Empire State Pride Agenda | The New York Observer

Even Discussion Is Beneficial, Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Say

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:46:36 -0400

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 conference.

"I think it's a conversation we need to have," said State Senator Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat, who is pushing to take up the issue. She said...

The Gay Movement, After Marriage

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:08:44 -0400

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...

The Case Against Gay Marriage, On Air

Thu, 28 May 2009 09:13:00 -0400

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 the...

In Final Push, Pride Agenda Releases Another Ad

Tue, 26 May 2009 11:57:00 -0400

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 the...

Gay Lobby Rules

Fri, 22 May 2009 15:28:00 -0400

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, the...

'Barb and Don' Speak for Same-Sex Marriage

Wed, 13 May 2009 10:07:00 -0400

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 recently...

Gays Give Paterson a Standing Ovation

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:21:00 -0400

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. Paterson." Much of the crowd in the conference center was seated by...

Advocate Cheers Schumer's Newfound Support for Same-Sex Marriage

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:56:00 -0400

“I think this has been a longtime coming ,” said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, which is taking credit for helping Chuck Schumer “evolve” and now voice support for same-sex marriage. Capelle was nonjudgmental Schumer’s shift on this position, emphasizing that when Schumer voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the year was 1996 and “the world looked different.” “It [DOMA] was not a big issue for...

Paterson's Message on Same-Sex Marriage

Thu, 29 May 2008 08:26:35 -0400

Here’s the video in which David Paterson announced same-sex marriages performed in other states will be recognized in New York. It was presented at the May 17 Empire State Pride Agenda fund-raiser in Rochester (and just posted on YouTube yesterday).

At about the 2:20 mark, Paterson says, “I am directing agency heads that we will recognize marriages conducted outside our state right here in New York State.”

With his characteristic humor, Paterson...

O'Donnell: Protect Same-Sex Marriage Supporters

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:31:12 -0400

One of the more interesting moments from last night's Empire State Pride Agenda’s fund-raiser: Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell telling attendees that they have to protect lawmakers who voted for his bill to legalize same-sex marriage because if any of them lose, for whatever reason, it’ll be tied to this vote.

Also noteworthy was state Senator Malcolm Smith’s speech. Last year, he waffled briefly on whether to support gay marriage. Last night,...

Randi Weingarten: Not a 'Coming Out' Occasion

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:11:51 -0400

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day, and it also marked the first time labor leader Randi Weingarten publicly discussed the fact that she is a lesbian.

Weingarten, the head of the United Federation of Teachers, made her remarks on the subject last night at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s fund-raiser, where she won the group’s award for community service after being introduced by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

"Rudy Giuliani is Pretty Damned Gay Friendly"

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:00:00 -0500

Talk about unsolicited praise. Referring to the notion that the 2008 Democrats are more supportive of gay rights than the Republicans, influential consultant and gay rights activist Ethan Geto offered me the following caveat: "They are going to be so much more supportive than the Republican candidates, unless we have an anomaly -- and it's Rudy Giuliani. Because I must say, Rudy Giuliani is pretty damned gay friendly. I was a lobbyist during his administration...

Gay Marriage After Day 1

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:15:00 -0500

Three days into the new administration, the Empire State Pride Agenda released its ranking of state lawmakers and their positions on gay marriage. The ranking shows some recent movement towards the pro- side in the Assembly, with a total 47 members who have now at least "indicated support", up from 35 when the group put out their last scorecard on September 15. In the Senate, the number went to 16 from 14. Assembly Speaker Sheldon...

The Gay Marriage Litmus Test

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:15:00 -0400

Writing for Gay City News City Hall News, gay activist Allen Roskoff had a column about the Empire State Pride Agenda dinner and calls out Democratic Assemblywoman Helene Weinstein for stalling legislation to legalize gay marriage.

During the night, people are now talking about Assembly Member Helene Weinstein, who heads the Assembly Judiciary Committee and has kept the Richard Gottfried-sponsored marriage equality bill buried in her committee. She is listed by ESPA as having...

