Election Day 2010

TOMORROW: See Screening Of Marriage Equality Film At LGBT Center

Tomorow night, at NYC's LGBT Center, you can enjoy the advance screening of a groundbreaking new film about same-sex marriage. Entitled For Faith, For Love, Forever, the film focuses on the progress (or lack thereof) in marriage-equality legislation before, during, and after the 2008 Presidential election. Directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Nefertiti Strong, and narrated by Rodney Chester, who played Alex Kirby on the unforgettable LOGO TV series Noah's Arc, the film takes a close look at how politics, homophobia, the church, and the LGBT community at large have all shaped the struggle for same-sex marriage.



The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion on Marriage Equality And The Black Church, moderated by Rodney Chester. The entire event is a collaborative effort between director Strong, FACES NY, and entertainment mogul Rick Pelzer. It begins at 6:30 PM in the Kaplan Auditorium 101 at the LGBT Center, 208 W. 13th Street in NYC. A donation of $10 is requested. Take a 1,2,3,or F train to 14th Street.

Ford At Stonewall Dems: 'Like A Deer In The Headlights'

Update: Harold Ford, Jr., has announced he's not running for senate after all. I wonder why...read below about his Sarah Palin moment at last week's Stonewall Democrats meeting, and draw your own conclusions:

Former Tennesee Rep. Harold Ford, Jr.(D-Tenn.), seeking to run this fall for Secretary Of state Hillary Clinton's old U.S. Senate seat, (currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-Hudson), addressed the Stonewall Democrats last night. Ford, long known for his anti-gay voting record and policies, came to the NYC LGBT Center to attempt to gain support for his Senate run, and tell us how he'd "changed his mind" on key issues relevant to the LGBT community. It didn't go as planned for the Congressman at all.

Ford was asked questions on a wide range of topics, including one from gay Army Lt. Dan Choi, who remarked that electing the homophobic Ford "would be asking him to fire [LGBT rights supporter] Gillibrand, the same way the Army tried to fire me [as a gay soldier]". Ford admitted he was "wrong" to believe that gay marriage was "equitable" with civil unions, but during his sometimes rambling remarks (he lectured us on his wife's decision-making which brought him to New York), he did not state clear positions on key issues like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), or Don't Ask/Don't Tell (DADT). The audience was, at times, boisterous and vocal in its disapproval of Ford and his transparent attempt to win support from the approximately 250 people in the hall. Cries of "Liar!" and "Snake-Oil Ford!" could be heard throughout Ford's address.



Stonewall Democrats President Joe Hagelmann moderated the question-and-anser portion of the meeting, in which audience members gave him written questions for Ford to answer. Ford stumbled through queries on his voting record and poor HRC ratings on gay reights, and frequently said things like "you may not choose to vote for me". Yup. The final straw that broke the camel's back (and brought the house down, as Stonewall Dem VP Yetta Kurland later said to me), was my question to Rep. Ford. I asked him if he agreed with the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, a landmark ruling which said that "sodomy laws" making homosexuality illegal were unconstitutional. I felt that question on a key moment in the LGBT rights struggle was important, because Supreme Court justices are nominated by the President, but confirmed by the Senate. As a Senator, Ford might have to consider a Supreme Court nominee or two, and his thinking on Lawrence would be a good indicator of what kind of jurist he might (or might not) approve. Ford's response to my question? "Tell me what that decision is...I don't know that decision."



In the above video, the final segment of the meeting, (see the entire meeting's video here) watch beginning around 3:00, when Hagelmann reads my question to Ford. Ford has his "deer in the headlights" moment, then tells Hagelmann he doesn't know that decision. I'm the guy in the red shirt and ponytail, center screen, who jumps up, stunned, and calls Ford out on his ignorance as the audience gasps at this astonishing "Sarah Palin/Bush Doctrine" (as NCR's blog put it) display by Ford. After Corey Johnson from gay blog Towleroad explained the decision to Ford, Hagelmann tried to move to the next question (after I called Ford out AGAIN, my arm outstretched to drive my point home) but the audience had seen enough. Ford was hustled off the stage as pandemonium ensued, culminating in some fool running up to the front of the room and shooting off a "party popper".

After the political theater was over, I was interviewed by New York 1 News and several other media, about my question and Ford's dumbstruck response. (The NY1 footage aired last night on Inside City Hall, and yes, I missed it, too.) As I have jusat been picked up, along with my co-host Wilfredo Florentino, for a new political program on the EMBRACE TV Network, this dramatic exchange between me and Ford was a good start to my tenure with the network. It's not every day you get to catch a Congressman unprepared and tongue-tied. I daresay Rep. Ford will not be getting any LGBT votes--if he even decides to run after last night's fiasco. The truck has hit the deer.

