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NYS Sen. Huntley Links Death Threats to Gay Marriage Supporters

Desperate much? New York State Sen. Shirley Huntley—one of eight shameful Democrats who voted against marriage equality when it was defeated in the Senate 38-24 last December—blames (alleged) recent death threats on LGBT activists.

In a mailing to constituents in her Queens district, the embattled state senator  links gays and marriage equality supporters to the bouquet of flowers with the message "Rest in Peace" she received on August 10, reports the New York Daily News.

At that time], Huntley said she had no idea who might be making the threat. But some blame seems to be assigned in this latest mailer, which is marked "Shirley Huntley for New York State Senate". It says, among other things: "There are forces that have invaded our community who: Have threatened Shirley Huntley, our hardworking state Senator; Have contributed more than $100,000 from outside the district to her opponent; Care about one issue only -- gay marriage."

Huntley famously boasted she "wouldn't take a million dollars" to vote for marriage equality. Huntley and rabid gay-basher Ruben Diaz Sr. were the only two Black senators to vote against marriage last December. Pro-equality Lynn Nunes is challenging the two-term, 72-year-old senator in the September 14 Democratic primary. Nunes racking up considerable support and more cash than the incumbent.

“Marriage equality is an issue where I stand on, but in the grand scheme of things it shouldn’t be the dialogue we’re having with the residents,” Nunes tells the Leader-Observer. "I think my opponent is using that as a tool to hurt this campaign."

Last March, disgraced former New York Senator Hiram Monserrate ramped up the anti-gay rhetoric in his special election against challenger Assemblyman Jose Peralta. Churches in Monserrate's former Queens district also distributed despicable gay-baiting flyers. That didn't work out so well for Monserrate.

Gay Activists Vent Anger to NY Senate Maj Leader John Sampson

More developments in the escalating anger between New York City-based LGBT activists and the state Senate, which rejected a marriage equality bill 38-24 last December. Over the weekend, gay activists met with Senate Majority Leader John Sampson and were described as "furious" because the Brooklyn politician has donated money to two senators who opposed the bill and are seeking re-election.

Sampson has angered gay advocates with his pledge to support all Senate Dems seeking reelection, including the six who voted against the same-sex marriage bill, killing it, 38 to 24. ... The LGBT community is especially concerned by Sampson's support of Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley, a "no" voter facing a primary challenge from gay-marriage supporter Lynn Nunes. Sampson gave Huntley $9,500 from his own campaign cash and tried unsuccessfully to prevent the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's largest LGBT organization, from endorsing Nunes. Sampson is also supporting Bronx Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., the most vocal opponent of gay marriage in the Democratic conference. ...  Sampson voted "yes" last December, but he won't pledge to bring the bill up for another vote.

Adds Stonewall Democrats President Joe Hagelmann: "I don't think [Sampson] is a homophobe by any stretch of the imagination, but we'd like to see him working on our side a little bit harder."

Eight Democrats joined all 30 Republicans in opposing the bill. Of those eight votes: Hiram Monserrate has been expelled and lost a special election. Another no-vote, Sen. George Onorato, is retiring. Five of the remaining six face serious primary or general election challenges. Huntley and Diaz Sr. were the only two Black senators to vote against marriage. Pro-equality Lynn Nunes is challenging the Queens Democrat in the September 14 Democratic primary and is racking up considerable support and more cash than the incumbent.

In related news: NYC-based direct action group Queer Rising has announced a protest of the Thursday fundraiser for Diaz Sr thrown by Sampson. More details at JoeMyGod ...

Momentum in Primary Challenge to Anti-Gay NYS Sen. Shirley Huntley

There is growing momentum to unseat New York State Sen. Shirley Huntley, who was one of eight shameful Democrats who voted against marriage equality when it was defeated in the Senate 38-24 last December. Huntley once boasted she "wouldn't take a million dollars" to vote for marriage equality and was one of five Queens legislators to oppose the bill. Huntley was also one of only two Black senators to vote against marriage.The other was rabidly anti-gay Ruben Diaz Sr..

Later today, the Empire State Pride Agenda and the Human Rights Campaign are expected to endorse pro-equality challenger Lynn Nunes, reports gay City News. Nunes who is challenging Huntley in the September 14 Democratic primary and is racking up support and cash

Nunes, a 25-year-old real estate broker, came within four votes of unseating 28th District City Councilman Thomas White, Jr., a 14-year veteran on the Council, in last September’s Democratic primary. Observers of this year’s Senate race ... said that Brooklyn Senator John Sampson, the Democratic Majority Conference leader, has pressured marriage equality advocates not to endorse Nunes. Others have pointed to efforts by Sampson to convince gay groups that Huntley can be brought around on the issue. Prior to last December’s marriage vote, however, the New York Times reported that the senator told the poet Maya Angelou, "If they gave me a million dollars, tax-free, I just wouldn’t vote for it."  City Councilman Daniel Dromm, an out gay Nunes supporter from Jackson Heights, told Gay City News, “[Huntley's] campaigning against us on this issue.”

