How to contact your NY State Senator (and please do so ASAP)
A bill allowing same-sex marriage passed overwhelmingly in the New York State Assembly, but faces a much tighter race in the New York State Senate. The religious right wing is now very active, here in New York, against the bill. To get the bill passed, we’ll need lots of people to speak out.
First, find out who your State Senator is, and find out the phone numbers of your State Senator’s offices, by entering your street address and ZIP code in the text fields at the top left corner of the following page:
(Be sure to press ENTER after typing both your street address and your ZIP code in the appropriate text fields.)
Then, call at least one of your State Senator’s offices and leave a message asking him or her to vote “Yes” for S4401, “an act to amend the domestic relations law, in relation to the ability to marry.” The text of that bill is here:
In your phone message, please include your street address and ZIP code (to show that you are in the relevant State Senate district). And, if you are registered to vote, please say so (so that your State Senator will know that there may be consequences for not listening to you and others who support marriage equality). Please be polite.
Please pass the above information along to all friends of yours who are concerned about gay rights or who oppose the religious right wing in general.
As of Thursday, June 4, here is how the each of NY’s State Senators stand on the issue:
Overall breakdown: Would Vote "Yes": 20 (All Democrats) Would Vote "No": 29 (23 Republicans, 6 Democrats) Undecided: 9 (5 Democrats, 4 Republicans) Wouldn't Say: 4 (3 Republicans, 1 Democrat) Would vote "Yes" Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn Neil Breslin, D-Delmar Martin Dilan, D-Brooklyn Thomas Duane, D-Manhattan Pedro Espada, D-Bronx Craig Johnson, D-Nassau Jeffrey Klein, D-Bronx/Westchester Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan Velmanette Montgomery, D-Brooklyn Suzi Oppenheimer, D-Westchester Kevin Parker, D-Brookyn Bill Perkins, D-Manhattan Diane Savino, D-Staten Island/Brooklyn Eric Schneiderman, D-Manhattan/Bronx Jose Serrano, D-Bronx/Manhattan Malcolm Smith, D-Queens Daniel Squadron, D-Brooklyn/Manhattan Toby Ann Stavisky, D-Queens Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Westchester Antoine Thompson, D-Buffalo Would vote "No" Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna John Flanagan, R-Suffolk Charles Fuschillo, R-Nassau/Suffolk Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn Martin Golden, R-Brooklyn Joseph Griffo, R-Rome Shirley Huntley, D-Queens Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island William Larkin, R-Cornwall Kenneth LaValle, R-Suffolk Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury Carl Marcellino, R-Nassau/Suffolk George Maziarz, R-Newfane Michael Nozzolio, R-Seneca Falls George Onorato, D-Queens Frank Padavan, R-Queens/bronx/Nassau Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Amherst Joseph Robach, R-Greece Stephen Saland, R-Pughkeepsie James Seward, R-Milford Dean Skelos, R-Nassau William Stachowski, D-Buffalo Dale Volker, R-Depew George Winner, R-Elmira Catharine Young, R-Olean Undecided John Bonacic, R-Mt. Hope Brian Foley, D-Suffolk Kemp Hannon, R-Nassau Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Bronx/Westchester Owen Johnson, R-Suffolk Roy McDonald, R-Saratoga Hiram Monserrate, D-Queens John Sampson, D-Brooklyn David Valesky, D-Oneida Wouldn't Say Joseph Addabbo, D-Queens James Alesi, R-East Rochester Vincent Leibell, R-Westchester Thomas Morahan, R-Rockland
Source: Capital Tonight Exclusive: Does your state Senator support a gay marriage bill?, Capital News 9, Albany, NY, June 5, 2009.
A similar poll was taken by NY1: NY1 Exclusive: Survey Of State Senators Shows Gay Marriage Bill In Jeopardy, NY1 News, June 5, 2009.
New Yorkers Against Religion-Based Bigotry is launching a “Know Your Enemy” Project with the aim of educating GLBT people (and other people vilified by the religious right wing) about the religious right wing and its recent activities. The “Know Your Enemy” project’s first meeting in Queens (after the Queens Gay Pride parade) will be on Thursday, June 11, and its first meeting in Manhattan (after the big Manhattan Gay Pride parade) will be on Thursday, July 9.