(Photos: Advocate.com, New Civil Rights Movement)
(Video, David Badash)

Vote Today, Or Don't Complain Tomorrow!

Today is Election Day in America, when we can change history and VOTE, which is exactly what you need to do. Voting is one of the most important things you do as an American citizen, and voting is still the most powerful expression of your voice in the affairs of our government. Last year, voters made history in electing Barack Obama to the Presidency, amid the greatest voter turnout of the past 50 years. We in the LGBT community are now seeing benefits from that election, as just a few days ago, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Act into law, granting federal hate-crimes protections to gays and lesbians. Obama became the first President to sign legislation specifically for the LGBT community, because YOU, the voter, put him in the White House to do it.



It's worth remembering that President Obama began his political career at the local level, as a Chicago community organizer. This bears out the oft-repeated (and little-noted) maxim that all politics are local. City Councilmen become State Senators, State Senators become Governors and Congressmen, Governors and Congressmen go on to become Presidents and high Cabinet officials. It all starts at the local level, which is why those seemingly "boring" local elections are of critical importance. The LGBT community in particular is dependent on local elections, especially in New York City, where four LGBT candidates are in the running for City Council seats. I will focus on the NYC election here, but wherever you live, it's always important to vote every year. Elect the candidate of your choice, as is your right.




New Yorkers are voting for most of the major Citywide offices, as well as City Council seats in Districts 1 through 18, or one-third of the Council. Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R-UES) is running for a third term, something only Mayor Koch and the legendary Fiorello LaGuardia have accomplished. LaGuardia is widely considered to be the greatest of all the NYC mayors, (he was offered a chance for a fourth term, but demurred) and both his and Koch's tenure evoked the qualities of the "quintessential New York City mayor". Despite two referendums retaining term limits, Bloomberg used the power of his high office and masive wealth to cajole the City Council into revising the New York City Charter to repeal term limits. He is opposed by NYC Controller Bill Thompson (D-Harlem).



Thompson, the city's chief fiscal officer since 2001, is running on a platform which, like his opponent's, includes a strong plank of support for LGBT community issues. However, the record shows Thompson has demonstrated a greater level of involvement and commitment with the gays and lesbians of the city. He is a frequent speaker at marches and rallies against homophobic violence, and lobbies City Hall for greater City support of the LGBT community. This is in sharp contrast to Mayor Bloomberg, who, while he has advocated legalizing gay marriage and marched in the Heritage Of Pride Parade, has been conspicuously absent from other LGBT rallies, marches and functions. Both Bloomberg and Thompson have not yet stated their position on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) or on the afotementioned Shepard-Byrd Act. As of this writing, Thompson was said to be enjoying a 17-point lead among gays and lesbians, over Bloomberg on these and other issues of the day. Mayor Bloomberg, however, has a 15-point lead over Thompson citywide. Other Mayoral candidates on the ballot include Stephen Christopher (C-Park Slope), Francisca Villar (Socialist Liberal, West Fordham), Dan Fein (Socialist Workers, Inwood), Billy Talen (Green-Coney Island), Jimmy McMillan (Rent Is Too High, Bed-Stuy), and Joseph Dobrian, Libertarian, Kip's Bay).

The number-two office in NYC government is that of the Public Advocate. In the event that the Mayor dies or cannot fulfill his duties, the Public Advocate becomes mayor, until a mayoral election can be held. The Public Advocate is your watchdog in City Hall. Acting as a kind of ombudsman, his or her job is to call attention to issues raised by New Yorkers, and make sure the city fathers address them in a timely and correct fashion. The candidates running for Public advocate this year from the major parties are Bill De Blasio (D-Park Slope)and Alex Zablocki (R-Great Kills). Both candidates indicate strong support for such crucial issues as mass-transit improvements, strengthening the Rent Control Board, and better funding for the Police and Fire Departments. On other city issues, such as Charter reform and accountability of City officials, the candidates differ along Party lines. DeBlasio has been a consistent LGBT supporter, and is well-known for his efforts as a City Council member in pushing for greater recognition of LGBT rights, as well as better housing and senior-citizen care. Zablocki's record on LGBT issues is less clear, but he "maintains a concern for the rights and freedoms of all New Yorkers."



The final citywide office on the 2009 ballot is for Controller, the city's chief accountant. The Controller manages funding for all of the city's departments and agencies, oversees municipal bond issues, and advises the Mayor and City Council on the fiscal health of the City. With sums running into the hundreds of billions of dollars, the monster New York City budget is bigger than that of many states, and some small countries. Competing for election to this daunting task are City Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) and longtime securities analyst Joe Mendola (R-Greenwich Village). Councilman Liu is a vocal proponent of fiscal reform in lean economic times, and has been pushing for greater frugality in City spending while representing Flushing in the City Council. His GOP opponent Mendola brings the experience of his long career in finance to bear in addressing the City's fiscal woes. The Controller's office is a critical post in City government, because this office affects everything the City does, from the price of a subway ride to the functioning of city services we all depend on. It's not a race to be taken lightly.



