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State Sen. Diaz Restarting His Anti-Marriage Equality Engines
By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 21, 2011
Modified Apr 21, 2011
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Apr 21, 2011
Modified Apr 21, 2011
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Shockingly, Pentecostal minister and State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., does not like the just-announced renewed push, aided by Governor Cuomo's office, for marriage equality in New York. So naturally, he put out a statement about it. For starters, the timing sucks: "I am deeply offended that during this Holy Week, which is a most sacred time to millions of New Yorkers, Governor Andrew Cuomo is working hard to mobilize elected officials to legalize homosexual marriage in New York." Well, the dude lives in sin, so what does Diaz expect?
Four of the bigger New York groups fighting for gay marriage announced that, with guidance from the Governor's office, they were joining together to form New Yorkers United for Marriage in order to push for the basic right to come to the Empire State this summer (the Log Cabin Republicans quickly joined up, too). The very anti-marriage-equality Diaz was also pissed because the news comes after Cuomo pushed through his on-time budget which Diaz says will "cause tremendous suffering to countless New Yorkers—especially Black and Hispanic communities." Worse still, to Diaz, “Now Governor Cuomo is targeting communities of faith in an effort to redefine marriage. The most basic tenets of New York’s largest faith communities include defining marriage as between one man and one woman. These religions that cherish these values include Catholic, Christian, Jewish and Muslim."
And also, Diaz doesn't even think it is legal for Cuomo's aides to have met with gay-marriage groups to talk strategy in the first place. He questions the use of "public resources during these serious financial times to raise funds (by having his staff raise money) and to use his staff (who are paid for with tax dollars) and his office (for weekly meetings) to promote a radical agenda, then shouldn’t we all be able to use our offices and staffs to raise resources for issues that matter to us?" Except that our understanding of yesterday's news is that New Yorkers United for Marriage was going to be raising its own money in order to pay for its own lobbyists. And aides to public officials talk strategy with non-government groups all the time. But, uhm, okay?
Finally, Diaz is pushing anyone and everyone to "oppose Governor Cuomo’s blatant and shameful attack on New York’s people of faith." Unfortunately, we suspect many will do just that. But at the same time, the numbers are simply not trending in favor of his opinion.
Tagged
Albany
andrew cuomo
gay marriage
lgbt
marriage equality
new yorkers united for marriage
Ruben Diaz
Garth Johnston
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