Vows Removal In Next November’s Elections
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Last night, for the second night in a row, LGBTQ New Yorkers and their supporters – this time over one thousand in New York City’s Union Square – gathered together, huddled together, and unleashed their fury, directed their anger, and promised to vote out of office the thirty-eight New York State Senators who voted Wednesday against the gay marriage bill.
Speakers included Governor David Paterson, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Senator Tom Duane, Senator Liz Krueger, Asssemblyman Micah Kellner, and Towleroad’s Corey Johnson.
The Governor and Senator Duane gave impassioned speeches, and talked to the crowd about their own anger and disappointment. Addressing the crowd of supporters, Duane yelled, “I am angry at the betrayal of the people who are supposed to be standing up for our civil rights!” The crowd cheered him. He continued, “The Democrats failed us in the Senate!” And then, unabashed, Duane unleashed his own anger, in a crescendo, yelling, “Not One Goddamn Republican Voted For Our Right To Be Married!†(See video here.)
On a personal note, I’ve attended a fair number of rallies in my life. The crowd’s anger here was palpable. The disappointment here was measurable. But this was not an angry mob; this was an angry, motivated, intelligent group of citizens intent on taking action.
Make no mistake: New Yorkers are angry, and our elected officials will pay the piper come election day.
That’s a promise.
To see how your Senator voted, and to contact him/her, read, “NY: Call Your Senator. Tell Them Their Vote On Equality Is The Same As Yours On Them.”