Other major elections on the New York City ballot include five judgeships in The Bronx, the Bronx Borough President, and 18 City Council races. It should also be noted that participation in government is not limited to voting. We are the government, and running for public office is also available to us. Think about this: City Council incumbent Melissa Mark-Veverito (D-Harlem) of District 8, and Leroy Comrie of District 27, as well as several other Council candidates, are running unopposed. While they both boast excellent records representing their Districts, the fact that they run alone points to a lack of interest in political affairs in that area. That's a shame, because when we don't vote, run for office, or otherwise pay attention to who is in our government and what it is doing, we often end up with the government we don't want. Today, get over to the polls and cast your vote, no matter where you live. Your government arises out of your choices, so don't let others make that decision for you!

Update: Rally Against Hate In College Point

On Saturday, October 17, outraged members of the LGBT community gathered in College Point, Queens, to march and rally in protest against the brutal beating of gay resident Jack Price. Price, 49, was allegedly beaten into a coma by two local homophobes, Daniel Rodriguez and Daniel Aleman in an unprovoked attack which was captured by surveillance video. The suspects claimed Price "provoked" them by writing his phone number on the wall of a local deli. Price was taken to New York Hospital Queens where it was revealed he sustained multiple broken ribs, the collapse of both lungs, a lacerated spleen, and othewr injuries sufficiently severe that he had to be placed in a medically-induced coma to reduce the swelling of his battered organs.



Determined that this attack against Price and, in fact, the entire LGBT community, not go unanswered, local activists and community groups--myself included--took to the streets, in order to make it clear that homophobic violence will not be tolerated. Organized by LGBT community groups such as Make The Road NY and Queens Community House, the March brought several elected officials, including mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall out to speak. These officials were joined by Rally organizer and City Council nominee Daniel Dromm, LGBT community activist and organizer Brendan Fay, and Generation Q head Marissa Ragonese. Hundreds of gays, lesbians, and their alllies accompanied them on a march up College Point Blvd, past the 18th Avenue scene of the crime, and on to the Poppenhusen Playground parking lot, where the Rally was held.



Although Mayor Bloomberg did not attend the March or Rally, he issued a statement condemning the thuggish attack, and there was plenty of media coverage throughout the afternoon. I spoke alongside many others from city government, LGBT organoizations, and public agencies who will not stand for acts of hateful violence in our streets. We as human beings, New Yorkers and members of the LGBT community have the absolute right to walk our streets free from fear that we will be set upon and attacked because of who or what we are.



It will always be incumbent upon us to make ourselves seen and heard whenever any member of our community suffers this kind of tragic violence. There have been far too many (once is too many) beatings and killings of gays and lesbians in NYC and around the world this past year. Whenever bigotry rears its ugly head and strikes out at us, we must be ready to answer in numbers and with a strong message that homophobia is "socially unacceptable".

At Bloggers' Conference, A Revealing Moment

"If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are."--Patrick Stewart, as Capt. Jean Luc Picard, Encounter at Farpoint (Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987)


Last night, I attended a meeting given by a New York City mayoral candidate's campaign for local bloggers. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce us to the candidate, and to encourage us to blog about him, so that he would gain greater presence on the Internet. LGBT blogger and radio host DJ Baker brought me up to the meeting, and we sat down to hear what the candidate's image makers had to say. After a brief introduction, the hosts went around the room, asking each attendee to say a little about themselves and their blogs. When my turn came, I said, without fear or faltering, "My name is Nathan James. I'm a novelist, activist, and blogger. I write a blog for and about the LGBT community, and the issues of interest to us."


No sooner had I uttered the words, "for and about the LGBT community", than one of the two young hosts at the head of the table did an epic face freeze. It was as if his face was about to crack open as I said those words. In that priceless, devastating moment, the thin veneer of tolerance was lifted from him, and the revulsion he harbored towards the concept of gayness was revealed. For me, it was an instant reality check , reminding me that even among those who profess acceptance of all (even if only to get their votes), there is still a radioactivity attached to the words "gay and lesbian" that cannot be hidden, covered up, or ignored.

It was at that moment that the campaign lost me. Up until then, I'd actually believed this candidate was gay-friendly, at the very least, open to the needs of our community. Perhaps I was foolish to mention that my blog was LGBT-oriented, in a room full of (ostensibly) straight men and women. But, as Patrick Stewart's quotation at the beginning of this post makes clear, I wanted to state myself without shame. Boy, was I mistaken in thinking there were adults in the room. As the host's face fell, so did the expressions of several other people in the room.

