Slapping At Quinn Press Conference

A mayoral campaign press conference for New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn turned violent yesterday when an anti-Quinn protester slapped openly gay state Sen. Brad Hoylman in the face. The protester, seen above shaking his fist at openly gay former state Sen. Tom Duane, said that he blames Quinn for the closure of St. Vincent's Hospital in the West Village, forcing him to travel ninety minutes to the Bronx to visit his wife, who he said died in a hospital there on Saturday.

Ironically, Hoylman and Duane, both Quinn supporters, were at the press conference to back Quinn's claim that rival mayoral candidate and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio "had done nothing" to prevent St. Vincent's closure. But also there was the usual contingent of anti-Quinn activists that have dogged her every public appearance for years.  Politicker has more on the fracas:

“Shame, shame, shame on you,” the group chanted as the press conference was set to begin, drowning out Ms. Quinn’s supporters. As the press conference continued, the voices grew louder, with the protesters proclaiming that Ms. Quinn–who was not present at the event–had “blood on her hands.” At one point, George Capsis, reportedly the publisher of the WestView News, who is known for causing scenes at local meetings, leapt in front of Mr. Duane, screaming: “You’re a fatuous idiot!” as he shook his fist.

The situation grew more intense as spokespeople for Ms. Quinn’s campaign attempted to get the man to leave. Instead, Mr. Capsis struck Mr. Hoylman in the face as he made his way out through the crowd. After rejoining the protesters, Mr. Capsis hit another Quinn supporter in the face, prompting the supporter–an intern–to leave the scene in tears. Later, Mr. Capsis tried to explained why he’d hit Mr. Hoylman. “He’s a vacuous idiot. He never supported saving the hospital,” Mr. Capsis charged.

Politicker notes that Capsis was charged with slapping a police officer last year.  No charges have apparently been filed for his assaults on Hoylman or the Quinn staffer. The Quinn campaign says they did file a police report, but the NYPD says it has no record of such. The New York Daily News adds that a member of the anti-Quinn group also taunted Duane, a recovering alcoholic, by shouting, "Have another drink, Tom!"

The anti-Quinn group, Anybody But Quinn, which has blanketed local television with ads all summer long, issued a statement lauding its members for "unleashing a bold counter-protest" at the press conference but made no mention of the assaults. It is unclear if Capsis is a member of the group.

NY Senate: Gay Vs Gay-Friendly

Two Democrats are running to fill the seat of openly gay NY Sen. Tom Duane, who is retiring after a distinguished career highlighted by last year's passage of marriage equality. One of those running for Duane's West Village seat is Brad Hoylman (above right), who is openly gay, engaged and the father of a 18-month old. His opponent, Tom Greco, is straight and married, but owns one of Hell's Kitchen's most popular gay bars, the Ritz. Capital New York looks at the Democratic machine aligned behind Hoylman:

Democratic State Senate candidate Brad Hoylman has locked up the support of nearly the entire Democratic establishment in his bid to succeed Tom Duane, and his opponent is trying to use that against him. "We don't just line up behind the guy whose turn in line it is," said Michael Oliva, a consultant to Hoylman's Democratic opponent, Tom Greco, a bar owner. "That kind of closed-mindedness and strict adherence to authority is for the Republicans." Oliva argues that, in contrast to Hoylman, a former general counsel to the pro-business Partnership for New York City, Greco is the true liberal in the tradition of the famously progressive district. [snip] "Many of the voters in this district struggled for civil rights in the 50s, 60s and 70s, demonstrated against wars and violence and sexual intolerance, and stood up to all manner of human injustice," he said. "They elected Bella Abzug. We want to spark that sense of rebelliousness which still burns deep within them."

I think we can categorize these "I'm more liberal than the other guy" battles as a rare embarrassment of riches.

NY Senator Tom Duane To Retire

New York Sen. Tom Duane, the nation's only openly gay and openly HIV-positive state legislator has announced his retirement.