Nunes was earlier endorsed by the Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens, the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, and the Jim Owles club. In addition to Dromm, he has support on the City Council from Rosie Mendez, an out lesbian who represents Manhattan’s Lower East Side. [Sources say] City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s ... will endorse Huntley’s challenger in the near future.

Nunes also has more cash—$115,000 on hand versus $46,000 for Huntley, reports Gay City News. 

"For those of us running against incumbents, we need to let the gay community know that we’re viable, we’re credible and we’re right on the issues," Nunes told The Advocate. “We don’t have time to waste."

The race in Queens' 10th Senate District could make a huge impact on equality legislation going forward. Among the other four "no" votes from the borough: Sen. Hiram Monserrate lost his seat in a landslide; Sen. Joseph Addabbo has no primary challenger; Sen. George Onorato has retired; and Republican Sen. Frank Padavan will face a pro-marriage equality candidate in November.

Former NY Sen Monserrate Loses Special Election in a Landslide

Former New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who was expelled from the Senate after being convicted of assaulting and slashing his girlfriend, lost the bid to regain his seat to Assemblyman José R. Peralta in the Queens, New York special election. The election had been marked by anti-gay rhetoric from Monserrate and his supporters.

The New York Times:

"The election followed a fierce, if brief, campaign in which a debate over same-sex marriage, which Mr. Peralta favors and Mr. Monserrate opposes, often overshadowed discussions on issues that are vital to many of the largely Hispanic district’s working-class and immigrant residents, like affordable health care and school overcrowding. With 94 percent of the vote counted, unofficial returns from the overwhelmingly Democratic 13th State Senate District showed Mr. Peralta with 66 percent and Mr. Monserrate with 27 percent. The Republican candidate, Robert Beltrani, an administrative law judge, came in third with 7 percent."

After promising to support marriage equality, Monserrate became one of the eight shameful Senate "Democrats" who voted against it. Only days ago, Peralta, who supported marriage equality three times in the Assembly, said the special election would become a "litmus test" and he would  be the first new vote toward passing a same-sex marriage bill in the Senate. Peralta told Gay City News: "The reason that I am running in this race and the reason I’m getting attacked left and right is because of the gay issue, "Peralta [said]. "State Senator George Onorato, another of the eight Democrats, has announced he will retire. That is going to be vote number two. If we’re successful in taking out Frank Padavan, that is vote number three."

Labor unions, the Queens Democratic Party and gay voters all united behind Peralta, writes Gay City News. Peralta also benefited  from support by Fight Back New York, the political action committee established to target Monserrate and other New York state senators opposed to marriage equality. More on the LGBT gay community's role in Peralta's victory at Gay City News ...

WATCH: José Peralta's Campaign Commercial for New York Senate

New York Assemblyman José Peralta debuts his latest campaign commercial in the special election being held Tuesday for the Senate seat formerly held by the disgraced Hiram Monserrate. The spot opens with surveillance video of Monserrate attacking and slashing his girlfriend. Brilliant.

In related news: An editorial in The New York Times notes Monserrate's "campaign appears to be growing uglier by the day" and slams the former senator for his anti-gay rhetoric. Peralta has an excellent record on equality and voted three times to pass the marriage equality bill in the Assembly and voted three times to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act. Monserrate's supporters are now gay-baiting Peralta as the "gay cabellero". Despicable.

If you can, sign up and donate today at fightbackpac.com. Via JoeMyGod, watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

WATCH: Cynthia Nixon Fights Back Against NY's Anti-Gay Politicians

Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon recorded a spot to support Fight Back New York, the new political action committee targeting former New York state Senator Hiram Monserrate and others who voted against marriage equality.

The "Sex and the City" actress says in part: "I am a lifelong New Yorker but I don't have the rights that most of my friends and neighbors do. I'm engaged to the woman I love, but on December 2, the New York State Senate voted against my right to marry her. Last year prior to the vote, so many of us went up to Albany to speak with our state senators about why marriage equality is so important to us and to our families. They didn't get the message. They still think that it's okay to treat me and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers like second-class citizens. I'm not okay with that."

If you can, sign up and donate today at fightbackpac.com. Via Towleroad and JoeMyGod, watch the video AFTER THE JUMP ...

Former NY Sen Monserrate Targets Opponent with Anti-Gay Flyers

Disgraced former New York Senator Hiram Monserrate is ramping up the anti-gay rhetoric in next Tuesday's special election against challenger and Assemblyman Jose Peralta. Churches and evangelicals in Monserrate's former Queens district are distributing more despicable gay-baiting flyers to mobilize support for Monserrate and against pro-equality Peralta.

The flyer casts Monserrate's opponent, Assemblyman Jose Peralta, as the "leading spokesperson for the gay community in NYC" and the tool of "mega rich gay fanatics" who are pushing for the legalization of same-sex marriage. It also claims he was "affectionately called Peralta the gay caballero" at a recent LGBT fundraiser. (Caballero means "knight", "cavalier" or "horseman", according to Merriam Webster). This was also the title of a movie released in 1940, apparently, and could be construed as a slur.