Elsewhere: Marshall's Shades

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 13:08:24 -0400

Vito Fossella has 1,558 friends on his MySpace page, and some of them are, uh, not conservative. Andrew Sullivan detects hypocrisy in the Republican contention that rebuking Mark Foley would have made them look homophobic. "They don't seem too worried about appearing homophobic when it comes to winning elections, do they?" Ben says that the Empire State Pride Agenda dinner last night was a slap at Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and other electeds who...

Elsewhere: At the Opera

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:15:00 -0400

Liz Benjamin says that presidential hopeful Russ Feingold will speak at the Empire State Pride Agenda annual fundraiser on October 5th. The richest man in America, Bill Gates, has maxed out his contributions to Bill Frist's political committees. He also gave $2,000 to Sen. George Allen. That outrageous North Carolina congressional candidate, Vern Robinson, has another ad attacking his opponent in an unusual way. "Instead of spending money on cancer research, Brad Miller spent your...

Events for July 6-7, 2006

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 13:00:00 -0400

Tonight, the Empire State Pride Agenda will hold rallies across the state in opposition to today's ruling against same sex marriage. Tomorrow, the Assembly will hold a hearing on New York City's weather-related emergency response and evacuation plans at 250 Broadway. The Park Slope Food Coop will be showing A Walk Through the Footprint, a short film by George Lerner about the residents in the Atlantic Yards Project footprint who may face eviction. —Nicole...

The Morning Read: June 26, 2006

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 04:59:28 -0400

The Times covers Carl Andrews' show of support yesterday. The Empire State Pride Agenda endorses Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson. Ben Smith reports on Sheldon Silver's meeting with the Dolans and Mark Green under investigation. The Albany Times Union follows up on Pat Healy's story yesterday on the soon to be publicized personal letters of KT McFarland. —Nicole...

Looking for Trouble

Tue, 09 May 2006 04:58:00 -0400

Sorry, we don't normally do this, but it seems to me that Joe Bruno will have to do more to "court" the gay vote than he did yesterday. When reporters asked him about his having once called homosexuality an "abnormal lifestyle," he responded: "I'm not going to respond because you're looking for trouble and I'm looking for peace," he said. "That was 12 years...

Maloney Gets ESPA Endorsement

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:04:27 -0400

It probably won't surprise you to learn that Sean Patrick Maloney, the only gay candidate in the AG race, just picked up the endorsement of the Empire State Pride Agenda. I know ESPA doesn't only or even always support gay candidates. But anyone care to speculate who, between Green and Cuomo, would have gotten their endorsement and early fund-raising support if Maloney weren't running? - Tom...

Blaming the Ambien

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:18:18 -0500

Another turn in what would be an internal gay-community flap over how to deal with Hillary Clinton would probably not be terribly interesting, if not for the recantation that an Upstate Democrat, Matthew John, offers in this widely-circulated email: You may have read in the paper recently about individuals prescribed Ambien getting into car accidents and having no knowledge of their actions. Well in my case I was driving my computer while taking Ambien. I...

Boycott Boycott?

Thu, 09 Mar 2006 11:22:20 -0500

Some New York gay politicos are standing up for Hillary despite her opposition to same-sex marriage, which led the head of the state's main gay-rights group to suggest gay donors stop giving her money. Matthew John, an Upstate Democratic Committee member, is calling on gays to "refuse to lend our names to support or buy tickets to [Empire State Pride Agenda's] Gay Brunch In April in Buffalo to support ESPA's partisan fundraisers.... Isn't it the...

Friends In Need?

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 04:50:02 -0500

A couple of weeks ago, Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle's criticisms of Hillary, obtained by The Politicker, made national news. Since then, he's been declining interviews, but he has an op-ed in Gay City News today which -- though it doesn't mention Hillary -- lays out a political agenda for a movement that's feeling pretty strong right now, and that's trying to leverage the activism that's politically important in New...

Gay Factions May Sink Bill On Sex Rights

Sun, 15 Dec 2002 19:00:00 -0500

A bitter battle among Manhattan politicians and gay activists is threatening to scuttle the landmark gay-rights bill scheduled to come to a vote in the State Senate on Dec. 17.

The fight is not exactly your typical legislative skirmish. It's about whether the bill should be amended to include not only gays and lesbians, but also those who identify themselves as "people of transgendered experience." On one side are two Manhattan State Senators-Democrats Tom Duane...