UPDATE: New York City Settles Stop And Frisk Lawsuit!

Good news out of New York City! The election of Bill de Blasio as mayor of the city has resulted in a settlement in the lawsuit over the controversial New York Police Department policy of "stop and frisk." This decision ends the City's appeal of the landmark district court ruling that had declared that stop-and-frisk violated the United States constitution and was racially discriminatory.

The New York Times reports:

New York City will settle its long-running legal battle over the Police Department’s practice of stopping, questioning and often frisking people on the street — a divisive issue at the heart of the mayoral race last year — by agreeing to reforms that a judge ordered in August, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday. 

In making the announcement, which he said he hoped would end a turbulent chapter in the city’s racial history, Mr. de Blasio offered a sweeping repudiation of the aggressive policing practices that had been a hallmark of his predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg, but that had stoked anger and resentment in many black and Latino neighborhoods. He essentially reversed the course set by Mr. Bloomberg, whose administration had appealed the judge’s ruling. 

“We’re here today to turn the page on one of the most divisive problems in our city,” Mr. de Blasio said at a news conference. “We believe in ending the overuse of stop-and-frisk that has unfairly targeted young African-American and Latino men.”

The organization which sued the city over the stop-and-frisk policy, the Center for Constitutional Rights, said:

“Today is the beginning of a long-overdue process: the reform of the NYPD to end illegal and racially discriminatory policing. For too long, communities of color have felt under siege by the police, and young Black and Latino men have disproportionately been the target. We are glad to have reached an agreement with the City and commend Mayor de Blasio for promising to drop the appeal and embracing reform.  We are eager to finally begin creating real change.”

 This is excellent news and another reminder that elections have consequences!

VA AG Announces End Of State's Defense of Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Elections have consequences! The sweep of Democrats of the three statewide offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General in the November 2013 elections in Virginia is having a dramatic impact on the pending federal lawsuit on marriage equality in that state. Attorney General Mark Herring has announced that he believes Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and is filing a brief joining the same-sex couples represented by the American Foundation for Equal Rights (the group that filed the federal lawsuit that led to the restoration of marriage equality to California) in arguing that position in court.

The Washington Post reports:

Democrats cheered the move as a victory for civil rights while Republicans blasted it as dereliction of the attorney general’s duty to defend the state constitution. With the support of 57 percent of voters, Virginia amended its constitution in 2006 to ban gay marriage. 

Herring said his chief duty is to defend the U.S. Constitution. 

“The Supreme Court is clear: The United States Constitution is the law of the land, the supreme law of the land,” Herring said at a press conference. “I believe the freedom to marry is a fundamental right and I intend to ensure that Virginia is on the right side of history and the right side of the law.”

Joe.My.God posted video of Herring explaining his position:


Of course, the symbolic significance of Virginia taking a position in favor of marriage equality after arguing in court in 1967 against interracial marriage is not lost on anyone.

Exciting day!

New VA Gov Terry McAuliffe Issues Executive Order Protecting LGBT State Employees

Good news from the elections have consequences category. In November 2013, Virginia voters chose Democrat Terry McAuliffe to replace Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell (Virginia governors are only allowed to serve one term). McAuliffe was sworn in yesterday and one of his very first acts was to issue Executive Order Number 1, which prohibits state employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (as well as other categories).

Here is the text of Virginia Executive Order #1:

NUMBER ONE (2014) EQUAL OPPORTUNITY 
Importance of the InitiativeBy virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby declare that it is the firm and unwavering policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia to assure equal opportunity in all facets of state government. The foundational tenet of this Executive Order is premised upon a steadfast commitment to foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, and mutual respect for all Virginians.  

This policy specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities. The policy permits appropriate employment preferences for veterans and specifically prohibits discrimination against veterans. 

State appointing authorities and other management principals are hereby directed to take affirmative measures, as determined by the Director of the Department of Human Resource Management, to emphasize the recruitment of qualified minorities, women, disabled persons, and older Virginians to serve at all levels of state government. This directive does not permit or require the lowering of bona fide job requirements, performance standards, or qualifications to give preference to any state employee or applicant for state employment. 

Allegations of violations of this policy shall be brought to the attention of the Office of Equal Employment Services of the Department of Human Resource Management. No state appointing authority, other management principal, or supervisor shall take retaliatory actions against persons making such allegations. 

Any state employee found in violation of this policy shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. 

The Secretary of Administration is directed to review and update annually state procurement, employment, and other relevant policies to ensure compliance with the non-discrimination mandate contained herein, and shall report to the Governor his or her findings together with such recommendations as he or she deems appropriate. The Director of the Department of Human Resource Management shall assist in this review. 

This Executive Order supersedes and rescinds Executive Order No. 6 (2010), Equal Opportunity, issued by Governor Robert F. McDonnell on February 5, 2010. 

