New Jersey

It looks at though same-sex marriage will go up for a vote in the garden state on Thursday, December 10th!

From the NY Times:

A petition in New Jersey signed by more than 2,300 Democratic officials, advocates and residents has helped sway members of the State Senate Judiciary Committee to call for a vote on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

But the bill has a long way to go, and recent votes against same-sex marriage in a Maine referendum and in the New York State Senate led opponents of the New Jersey measure to say that the political tide had turned against it.

Still, Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, a Democrat from Union County, said the petition, circulated by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal political advocacy group, produced a strong “momentum change” for the bill after it had appeared to be stalled in recent weeks. Many prominent officials signed the petition, including Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark; Ronald K. Chen, the state’s public advocate; and J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the state’s Division on Civil Rights.

Mr. Lesniak is a member of the Judiciary Committee, which plans to vote on the bill on Monday. A large turnout for the vote is expected by those on both sides of the issue; gay couples are planning to testify about what they believe are shortcomings in the state’s civil union law, which was passed in 2006.

Mr. Lesniak predicted that the Judiciary Committee would pass the bill. The full Senate would probably consider the measure on Thursday, and Mr. Lesniak said the vote would be close. The Senate and the Assembly — where the bill is still in committee and no vote has been scheduled — are controlled by Democrats, but some do not support same-sex marriage, so Republican votes would be needed.

The timing is important because the current governor, Jon S. Corzine, a Democrat, supports same-sex marriage, while Christopher J. Christie, a Republican who will assume the office on Jan. 19, opposes it.

Source text:
www.gayagenda.com

Tom Duane

Openly gay New York Senator Tom Duane has become angry over the state senate’s “Not one Goddamn Republican voted for our right to married” – and wouldn’t say why because there is no reason! This is what I’m talking about. This is the kind of anger we all need to release. The anti-gay movement is NOT playing fair, and we need to stand up and get angry. We do not ever need to become violent, but we need to be angry and be loud!

Source text:

www.gayagenda.com

Hiram Monserrate, a freshman Democrat

From Air America:

A state senator was sentenced Friday to probation and domestic abuse counseling, the resolution of a yearlong legal drama that began when he took his girlfriend to a hospital with a gaping, bleeding wound under her eye and ended with her begging a judge to let them be together.

State Sen. Hiram Monserrate, a freshman Democrat, could have been sent to jail for up to a year on the misdemeanor assault conviction for unintentionally injuring girlfriend Karla Giraldo by dragging her through his apartment lobby.

But his troubles are not over: A Senate committee is looking into whether he is fit to remain in the Legislature.

Monserrate, in a tearful statement to Justice William Erlbaum, said he took full responsibility for his actions and looked forward to resuming his life with Giraldo.

The rest of the story here!

Oh, but let’s protect the sanctity of marriage, just like the Bible says. And also just like the Bible says, let women continue to be a servant of man, so if he doesn’t like what she does, he can beat the hell out of her…Just like the Bible says!

Source Text:

www.gayagenda.com