On Monday, Mr. Duane, a Democrat, will announce his decision to call it quits, opening up the seat in a district that stretches from the Upper West Side to Greenwich Village, and across to the East Village. No, it is not his health. No, he does not have another job lined up. And no, Mr. Duane said cheerfully in an interview, he has not done anything illegal or embarrassing that is about to make news. Instead, Mr. Duane, 57, said that he had simply tired of ricocheting between the city and Albany, as he has for nearly 14 years — a number he repeated at least a dozen times — and that he was eager to try something new. “It’s not that Albany isn’t a lovely place, but it’s not home,” he said. “I always knew that I was going to have another chapter in my life, and it’s time for me to start that new chapter.”

The New York Times speculates about Duane's replacement.

With Republicans now holding a slim majority in the Senate, Mr. Duane’s departure is unlikely to alter Albany’s balance of power, since whoever wins the Democratic primary on Sept. 13 will be an overwhelming favorite in November. The shortlist could include State Assembly members Deborah J. Glick and Brian Kavanaugh. Other possibilities are Brad Hoylman and Corey Johnson, the chairmen of Community Boards 2 and 4.

You may recall Duane's amazing 2009 speech to the state Senate during that year's failed bid for same-sex marriage. Give it a minute, it builds and builds.

NEW YORK: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Signs Landmark Bill Aiding LGBT Seniors

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill creating state services for LGBT senior citizens. The bill was sponsored by openly gay state Sen. Thomas Duane and openly bisexual state Assemblyman Micah Keller. The bill authorizes the replication of various state programs currently offered to traditionally underserved populations.

Via press release from Duane's office:

“Governor Cuomo has once again shown his commitment to ensuring that all New Yorkers have equal rights and protections under the law,” said Senator Duane. “This legislation is groundbreaking. For the first time, New York will recognize the unique needs of the ever growing segment of aging LGBT New Yorkers – and the services they may require in the years to come. Over the past decade, this State has gone from all but ignoring the LGBT community to enacting comprehensive LGBT hate crimes protections, providing a Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, protecting our students with strong anti-gay bullying protections in the Dignity For All Students Act, insuring our right to marry the ones we love with a Marriage Equality law, and now today taking major steps to assist elderly LGBT New Yorkers. I am proud at how far we have come in such a short amount of time.”

I believe this new bill is unique to New York state. Can anybody verify that?

At NYC Pride 2011

By far the most popular person at yesterday's parade was Gov. Andrew Cuomo, whose team had distributed thousands of placards reading "Promise kept! Thank you, Governor!" Hit this Gothamist link for lots more photos from the day.

New York Marriage Reactions

Empire State Pride Agenda

“Love and fairness wins the day for all New Yorkers and our families. Today is a historic day and a victory for equality and justice – it is the culmination of many years of work by the Pride Agenda and others across the state,” said Ross D. Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “We are thrilled that finally all loving, committed New Yorkers will be able to make the commitment of marriage here in the Empire State.”

NY Sen. Thomas Duane

"There are rare moments when the historical significance of an action speaks for itself and words can’t capture the magnitude. This is one such moment. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) New Yorkers will no longer be denied the right to marry the ones they love. For the first time in New York’s rich history they will be granted equal protection under the law. I want to commend the incredible leadership and passion of Governor Andrew Cuomo who made good on his promise to make Marriage Equality the law in New York State. I also want to thank my colleagues in the State Senate on both sides of the aisle, and in the Assembly, who took a courageous stand when it would have been far easier for them to turn away from what I know for many was a difficult issue."

NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell

"Thomas Jefferson once wrote, 'our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions.' Today, the New York State Legislature has affirmed the truth of that fundamental principle with the passage of the Marriage Equality Act. I am proud to have played a central role in this crucial moment for our state. Once Marriage Equality is signed into law, our state will be the most populous in the entire nation with these rights. I hope that with this prominence, our great state will shine as a beacon of equality and lead other states from the darkness of injustice. I will never forget this day."

Freedom To Marry

"Winning the freedom to marry in New York truly is a transformative moment for committed couples and for our country, a triumph for love and equality under the law,” said Evan Wolfson, founder and President of Freedom to Marry. “Now that we’ve made it here, we’ll make it everywhere – and as Americans’ hearts open and minds continue to change in favor of the freedom to marry, the momentum coming from New York’s giant step forward brings a nationwide end to marriage discrimination closer than ever.”