Effective Date of the Executive OrderThis Executive Order shall become effective upon its signing and shall remain in full force and effect until amended or rescinded by further executive order.Given under my hand and under the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia this 11th day of January 2014.                                                                          ___________________________________                                                                        Terence R. McAuliffe, Governor

 

 

Gov. McDonnell's Executive Order No. 6 had failed to include sexual orientation in the list of categories, eliminating the protections that state workers had previously enjoyed. McDonnell had falsely claimed such protections were unnecessary but deliberately issued a new executive order excluding them to promote his heterosexual supremacist agenda for the state. The Virginia Legislature has repeatedly failed to pass a measure that would ban employment discrimination against LGBT people in the state. Of course, if the U.S. House would pass the Employment Non-Discrmination Act (ENDA) like the U.S. Senate did then federal law would protect LGBT workers from discrimination.

Thanks to the election of 2013 and Gov. Terry McAuliffe keeping his promises LGBT state employees are now protected from discrimination in Virginia.

Lesbian Mayor Of Houston Re-Elected To 3rd Term!

This week Annise Parker was re-elected as Mayor of Houston, Texas for a third and final term. Parker is the first openly LGBT chief executive of a Top 10 city.

With 35% of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Parker had secured 57% of the vote compared with 28% for Hall. Hall conceded less than two hours after the polls closed when early returns showed Parker securing the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

Parker's victory is in contrast to high-profile losses by other female candidates running for Mayor of major cities in 2013 such as Christine Quinn in New York City and Wendy Greuel in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times analyzes why Parker won:

“The mayor has an image as a technocrat, a policy wonk, not an in-your-face left-wing activist. She’s not someone who really alienates conservatives,” said Mark Jones, chair of the political science department at Rice University in Houston.

While Hall lived in a mansion just outside Houston until last year, Parker graduated from Rice, worked in the oil and gas industry and lived with her domestic partner, Kathy Hubbard, and three children in an older home in the city’s historic Heights neighborhood.

Parker started out as a gay activist in college, was president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and has been open about her family, attending black-tie events with Hubbard. But, Jones said, “she doesn’t make a political issue out of it.”

“She’s first and foremost a mayor who focuses on policy,” he said. “Her life is one that people in Houston can really identify with.”

Before she was first elected mayor in 2009, Parker served on the City Council and as Houston controller. During her first mayoral term, she handled budget cuts without raising taxes, which Jones said earned her respect from conservative and centrist voters.

Congratulations to Mayor Parker!

Seattle Elects Openly Gay (Married) Mayor

Openly gay Washington state senator Ed Murray has been elected Mayor of Seattle. Murray, 58, is the first openly gay person to be elected to run Washington's largest city and the 22nd largest city in the United States.

Washington votes by mail so results are not final but the current tally has Murray ahead of the incumbent mayor, Mike McGinn, 56 to 43 percent.

SEATTLE MAYORMike McGinn 43 percentEd Murray 56 percent

Murray is well-known as one of the architects of marriage equality in the Evergreen state and is himself married to a man, Michael Shiosaki, who appeared in his husband's television ads.

Congratulations, Seattle!

POLL: Virginia Voters Oppose 2006 Same-Sex Marriage Ban

A new poll indicates that Virginia's ban on marriage equality, enacted by voters in 2006, would not survive if voters could vote again on the measure in next month's election. 56 percent of Virginia voters say they oppose the state's same-sex marriage ban while 36 percent say they favor it.

Although voters will not be able to vote to impact marriage equality any time soon, there are two pending marriage lawsuits in federal court in Virginia, one that includes the participation of the very high profile duo of Ted Olson and David Boies who successfully sued to have  California's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban invalidated in federal court.

Cory Booker Becomes 4th Black Man *Ever* Elected To U.S. Senate

The 44-year-old Mayor of New Jersey's largest city, Cory Booker, won a special election Wednesday to become the 4th Black man ever elected to the United States Senate. Booker is a Democrat and has well over 1 million followers on twitter. He's also a strong ally of the LGBT community.

Booker will join Republican Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina as the only other African American to currently serve in the United States. When that happens, it will be a rare time in our nation's history when there will be more than one Black member of the Senate at the same time.

POLL: New Jersey Voters Support Marriage Equality Ruling

A new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University indicates that nearly two-thirds of New Jersey residents support the recent state court ruling in favor of marriage equality and also do not want Republican Governor Chris Christie to appeal it to a higher court, which the Governor has already done.

NJ.com reports:

The poll found that of the 702 registered voters questioned, 62 percent agreed with Superior Court Judge Mary Jacobson's Sept. 27 decision to allow same-sex couples to get married on the ground that the current state law was a violation of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. 

Jacobson ruled that the marriages can begin on Oct. 21, but Gov. Chris Christie is appealing the ruling. The Christie administration is also seeking a stay on last month's decision. 

