone out their needs someone to give them a good time and call or text me i’ll gladly give you something you wont forget. :)”

(Tipped by JMG reader Kent)

New York City And New York State Sue UPS For Shipping Untaxed Cigarettes

Via Reuters:

New York City and New York state sued United Parcel Service Inc. on Wednesday, seeking over $180 million in damages and penalties against the shipping company for allegedly delivering nearly 700,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes across the state. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, accuses UPS of cheating the state and city of $29.7 million and $4.7 million, respectively, in tax revenue, according to a statement from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The deliveries mostly originated from smoke shops on Indian reservations in New York state and were shipped to unlicensed wholesalers and retailers as well as residences in New York and nationwide, according to the lawsuit. The deliveries, which violated both federal and state laws, were made despite a 2005 agreement between UPS and the state in which the company agreed to stop cigarette shipments to individual consumers and unlicensed dealers, Schneiderman said.

A similar suit filed last year against FedEx remains pending. Cigarettes sold in New York City are taxed an extra $5.85 per pack.

New York High Court Drops Felony Charge Against Man In HIV Exposure Case

Via the Associated Press:

An HIV-positive man who told a partner that they could safely have unprotected sex should face a misdemeanor reckless endangerment charge, not a felony, New York's highest court ruled Thursday. The Court of Appeals said Terrance Williams didn't expose his partner "out of any malevolent desire" to give him the virus that causes AIDS, though he lied about having the infection and his partner did get sick. The court said the Syracuse man didn't show "depraved indifference," which is necessary to support the felony charge. The judges declined to decide whether HIV infection no longer "creates a grave and unjustifiable risk of death" because of advances in medical treatment. Two lower courts had reached that conclusion while knocking down the felony indictment to the lesser charge. The felony could have sent Williams to prison for seven years. He still faces the misdemeanor and a possible year in jail if convicted.

Unlike many states, New York does not have a law that specifically criminalizes exposing others to HIV. The map below is from the CDC.

From The New York State GOP

Sharpton as Christian Grey, De Blasio as Anastasia Steele, and the New York GOP as the worst photoshop artists ever.