American Foundation for Equal Rights

“New Yorkers have plenty to celebrate this Pride Month. There’s no doubt that today will be revered as a major turning point in civil rights history. A bipartisan group of legislators have affirmed that equal rights for every citizen is not a partisan issue, but an American value. Yet for millions of Americans who do not live in New York, Washington DC, or the five other states that have recognized the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian Americans, they are still suffering the injustice of discrimination every day. The freedom to marry is a constitutional liberty and the birthright of every American. Constitutional rights belong to every individual, regardless of the state you inhabit. This has recently been affirmed within the past year by federal courts in our nation’s most prominent civil rights cases."

NY SENATE APPROVES MARRIAGE!!!

The vote was 33-29!!!!

I love you, New York.

Now please excuse me as I slip away for some heavy drinking. Marriage equality in New York has been one of the top focuses of this here website thingy for a long, long time.

NEW YORK: Sen. Thomas Duane To Introduce Marriage Equality Bill

Openly gay New York state Sen. Thomas Duane says that he will introduce a marriage equality bill with the aim of forcing a vote by this June.

"I think everyone is aware that we have to make the lives of New Yorkers better in every way - economically, as well as to provide equality to New York families," Duane said Monday. Although a similar bill was soundly defeated in the Senate in 2009, Duane and other supporters believe Gov. Cuomo's support can finally tilt the political landscape. Cuomo, whose favorable rating reached a soaring 70% in this week's Siena poll, called for the legalization of gay marriage in his State of the State address earlier this month. "I think the governor is starting in a strong political place with the people on his side and the wind at his back," said Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. "That is helpful."

Duane faces a tough, tough battle. The GOP remains in control of the New York Senate and anti-gay Democrats such as Sen. Ruben Diaz continue to vow to thwart same-sex marriage. Led by openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, the state Assembly has approved marriage equality several times and would easily do so again.

RELATED: In what some consider a signal of his intent to force through same-sex marriage, this week Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed Erik Bottcher to the newly created cabinet post of Special Assistant for Community Affairs.

NYC: Openly Gay State Sen. Tom Duane Among Those Arrested At AIDS Protest

Openly gay and openly HIV+ New York state Sen. Tom Duane was arrested along with several other AIDS activists in a protest at City Hall tonight.

The act of civil disobedience was meant to draw attention to a housing bill that was vetoed by the governor earlier this year. The bill would insure that poor people living with HIV/ AIDS wouldn't have to spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. Advocates argue the bill saves money in the long run, by lowering the rate of evictions and homelessness. Governor David Paterson vetoed the bill at Mayor Michael Bloomberg's urging. Both men call it an unfunded mandate that neither the city or state can afford. Advocates say the bill would affect about 10,000 low income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS.

At the time of the veto, Gov. Paterson remarked that it was the hardest decision he'd had to make since taking office.

Afternoon View - Quisling Street Fair

The Log Cabin Republicans are the sponsor of today's street fair in the West Village, where their booth is across from the tube socks and next to the gypsy wear. The LCR's is just one of the city's 321 annual street fairs, a number that Bloomberg recently capped after complaints that most of them are run by the same three companies and feature all the same crapola.

Those three companies keep the lion's share of the revenue, but since each fair must be "officially" sponsored by a different non-profit, the producers kick a meager few thousand dollars to them to keep things kosher. The city collects $1.6M annually in fees from the fairs, but spends more than $4M to police them and manage the street closures.

RELATED: The LCR used today's event to flog the campaign of Wall Street lawyer Joe Mendola (seated right in the top photo), an openly gay father of two who is running for the state Senate against openly gay incumbent Thomas Duane, who (along with Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell) very nearly brought marriage equality to New York state last year despite eight traitorous Democrats. Mendola is hanging his hat on the recent closure of St. Vincent's Hospital in the West Village (below), about which he says, "I say that Duane ought to be ashamed of himself for letting the community down and denying the district an important and longstanding provider of quality medical care." Last year Mendola failed in his bid against John Liu for City Comptroller. And I'm very sure he doesn't have the remotest shot at unseating Thomas Duane.

