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Empire State Pride Agenda

Even Discussion Is Beneficial, Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Say

By Jimmy Vielkind | October 27, 2009 | 4:46 pm

ALBANY—They'll think about it, at least. After public calls for same-sex marriage to be put on the agenda of a special session now scheduled for Nov. 10, members of the State Senate Democratic conference are hoping to at least hash it out in a closed-door... READ MORE»

The Time Is Right, Now, for Gillibrand on Gay Rights

By Jason Horowitz | August 3, 2009 | 1:12 pm

At the moment, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is receiving lots of positive attention for being at the forefront of efforts in the Senate to do away with Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, a policy that has come to seem embarrassingly retro... READ MORE»

The Gay Movement, After Marriage

By John Koblin | July 1, 2009 | 3:08 pm

On the night of June 26, two days before the gay pride parade would overtake Manhattan in honor of the 40th birthday of the Stonewall riots that are popularly imagined as the birth of the gay rights movement, a group numbering a couple of dozen mostly gay men and women found themselves crammed into the parlor floor of the West Village townhouse of John Connor, a former banker who lives with his companion, the... READ MORE»

The Case Against Gay Marriage, On Air

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 28, 2009 | 9:13 am

ALBANY—The sleepy opposition is finally stirring, as a national group has releases this advertisement making the case against efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. The National Organization for Marriage, a New Jersey-based group that has campaigned across the country to stop or repeal the legalization of same-sex marriage, produced the ad, which focuses on what the group says will be the consequences of same-sex marriage on children. The New York Times reported that... READ MORE»

The Case Against Gay Marriage, On Air

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 28, 2009 | 9:06 am

ALBANY—The sleepy opposition is finally stirring, as a national group has releases this advertisement making the case against efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New... READ MORE»

In Final Push, Pride Agenda Releases Another Ad

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 26, 2009 | 11:57 am

ALBANY—Continuing to lobby aggressively for same-sex marriage, the Empire State Pride Agenda unveiled a new television ad this morning, featuring a Rochester family with a gay son and straight daughter. The ad shows a kitchen table discussion with Karen Schuster and her children Luke and Jessica, in which she says Luke should have "the same rights as other people." Josh Meltzer, a spokesman for the Pride Agenda, said it was not yet determined which markets... READ MORE»

In Final Push, Pride Agenda Releases Another Ad

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 26, 2009 | 11:47 am

ALBANY—Continuing to lobby aggressively for same-sex marriage, the Empire State Pride Agenda unveiled a new television ad this morning, featuring a Rochester family with a gay son and straight... READ MORE»

Gay Lobby Rules

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 22, 2009 | 3:28 pm

ALBANY—The message was clear to anyone who was at the Capitol on April 28: the pro-same-sex marriage lobby is an organized force you don't want to reckon with. More than 2,000 people packed the Empire State Convention center. Organizers communicated via radio head set. Advocates sat at tables marked by legislative district—the Senate district tables tended to be longer, and lined with more people. "This is not just about this year," said Alan Van Capelle,... READ MORE»

Gay Lobby Rules

By Jimmy Vielkind | May 22, 2009 | 3:02 pm

ALBANY—The message was clear to anyone who was at the Capitol on April 28: the pro-same-sex marriage lobby is an organized force you don't want to reckon... READ MORE»

Gillibrand Headlines ESPA Fund-Raiser

By Azi Paybarah | May 15, 2009 | 10:56 am

Here’s the invite for a fund-raiser the Empire State Pride Agenda is hosting, with Kirsten Gillibrand as the keynote speaker, tomorrow in Rochester. It's particularly significant because Gillibrand, before she became a senator, was not at all an advocate of gay rights. That she would support same-sex marriage was a condition of her appointment to the Senate. It also shows Gillibrand’s continuing embrace of liberal causes, and the gay community, in the run-up... READ MORE»

Gillibrand Headlines ESPA Fund-Raiser

By Azi Paybarah | May 15, 2009 | 10:22 am

Here’s the invite for a fund-raiser the Empire State Pride Agenda is hosting tomorrow in Rochester, with Kirsten Gillibrand as the keynote... READ MORE»

'Barb and Don' Speak for Same-Sex Marriage

By Azi Paybarah | May 13, 2009 | 10:10 am

Hours after the Assembly passed (for the second time) a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, the Empire State Pride Agenda released this web video, which they said will also appear on television. The ad features a straight couple talking about their gay daughter who wants to get married.... READ MORE»

'Barb and Don' Speak for Same-Sex Marriage

By Azi Paybarah | May 13, 2009 | 10:07 am

Hours after the Assembly passed (for the second time) a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, the Empire State Pride Agenda released this web video, which they said will also appear on television. The ad features a straight couple talking about their gay daughter who wants to get married. The move to make a straight couple the face of the same-sex marriage fight is a controversial strategy that has been debated among advocates for some time (most... READ MORE»

Gays Give Paterson a Standing Ovation

By Jimmy Vielkind | April 28, 2009 | 11:21 am

ALBANY—An estimated 2,000 people gathered to celebrate "Equality and Justice Day" just gave David Paterson a standing ovation, and chanted "David, David" before the governor gave a speech championing same-sex marriage and casting it as a civil rights issue. Paterson was introduced by Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Cappelle, who said, "New York's governor, our governor, the next governor, David A.... READ MORE»

Gays Give Paterson a Standing Ovation

By Jimmy Vielkind | April 28, 2009 | 10:56 am

ALBANY—An estimated 2,000 people gathered to celebrate "Equality and Justice Day" just gave David Paterson a standing ovation, and chanted "David, David" before the governor gave a speech championing same-sex marriage and casting it as a civil rights... READ MORE»