Category: New York

Cuomo says gay marriage would be ‘a priority’ if elected NY governor

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, July 3, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (0)

Cuomo

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo told the reporters that, if elected governor this fall, he would push to legalize gay marriage in the Empire state during his first year in office.

From The Wall Street Journal:

Asked by a reporter if he would make the passage of a same-sex marriage bill a priority in his first year on the job, Cuomo told reporters in New York City: “It’s a priority.”

State lawmakers, he said, “have their hands full with their current legislative agenda, most notably the budget, but my opinion, my policy point of view, it is a priority.” Asked if he thinks a gay marriage bill could pass the Legislature in 2011, an off-election year, Cuomo replied: “Do I think it can? Yes.”

When Cuomo first ran for governor in 2002, he declared that he supported civil unions over same-sex marriage. It was not until his 2006 bid for state Attorney General that Cuomo announced his support of gay marriage.

Last December, the NY state Senate rejected a gay marriage bill in a crushing defeat for gay rights advocates who had waged a long, expensive campaign and had won pledges of support from Senate Democratic leaders.

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NY high school crowns gay seniors prom king and queen

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, June 10, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (0)

Gay best friends Charlie Ferrusi and Timmy Howard have been voted prom king and queen at Hudson High in upstate New York, winning the student vote by a landslide.

Ferrusi (left) and Howard

The teens said they ran the idea past advisers and the principal, who gave their approval. They added that one of the hardest parts of the experience was deciding who would be king and who would be queen.

(Howard was the queen, while Ferrusi wore the king’s crown.)

The two seniors won by such a wide margin that the school didn’t even bother naming any runners-up.

“We’re proud of all our students,” said Principal Steven Spicer. “They know they have the right to pick whoever they want. It was exciting for them and it was exciting for Charlie and Tim.”

Next stop? Ferrusi and Howard will be riding together as Grand Marshalls in the Hudson Pride Parade on Sunday, June 20.

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New York marriage bureau opens its doors for faux gay weddings

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, June 5, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (1)

New York City officials began offering wedding-like ceremonies for same-sex couples this week, drawing as much criticism as praise from gay rights advocates who want nothing short of full marriage rights.

The ceremonies provide no new rights or advantages to same-sex couples — other than the opportunity to have a wedding in the city’s renovated marriage bureau, reports Reuters.

Some gay rights advocates criticized the move as doing nothing to move closer to granting gay couples full recognition in New York state.

“It’s a cheap ploy,” said Jeff Campagna, founder of The Power, a gay rights organization. “What they’re saying is pay $35, have a pretend marriage license … it’s a way to increase the coffers of the city, without increasing any benefits to the gay community.”

The new rules allowing the same-sex ceremonies took effect on Thursday, but only two same-sex couples showed up for a ceremony, according to a City Clerk spokesman.

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NY Court of Appeals expands rights for same-sex parents

LGBTQ Nation • Friday, May 7, 2010 • Filed under: Family and Parenting, New York • Comments (0)

Under a new ruling by New York’s highest court this week, same-sex parents are guaranteed consideration for custody or visitation in the event of divorce or death.

Previously, the non-biological partner had these rights, but only if that parent legally adopted the shared child.

But the court limited its rulings, and declined to resolve two cases involving lesbian parents and instead sent both back to lower courts, saying that the question of whether nonbiological parents should be given full parental rights was up to the State Legislature.

The rulings reflect the expanding affirmation by the Court of Appeals of rights for gays and lesbians. The court has generally ruled that short of same-sex marriage, gay and lesbian couples can enjoy a broad range of legal protections.

While same-sex marriages are not legal in New York, the state does recognize same-sex unions performed in other states.

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Transgender woman found dead, naked in ransacked New York apartment

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, March 31, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (8)

Gonzalez-Andujar

A transgender woman was found dead in her ransacked New York apartment on Tuesday, her naked body sprawled across the bed, the Daily News reports.

Edelbuerto Gonzalez-Andujar, 29, who lived as a woman and went by the name Amanda, had not been heard from since Friday.

“We found her on her bed. She was naked,” said Barbara Vega, 35, of Bushwick, Brooklyn. “Everything in the apartment was destroyed. All her Marilyn Monroe pictures were destroyed.”

According to police reports, Gonzalez-Andujar had been stabbed several times, including in the neck and chest.