NY Senate PASSES Anti-Bullying Law After Failing For Nine Consecutive Years

The anti-bullying Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) has finally passed in the New York Senate after nine consecutive years of shooting the bill down. A large part of the credit for this success goes, of course, to the bill's Assembly sponsor, Daniel O'Donnell and its Senate sponsor, openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly last month and Gov. Paterson has pledged to sign it into law. Via press release from O'Donnell's office:

Assembly Member O'Donnell remarked, "Too many students are bullied based on real or perceived differences with their classmates. Every student deserves an environment free of harassment and discrimination, an environment that allows every child to reach his or her full potential. For too long, our educational system has been blind to the plight of these students. I am proud that the Assembly led the way on this important issue, and that the Dignity for All Students Act will finally reach the Governor's desk." O'Donnell strongly thanks his Assembly colleagues for their longtime leadership on this and other LGBT issues, the countless advocates who lobbied the Legislature on behalf of DASA, the Senate leadership for delivering a successful vote, and Governor Paterson for his steadfast support of this important piece of legislation.

The Empire State Pride Agenda cheers:

Today’s vote in the State Senate marks a significant victory after years of fighting to protect students from bullying and harassment in schools. The Dignity bill creates tools for school administrators, teachers, parents and students to address bullying and bias-related behavior of all kinds that interfere with student safety and learning. Key provisions include: developing rules to prevent and respond to discriminatory harassment and hate violence; establishing teacher, staff and administrative training guidelines; incorporating discrimination awareness into civility and character education curricula; and required reporting of incidents of bias harassment to the State Education Department. In addition to sexual orientation and other categories such as race, color, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, weight, and disability, Dignity offers protections based on gender identity and expression. This marks the first time that protections based on gender identity and expression would be included in state law.

NY Sen. Tom Duane: Bring The Space Shuttle To New York City

All three space shuttles will be retired next year. Openly gay NY state Sen. Tom Duane wants to bring one of them to NYC for permanent display in Manhattan onboard the Intrepid aircraft carrier.

“On Thursday, by a unanimous vote, the state senate approved a legislative resolution spearheaded by State Senator Thomas K. Duane that enthusiastically endorses the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum’s application to permanently display one of NASA’s three retiring Space Shuttles on Manhattan’s West Side. The Intrepid Museum is competing for the privilege with more than twenty other institutions across the United States,” said the release. The three ships in the Space Shuttle program – Discovery, Endeavor and Atlantis - will be retired in early 2011. This July, NASA will announce the results of a nationwide competition to find homes for each of the three shuttles.

(Via Julie Bolcer @ The Advocate)

NY Marriage Vote Reactions

NY Sen. Thomas Duane, via press release:

Today’s vote against Marriage Equality makes me very angry. Promises made were not honored. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, and all fair-minded New Yorkers have been betrayed. I am enraged, deeply disappointed and profoundly saddened by the vote today. In 2006, when the New York State Court of Appeals shamefully ruled that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community did not have equal protection under the law in relation to Marriage Equality, I predicted that passing legislation to right this wrong in the State Senate would be a profound personal and sadly political battle.I have been proven right.

NY Gov. David Paterson, via press release:

It is always darkest before the dawn. The darkest day in the history of the American civil rights movement was in 1857 when the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, making slavery legal north of the 36th parallel. That was the darkest day for the abolitionists. But when we look back in history, we forget that this was only five years before the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in September of 1862. I understand the anger; I understand the frustration; I understand the feeling of betrayal; and I understand the profound disappointment of those who came to Albany today thinking they could get married tomorrow. But I am also here to tell you that we are not back to square one.

Empire State Pride Agenda, via press release:

While we are disappointed by today’s vote, we are pleased that the issue of marriage equality at last was debated in the New York State Senate. We had long called for a public debate on this matter so we could determine who was truly on our side. It is a step forward for our democratic process in New York that a debate and vote have now occurred. Now we know where we stand, and where we need to concentrate our efforts in the future. We are incredibly thankful to those who have stood with us and will continue to stand with us as our community presses forward to win marriage equality. In this regard: We thank Governor Paterson for his unstinting support.

