Sheepshead’s Senators Stand Alone In Gay Rights Battle

A distinction to be proud of? We think not.

Sheepshead Bay’s two state senators – Carl Kruger (D) and Marty Golden (R) – remain the only Brooklyn-area representatives standing against gay marriage in New York.

Of the nine members of the Brooklyn delegation to the State Senate, seven have publicly stated support for same-sex marriage rights, according to a survey by NY1. The majority of state senators from all five boroughs and Westchester support the bill, as do the majority of residents statewide, according to one poll.

And though the State Assembly passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in May, the Senate continues to put off responsibility in what is definitively the civil rights battle of our generation.

So what’s the hold up? Well, like the true leaders they are, 19 of the senators are shamefully keeping mum on the issue, hoping to stave off a hard vote indefinitely.

Kruger is a prime example of this. He’s refused to answer surveys on gay marriage for years. (Though he did slip in June, saying he opposed same-sex marriage. He’s since retreated back to his “no comment” stance.)

When Governor Paterson demanded a vote on gay marriage earlier this month, senate leadership balked in the face of an uncertain outcome. Kruger and the rest of the middling idiots succeeded in playing both sides, casting enough doubt that they were able to avoid taking a public stance and alienating voter segments.

In a pro-gay-marriage editorial, Brooklyn Paper pointed out that history has no patience for the wriggly worms who fail to rise up when equality is imperiled. “History has a particular contempt for politicians who don’t answer the call of the times, or, worse, remain silent when their voices are so urgently needed,” they write.

We couldn’t agree more. For our friends and family members, some of whom painfully hide their orientation because of this outward display of bigoted stupidity, we all suffer. Meanwhile Kruger and his ilk bully around a fractured Senate to satisfy their greedy appetites and inflated egos.

For Golden’s part, at least he has the spine to consistently go on record with his opposition. Like many Republicans, Golden stands against gay rights for religious reasons, stating marriage is between a man and a woman. But last we checked, this isn’t Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and the laws of our nation aren’t dictated by religious doctrine (and I thank God for that). Golden may be principled in his opposition, but applying antiquated notions to continue denying equality is hardly leadership. The “master race” theory had many principled believers in Germany and Jim Crow America, too.

Sheepshead Bay’s senators better shape up. Their actions – or inaction – embarrass and shame us. It’s a black mark on the neighborhood and the borough. Instead of slinking in the background, they should pull up their britches and show some real leadership. This is Brooklyn, for chrissakes, not Pulaski!