Golden Pushes Hateful Anti-Gay Legislation… Again
State Senator Marty Golden introduced the latest homophobic legislation last week, attempting to counter the recent push by gay rights advocates to legalize same-sex marriage rights.
The bill’s goal is to eliminate New York State’s recognition of gay marriages performed in other states, rolling back what little existing rights there are, and planting a boot firmly in the face of a legalization campaign supported by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
According to Golden, the bill is a signal to residents that we have no plan to tolerate those icky homos.
“It’s a message to the people of the state of New York that there’s at least some normalcy within this great state, the Empire State, and in the state Senate,” Golden told the New York Post (emphasis added).
Legislation granting gay marriage rights in New York State passed the Democratic-led Assembly in 2009, but was shot down by the Senate in a 38-24 vote, with Golden and State Senator Carl Kruger being the only Brooklyn-area representatives standing against gay rights.
And though the majority (54 percent, according to a recent Siena poll) of New Yorkers support legalized gay marriage, Golden said his district isn’t among them.
Local voters “don’t really give a rat’s ass about social issues,” Golden said. The state senator apparently figures that gives him carte blanche to waste the legislative body’s time pushing hateful legislation to eliminate rights and marginalize our gay neighbors, family and friends.
Sheepshead Bites tries not to take political stances. But gay marriage is a civil rights issue that helps define us as a state and a nation, and the unequal distribution of rights is an injustice that needs as loud and plentiful a voice as it can find. I would hope that we, through our political representatives, embrace the wholly American – and conservative – ideals of tolerance, equal rights and limited government interference in our lives, rather than waste our effort bullying around a minority group.
I have seen the destruction that hiding one’s sexual orientation can cause to family, friends and relationships. The pain and shame caused by bills such as Golden’s run deep in the gay community, but the wound is made deeper still when family, friends and neighbors tolerate this outward display of bigoted stupidity.
Write, e-mail or call State Senator Marty Golden’s office now and tell him to rescind this bill and to honor the American ideals of tolerance!
State Senator Marty Golden
7408 5th Avenue 1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11209
Phone: (718) 238-6044
E-mail: golden@senate.state.ny.us