PROMISES, PROMISES

After several years of standing by his side, New York gay rights group are suddenly playing coy with New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

Bloomberg assumed that his request for an endorsement for his run for an extraordinary third term would be greeted with an enthusiastic booming "of course"  from the city and state's powerful gay groups.

After all, only a few days earlier, Bloomberg had joined our governor and both of our U.S. Senators in a call for the New York State legislature to quickly legislate marriage equality in the state that is home to the nation's largest gay population.

But New York's gay groups joined together and gave Hizzoner a great big "We'll get back to you on that."

Apparently even our head in the sand, Armani blue suited, lavish gala-obsessed self-appointed and self-anointed gay "leaders" have started to get the message. 

Promises, promises.

With a stinking garbage heap of broken promises and the ruins of ENDA, DADT, DOMA and Hate Crime legislation rotting in some forgotten corner of the Democratic controlled Congress and White House website, gay advocates have said no more promises, no more endorsements in exchange for pretty words--we want deliverables delivered.

Hey, queers are no dummies!  After 30 some odd years of empty promises from Democrats and surging attacks from Republicans, a light bulb finally went on!

Bloomberg, who stood with Gov. Paterson last week as he unveiled a gay-marriage bill and pledged to lobby for it in Albany, wants to land the support of the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) but  ESPA is playing hard to get.

When it comes to deciding whom to back in the mayoral race, the group will be looking for "deliverables," said its executive director, Alan Van Capelle. "It's no longer enough for anybody who wants our endorsement to say you support our agenda," Van Capelle said. "You need to be able to articulate the set of deliverables you've done for our community and how you've helped us move the ball up the field."

Van Capelle stressed ESPA won't consider an endorsement until after Albany's legislative session is over. The Senate Democrats are as many as six votes short of passing Paterson's gay marriage bill.

Republican Bloomberg has promised to "influence" Senate Republicans to back the bill, a Bloomberg campaign aide confirmed--a delicate political dance as the mayor also works to appease GOP bigwigs and more conservative voters in the outer boroughs.

"We hope ESPA endorses us, and quite frankly, if the mayor is running on the Republican line and willing to take this position, I think it's worth noting," the aide said, adding that Bloomberg's likely Democratic opponent, city Controller William Thompson, missed Paterson's gay marriage news conference. Thompson was invited late to the event by Paterson and couldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict, his office said.

In a statement, Thompson said he has "long been a proponent of marriage of same-sex couples to ensure equality for all."

Bloomberg has been the Senate GOP's biggest financial benefactor in recent years, contributing $500,000 to their failed effort to maintain the majority last year--a move that angered the victorious Democrats.

But if Bloomberg's financial control over New York's Republicans is not enough to persuade even six legislators to support marriage equality, then what do his promises actually mean?

Paterson made the same promise when he assumed office as governor of  New York state, assuring gay New Yorkers that the New York State legislature under his watch would legalize same sex marriage in time for Valentine's Day.

Well, it's now closing in on Memorial Day; and Vermont beat New York to become the first state to actually legislate marriage equality.

Bloomberg has long insisted he personally supports gay marriage. But in 2005 the Mayor ordered the city to appeal a state Supreme Court ruling that the state law preventing same-sex couples from marrying was unconstitutional.   At the time, Bloomberg insisted that marriage equality had to be legislated not decided by "activist judges".  If Bloomberg hadn't of made that decision, New York, like Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont would today have marriage equality.

"How do you say 'no' to an excellent Democrat and reward the mayor for what he's done?" said Allen Roskoff, a veteran gay activist and president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club. "[Bloomberg] supported George Bush, refused to endorse Obama over McCain and tried to elect Republicans to the state Senate. To me, that's not a commitment to civil rights-- even if he turns out to be excellent on marriage."

My hope is that our gay groups also do not endorse Thompson either--at least until we have deliverables from the Democrats.  Personally, I will vote for Bloomberg and do so as a progressive Democrat--but as gay man, I have little use for Bloomberg or Thompson.

I also want to see some deliverables.  It's one thing to vote for the lessor of two evils, but only fools are guided by empty promises.

Comments

[gaspar]

That´s the Brazilian flag!!!!!!!!!!

[Alan down in Florida]

I thought leadership was acting on your strongly held beliefs whether or not they might prove to be unpopular. Bloomberg is rich enough to buy any election he chooses. Why is he so hesitant to deliver what he supposedly believes is right?