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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.

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 ...

Pride Agenda Endorses First Opponent of Dem Senators Who Voted No On NY Marriage Equality

New York's Empire State Pride Agenda is making its first endorsement of a primary challenger to one of the eight Senate Democrats who voted against marriage equality. The endorsement goes to Assemblyman José Peralta, who is running against Queens Sen. Hiram Monserrate who previously stated support for marriage equality but then voted "no" during last week's vote.

Pride Agenda's statement:

José Peralta has demonstrated time and time again that he is a champion of equality and justice for all New Yorkers and has consistently represented the interests of his district in the New York State Assembly,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle. “His record on LGBT issues demonstrates that he does not duck-and-run when our bills come up for a vote. He has stood up for us in the Assembly, and we will stand with him in his race for the State Senate.”

Assemblymember Peralta has three times voted to pass the marriage equality bill in the Assembly, has voted twice to pass the transgender civil rights bill (the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act) and has several years in a row voted to pass the Dignity for All Students Act, which combats bias-based bullying and harassment of youth in public schools. The Pride Agenda has previously endorsed Peralta in his reelection to the New York State Assembly.

"Civil rights for all of my constituents and for all New Yorkers has always been a priority for me," said Assemblyman José Peralta. "I have worked towards full equality for LGBT New Yorkers in my seven years as an Assemblymember, and I will be proud to continue this work as a member of the State Senate. I think my record in the Assembly demonstrates that when I take a principled stand on an important human rights issue like marriage equality, I don’t suddenly change my mind when the bill comes up for a vote."

Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Cappelle tells the Poughkeepsie Journal: "We are going to begin a very strategic and steady rollout over the course of the next months of candidates who we feel would make better state senators than the people currently sitting in the seats."

In related news: On Friday, Monserrate was sentenced to three years probation and 250 hours of community servicefor the "acciddental" slashing and assault of his girlfriend.