Stonewall Democrats, via press release:

In New York, among the bluest of blue states, not one Republican Senator could muster the courage or integrity to vote to expand the protections of marriage to same-gender couples, an expansion supported by a majority of New Yorkers -- a move that would have also brought millions of dollars into state coffers and New York's struggling economy.For pro-equality voters in New York, and those around the country, the choice between the parties could not be clearer. New York Democrats led this fight for marriage equality, stood in the Senate chamber and gave moving statements in support of their positions, while New York Republicans could not even be bothered to justify their votes to continue the discriminatory status quo. Today's vote also demonstrates that we must be critical in examining those in our own ranks. We cannot allow the Democratic Party to harbor intolerance or hatred of any kind. On a day marked by disappointment, at least now we know which Democrats need to be held accountable on primary day next year."

Photo Of The Day

Openly gay NY Sen. Thomas Duane expresses his thanks to Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson after her touching speech about her gay brother during her unexpected "yes" vote on marriage equality in the New York Senate today. You can express your own appreciation to Sen. Hassell-Thompson by phone or email here.

[Photo credit: Nathaniel Brooks/NYT]

NY Sen. Tom Duane: I Have The Votes For Marriage (But I Won't Say Who They Are)

NY state Sen. Thomas Duane continues to vow that there are enough "yes" votes for the state Senate to pass marriage equality, but he won't say who the equality-minded Republicans are. According to a WNYC-FM reporter, Duane says those Senators "have to come of out the closet on their own.

Gov. Paterson has called the Senate back to Albany today. It's not known as of this writing whether a vote on marriage equality will take place.

Marriage Optimism In Albany

Over at Gay City News, Paul Schindler has written an inside look at the negotiations to get the state senate to agree to a marriage equality vote before the end of the year. The Empire State Pride Agenda's Alan Van Capelle and openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane remain optimistic that "the votes are there."

“For the very first time, we have an historic commitment from the Senate majority to bring the bill to the floor,” Van Capelle told Gay City News the morning after the announcement. “I believe that we had the votes to pass the bill in June. I believe if it had been debated last night we would have had the votes.” Others echoed Van Capelle’s assessment of the significance of Tuesday evening’s announcement. “I would say that what it means is that there is almost a certainty that the marriage equality bill be voted on imminently,” said Marty Rouse, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, which was also represented at the Paterson meeting. Agreeing with ESPA’s handicapping of the bill’s chances, Rouse said, “We’ve talked to our legislative allies, and our understanding is that the votes will be there when the vote comes to the floor.” Senators also voiced satisfaction, with Duane telling Gay City News, “I feel very happy, very positive.”

However NY1 has today posted a recap of likely votes and it doesn't look good.

While the vote is all but guaranteed, the bill's passage is anything but. A NY1 tally of lawmakers shows support for same sex marriage is not even half way there. Of 62 senators, 21 are supportive. The remaining 41 are opposed, wouldn't say, or couldn't be reached Wednesday, a state holiday. Proponents admit some of the 30 Republicans will be needed. A spokesman for the GOP conference says none are publicly supportive. Opponents like New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms Executive Director Jason McGuire say they have reason to be concerned at the polls, referencing a socially moderate Republican pushed out by a conservative in a recent congressional contest upstate. "No senator wants to be the next Dede Scozzafava and lose their seat because of the issue of marriage," McGuire said. On the other side, there's political heft for supporters facing a tough vote. Generous campaign contributions from gay rights supporters helped return Democrats to senate power for the first time in more than four decades.

HomoQuotable - NY Sen. Thomas Duane

"Once again Mike Bloomberg is talking out of both sides of his mouth. The fact of the matter is Mike will stand up in press conferences and talk the talk but at the end of the day he never walks the walk. Mike Bloomberg has consistently supported the Republican Party and its anti-gay marriage agenda. As far as I know, the mayor hasn’t been in on any discussions with Senate Democrats or with Senate Republicans on strategy for getting marriage passed. There have been people involved with his administration that I’ve talked with and others may have spoken to, but I don’t know of the mayor personally speaking to anyone." - Openly gay NY state Sen. Thomas Duane, talking to Paul Schindler at Gay City News.