Peralta shot back: "This flyer is just another example of how Hiram Monserrate thrives on bullying and hate-mongering."

The support by the pastors and churches is in  response to the Fight Back NYC PAC, who are targeting Monserrate, one of eight shameful "Democrats" who voted against marriage equality. The Queens Democrat was expelled after being convicted of a vicious assault on his girlfriend and slashing her face. Said one so-called "Christian" supporter of Monserrate: "They intend to force the gay agenda on New York by electing politicians sympathetic to their cause. Christians, we need wake up and fight to preserve our values."

Christian "values" include beating a woman, slashing her face and dragging her down several flights of stairs. Same-sex marriage? Not so much.

"Fight Back NY" PAC Launches, Targets NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate

Gay philanthropist Tim Gill and other LGBT advocates with deep pockets have launched Fight Back New York, a political action committee that will aggressively target New York State senators that opposed marriage equality.

The first target is Hiram Monserrate, one of eight shameful "Democrats" who voted against marriage equality and who was recently convicted of a vicious assault on his girlfriend. The Queens Democrat was expelled by the Senate on February 9 and is running to reclaim his seat. The group's first mailing features stills from the surveillance video of Monserrate dragging his injured girlfriend out of their building. The slashing of her face and dragging left her requiring more than 20 stitches. The New York Times adds: "In the three weeks that remain before the election, Fight Back New York expects to send out at least five different fliers, upwards of 100,000 pieces of mail."

Fight Back NY's Facebook page is HERE.

Another flier that will sent to voters is AFTER THE JUMP ...

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NY Senate Expels Anti-Gay Girlfriend Slasher Hiram Monserrate

New York State Sen. Hiram Monserrate , one of eight shameful "Democrats" who voted against marriage equality and recently convicted of a vicious assault on his girlfriend, was expelled late last night by his colleagues who say the Queens Democrat brought shame on the chamber. Monserrate attacked his girlfriend, slashed her face and dragged her down a flight of stairs ... all captured on video surveillance.

The Daily News:

Disgusted Democrats and Republicans joined together 53-8 to make Monserrate the fourth sitting state lawmaker ever expelled - and the first since 1861. "Sen. Monserrate's abusive and unlawful conduct damages the integrity of the New York state Senate and demonstrates a lack of fitness to serve in this body," Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan) said after the vote. Monserrate said he expects to be a senator for "many, many years" and promised an immediate legal challenge, maintaining it's up to the voters to judge him...The defiant Queens Democrat told the senators he hopes none of them slip up one day and find themselves "at the mercy of certain colleagues with unfortunate political agendas." He also apologized to his colleagues and asked for their "forbearance and foregiveness."

Monserrate was "booed" as he was escorted from the chamber, the newspaper adds.

Gov. David Paterson on Tuesday night immediately called a special election for March 16 to fill Monserrate's seat. Assemblyman Jose Peralta announced a primary challenge to Monserrate after the lopsided marriage vote. Peralta has a stellar record on LGBT rights and voted three times to pass the marriage equality bill in the Assembly and twice voted to pass the transgender civil rights bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act.

During the holidays, anti-gay activists plastered hundreds of despicable flyers around Monserrate's Queens district to "thank" him for his "no" vote. And you may recall that gay activists crashed Monserrate's holiday party and shouted "How can wife beaters get married and we can't? Hiram believes marriage should be between one man, one woman and a broken bottle!" Watch the video again WHEN YOU JUMP ...

Anti-Gay Marriage NY Sen. Monserrate Compares Himself to Murdered Civil Rights Workers

New York State Sen. Hiram Monserrate , convicted of a vicious assault on his girlfriend and one of eight shameful "Democrats" who voted against marriage equality, claims he is being targeted because he is Latino and likens himself to murdered civil rights workers as the Senate prepares to expel him.

The New York Daily News:

"Students from the college that I went to died to help African-Americans have the right to vote," Monserrate said. "Today, the Senate would seek to push back the clock and discredit the major movement that occurred here in the United States to protect the rights of all Americans." Monserrate (D-Queens), who last summer likened himself to Jesus Christ, is fighting expulsion from the Senate after his October misdemeanor assault conviction for abusing girlfriend Karla Giraldo. A Senate committee headed by Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D-Manhattan) found Monserrate unremorseful and recommended the Senate either expel or censure him. Monserrate insisted the students died to defend the right of voters to keep him in office [and] vowed to fight expulsion with a lawsuit.

The Daily News notes the disgraced senator "somewhat mischaracterized history" when he claimed four Queens College students died in the legendary 1964 freedom rides. Three civil rights workers were killed during the rides in Neshoba County, Mississippi. One of the trio, Andrew Goodman, attended Queens College.

A politician who votes against expanding civil rights to minorities "flips the script" to call himself a civil rights martyr ... because he slashed his girlfriend's face? LOLz.

You may recall that gay activists crashed Monserrate's holiday party and shouted "How can wife beaters get married and we can't? Hiram believes marriage should be between one man, one woman and a broken bottle!" Watch the video again WHEN YOU JUMP ...

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