Retired FBI Agent Joe Navarro has written a book about body and facial language, the premise of which is that our faces and our bodies often broadcast much more than our words do. To say that I saw Navarro's principles in action last night would be an understatement. It was at once revealing and upsetting for what it reminded me about the average person's feelings about gays and lesbians, at the close of the 21st century's first decade. I admit, I do rant about the continuing bigotry our community finds in society, but yesterday's experience was something else.

In what I consider a true "teachable moment", I learned that even among educated, professional political operators, there are times when the mask slips off. True, it's back on again in a moment, but once that facade is cracked, there is no undoing it. What I found especially galling, is that several people in the room also reacted the same way our host did, at the mention of the letters "LGBT". Now, I understand that people aren't perfect, and some of my fellow bloggers may even be excused their brief lapse into their true colors--they weren't up there representing the campaign, after all--but the host gets no such free passes from me.

When political operatives host conferences such as these, especially when addressing those who report via the Internet to thousands, even millions of people, they know their words and expressions are being scrutinized. When you get a glimpse of what such a person's true image of you is, and it isn't pretty, then it reveals something about the candidate and his campaign, as well. If the senior staff of an important political organization reveal themselves as revulsed by the community you're there to represent, that lets one know what the tone of the campaign is. That's why they lost me last night, but I do value the sobering reality check they gave me. The journey towards equality and acceptance is far from over. Our work is not nearly done.

We March With Pride This Sunday!

On this, the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, comes the annual Heritage Of Pride March down New York City's Fifth Avenue, along the Lavender Line! I'll be marching with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, with whom I had the privilege of joining for the Brooklyn and Queens Pride Parades. Also marching with me will be Da Doo Dirty Show hosts DJ Baker and Swanny Rivers, plus Bone Intell and the members of his Out Mobb band, and up-and-coming Hollywood actor, writer, and collegiate speaker Xem Van Adams. Adams is flying in from Los Angeles for NYC Pride weekend, and he's raring to go. Here's a video of him talking about NYC Pride and his upcoming gigs:



In addition to all these luminaries, the New York City Gay And Lesbian Independent Democrats will be among our group of marchers. So come one, come all, to NYC's storied Fifth Avenue or anywhere along the March Route below:



The March steps off on Sunday at 12 Noon, from E. 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue, and follows the route all the way to Greenwich Village, right past the Stonewall Inn, where it all began, and ends at the fabulous Pridefest. Pride Weekend in NYC is jam-packed with events, many of which are listed here. So get your rainbow flags and hot pants, and come out proudly to the biggest LGBT weekend of the year! See you there!

War On The Floor! NY Senate democrats Fracture, GOP Gains Control Of Senate, Gay Marriage Dead?

Gay marriage may be dead in the New York State senate, as the GOP gains control of that legislative body from the Democrats. Here's a little of my pending article on this:

More shenanigans in Albany! At this hour, the New York State Republicans are announcing that "Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr. - are poised to announce that they have decided to cross the aisle and caucus with the Republicans out of anger at Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith." Dean Skelos, a Republican, has replaced Smith as Senate Majority Leader. This from the NYT, NYDN, GOP, AP, and WNBC, as further reports indicate the floor fighting has broken out over two key issues: the removal of Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Albany) as Senate president. He was replaced, 32-30, by Sen. George Winner, (R-Utica), which shows that 2 Dems (Moserrate and Espada) are voting with the GOP.

The second issue is, of course, gay marriage, which was to die in committee if not voted on before the end of the session on June 22. Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr. (D-South Bronx), the most vociferous opponent of the gay-marriage bill, was said to be considering changing parties if Sen. Smith (D-St. Albans) brought the bill to a vote. With the bill beginning to gain undecided votes, Diaz was pulling out all the stops to prevent its passage, along with Sen. George Onorato (R-Astoria).
I still strongly suspect, as do some media pundits around NYC, that there was a back-room deal between Smith and Diaz NOT to put the gay-marriage bill up for a vote. But if Smith saw a clear mandate from the Senate to bring a vote (and made a motion on the floor), Diaz would declare Jihad on the remaining Senate Democrats.

This after a HUGE turnout of registered voters in support of gay marriage at Pride events in Staten Island, Queens, Hudson Valley, and Utica (!) over the weekend. I personally marched with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea) in Queens Pride to show my support for this issue.

Sure enough, Monday morning came, and fireworks went off in Albany. As I see it, gay marrige is a dead issue in New York for the time being, with these developments...did gay marriage fracture the Democrats?