Last week Bloomberg said that marriage equality is dead in New York for 2009, but that he is pressuring the state Senate the move forward.

New York Senate Marriage Equality Vote Could Come This Month

Our newly beardless governor has renewed his pledge to bring marriage equality to a vote in the New York Senate in a special session he plans to call over the state budget.

“I am anticipating a special session and I am anticipating this is one of the issues that we will address,” Paterson told The Advocate Thursday night, shortly after leaving a meeting that included representatives from the Empire State Pride Agenda, the Human Rights Campaign, and Gill Action Fund. State senator Thomas Duane joined the discussion by phone.

The bill's Senate sponsor, openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane, says the vote could come this month and that he expects it to win.

"We are not going to bring up marriage on Sept. 10," Duane said. "I am hopeful that we will bring it up when the governor calls us all back into session. He hasn't set that date; it'll probably be in late September." Duane said he hopes supporters of same-sex marriage will be "popping up the advocacy" to encourage senators to vote for the bill, adding that he strongly believes it will pass if lawmakers are allowed to vote their conscience. "I remain optimistic that it'll pass this year and it'll pass with bipartisan support," he said.

But the same problem that dogged the issue earlier this year, the fractious Senate Democrats, remains.

Although the governor supports the legislation, some Senate democrats remain torn on the issue. Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a democrat Pentecostal minister, sided with Republicans when the governor called upon democrats for support in June, according to an April article in The New York Times. A lack of republican support will require all 32 Democrats to jump on board.

So. Here we go again.

NY. Sen. Tom Duane Rages On HIV Bill

Openly gay and openly HIV positive New York Senator Tom Duane delivered one of the most blistering, heartfelt, and painful speeches I think I may have ever heard yesterday. The NY Daily News:

Sen. Tom Duane gave an eyebrow-raising performance on the Senate floor early this morning in hopes of moving his colleagues to support a bill that prevents people living with HIV or AIDS and receiving public assistance from having to pay more than 30 percent of their monthly income on rent. The bill was one of the last things the Senate did before departing the Capitol. Despite the late hour - the second marathon Senate session in a row - Duane mustered the energy to deliver an impassioned 21-minute speech, his voice raising at times to a near-scream.

Watch this. Watch all 22 minutes.

NY Sen. Thomas Duane: Forget About Marriage Equality For Now

The office of openly gay New York state Sen. Thomas Duane sends this message via email:

“The month long stalemate in the Senate has ended. I am pleased that the Democratic Conference remains, as they were elected to be, in the majority. It is now time for the Senate to get back to work. The June 8th coup was a painful and disturbing moment in the history of the Senate. Members’ emotions are raw, feelings are hurt and trust is lost. It will take time for these wounds to heal. As a result, I expect that the Senate this week will pass only time-sensitive, non-controversial legislation.”

“As disappointing as it is to admit, it is clear that this week is not the right moment for same-sex marriage legislation. Senators need some time and distance to regroup after this month’s partisan-charged and explosive atmosphere. Before June 8th, Senators from both sides of the aisle committed to me that they would vote for marriage equality. I still believe this to be the case. However, as I have said many times this session, I will not gamble when civil rights are at stake. If this means a short delay in order for marriage to become law it is well worth the wait.”

“I will not be put off for long. I am 100% committed to passing legislation crucial to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. Our safety and civil rights must be enshrined into law. During the weeks and months ahead the Senate will be called back to Albany to deal with a range of issues that are extremely important to me and that impact the lives of all New Yorkers. I will fight for and demand, with bipartisan support, that bills important to the LGBT community come to the floor for a vote – and pass. The June 8th coup may have delayed equality, but it will not stop it.”

And so it ends for now. Rallies, marches, vigils, action days, bus trips, protests, letter writing campaigns, digital activism...all brought to a fevered pitch within moments of a vote...only to be brought crashing down by asinine infighting among criminals, homophobes, Christianists, and idiots of every description. My first thought upon receipt of the above was for Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, who will once again have to stand at that podium in Albany and defend his own marriage equality bill.

We WILL remember this come election time. OH YES, WE WILL.