Vega said she had tried in vain to reach her friend since spending time with her on Friday.

“She never had any problems with anybody. She was full of life,” she said. “We need to know who did this to her.”

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Settlement reached in harassment suit of NY gay student

LGBTQ Nation • Monday, March 29, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (0)

Jacob

A federal judge on Monday approved a settlement that includes a series of reforms for an upstate New York school district in a gay student’s harassment lawsuit.

The New York Civil Liberties Union sued the Mohawk Central School District last August on behalf of a 14 year-old student who alleged that he was repeatedly harassed, threatened and physically assaulted at school for being gay and not conforming to gender stereotypes.

The lawsuit maintained that district officials were aware of the bullying and did nothing to stop it.

The lawsuit drew the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice, which filed a motion to intervene in the case on behalf of the student, identified only as Jacob. That motion was pending when settlement negotiations commenced.

As part of the settlement, the school district agreed to hold staff training on how to address harassment claims and to review its policies and procedures governing harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Fire Island Pines: Popular gay getaway resort sells for $17 million

LGBTQ Nation • Saturday, March 27, 2010 • Filed under: Business, New York, Travel & Leisure • Comments (0)

In the largest transaction in Fire Island history, an investment group has purchased the vast majority of commercial property and establishments in Fire Island Pines, the internationally famous gay community.

Hotel Ciel at Fire Island Pines

The $17 million purchase includes the famed Pavilion nightclub complex, the Blue Whale and Bay Bar restaurants, the Hotel Ciel, a grocery store, gym and clothing store, as well as numerous retail spaces and residential properties. Continue reading…

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NY gay marriage opponent loses bid to reclaim state senate seat

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, March 17, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (0)

Monserrate

Gay rights activists in New York, buoyed by the state senate defeat of gay marriage opponent Hiram Monserrate, are renewing their fight to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, hoping to bring the issue back to the Senate floor as early as next year.

This week, Fight Back New York claimed victory when a candidate who has a record of supporting gay marriage won a special election to succeed Monserrate, who voted against the marriage bill in December.

Tonight we celebrate the defeat of Hiram Monserrate and the election of pro-equality Senator-elect Jose Peralta.

Since we launched three weeks ago, Fight Back New York has been about you — you and hundreds of thousands of people across New York and the country who are tired of seeing LGBT New Yorkers treated like second-class citizens by the 38 State Senators who voted against marriage equality.

This victory is yours.

Angered by the last year’s defeat of the gay marriage bill, a group of well-financed gay rights advocates launched the political action committee to take aim at state senators who have opposed same-sex marriage.

Monserrate, a Democrat from Queens, filed as an Independent candidate in a special election to reclaim the seat he lost after the State Senate expelled him on February 9. Monserrate was convitected for assaulting his girlfriend.

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Eric Massa rebuffs the gay question; calls ‘groping’ male staffers a ‘tickle fight’

LGBTQ Nation • Wednesday, March 10, 2010 • Filed under: New York, Newsmakers • Comments (1)

Massa

Former U.S. congressman, Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) Tuesday night refused to answer a blunt question by CNN’s Larry King: “are you gay?”

Massa is accused of groping male staffers and the House ethics committee is currently investigating the claims.

He has denied touching any member of his staff sexually but did admit to “tickling” several staffers at his 50th birthday party.

After King asked the question, Massa responded:

“Here’s my answer, I’m not going to answer that. In the year 2010? Why don’t you ask my wife, ask my friends. Ask the 10,000 sailors I served with in the Navy.”

Watch here: Continue reading…

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Gay NYC voters give Ford the cold shoulder, demand answers on anti-gay marriage votes

LGBTQ Nation • Thursday, February 25, 2010 • Filed under: New York • Comments (10)

Harold Ford Jr., the former Tennessee congressman and potential U.S. Senate challenger to New York’s Kirsten Gillibrand, got a cool reception Wednesday from gay rights advocates who are skeptical of his new found support for gay marriage.

Speaking at the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York, Ford was interrupted numerous times by protesters who waved signs emblazoned “Liar” and shouted that he is “anti-gay.”

Ford had voted twice for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, but in recent interviews he has gone on the record in support of same-sex marriage.

Ford said all he can do is explain he was wrong in the past and has changed his mind. Continue reading…

Previously from LGBTQ Nation:

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