According to the poll, 62 percent of respondents said they wanted the state to drop its appeal.

It will be interesting to see if a higher court issues the stay or if marriage equality comes to New Jersey in less than two weeks, even before the statewide election happens.

Hat/tip to Joe.My.God

SATURDAY POLITICS: Record 6 Openly LGBT Members of NYC City Council

Carlos Menchaca became the first openly gay councilperson elected in Brooklyn

New York City held its primary election this past Tuesday and although the results of whether Bill de Blasio made the required 40% to avoid a run-off are still not finalized, there were some exciting moments for the LGBT community despite the unsuccessful end of openly lesbian City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's run to become the first openly LGBT person elected to head the nation's largest city.

The Gay Politics blog of the Victory Fund reports:

Historic wins came in the outer boroughs, where Brooklyn’s Carlos Menchaca [pictured] upset incumbent Sara Gonzalez in the District 38 race with 58% of the vote. In the Bronx, voters in District 15 elected Ritchie Torres with 36% of the vote in a 6-way race. Both Menchaca and Torres will become the first openly gay Councilmembers from their respective boroughs. 

Incumbents Danny Dromm of District 25 and Jimmy Van Bramer of District 26 were unopposed in Tuesday’s primary elections, while District 2 Councilwoman Rosie Mendez fended off a primary challenge and secured a third term with 81% of the vote. Finally, Corey Johnson won the District 3 primary with 63% of the vote to succeed Council speaker Christine Quinn.

The New York City council will most likely have 6 openly LGBT members out of a total of 51 members, which is pretty good representation of 11.7%!

Congratulations to everyone.

Queer Quote: Cory Booker Responds To Speculation He's Gay

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from New Jersey and current Newark mayor Cory Booker gave an interview to the Washington Post yesterday where he responded to question about his status as a 44-year-old single Black man leading to speculation he might be gay with the following remark, which is today's Queer Quote:

"And people who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia. I love seeing on Twitter when someone says I’m gay, and I say, ‘So what does it matter if I am? So be it. I hope you are not voting for me because you are making the presumption that I’m straight.’ "

That being said, the article does go on to quote Booker discussing his dates with women, so presumably he is heterosexual. Regardless, it is very cool to see a response to inquiries about  a public figure's sexual orientation which does not stigmatize homosexuality.

Booker is a strong LGBT ally and has supported marriage equality for years. If he wins the special election to the United States senate in October, he will be a great addition to the LGBT Equality caucus.

Queer Quote: Australian PM Makes Marriage Equality Campaign Pledge

Tony Abbott (left) and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd 

Kevin Rudd is the current and former Prime Minister of Australia. He won back his old job recently when Prime Minister Julia Gillard was forced out by internal Labor Party politics heading into national elections, which are set for Saturday September 7th. Rudd debated Coalition Party head Tony Abbott in their first debate of the electoral campaign last night and although Rudd had previously opposed marriage equality, toward the end of the debate he made a campaign pledge to legalize marriage equality if his party wins the election.

Rudd's statement supporting marriage equality is today's Queer Quote:

Kevin Rudd said "[recognising same-sex relationships is] a mark of decency to same-sex couples across the country who wish the same loving, caring relationship that, for example, I have had with Therese my wife now for the last 32 years, and for that to be formalised."

His opponent declined to join him in endorsing marriage equality, despite the fact that he has an openly lesbian sister citing instead that the Australian federal parliament had voted down a measure to enact marriage equality last September. The conservative Coalition leader said that passing marriage equality would not be a priority for his government.

Regardless of what happens in the September 7 Australian election, the next ambassador to Australia from the United States is going to be openly gay John Berry.

Hat//tip  to Joe.My.God

New Jersey United For Marriage Launches

A group of organizations in New Jersey have joined together to form a coalition called New Jersey United for Marriage which is dedicated to winning the freedom to marry in New Jersey by January 2014. They are reading from a playbook that has been run in many states, like Hawaii, New York, Washington, Maine, Rhode Island and Minnesota.

“Today’s announcement is a game-changer.  Over the past decade, Garden State Equality has moved public opinion from minority to majority support for marriage,” said Troy Stevenson, Executive Director of Garden State Equality.  “With over 60 percent of New Jerseyans supporting marriage equality, we are in the last leg of a marathon race and are inviting everyone to run the last mile with us.” 

[...] 

Speaking at the rally will be leaders of New Jersey United, several families who are directly impacted by the state’s  civil union law, clergy members and local small business owners.  Modeled after successful efforts in New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, and Maine, the campaign will broaden the existing coalition of supporters to engage new groups, including Main Street businesses, large corporate employers, industry organizations and Republicans. 

[...] 

The Marriage Equality and Religious Exemptions Act passed in the State Senate and Assembly in February 2012, but was vetoed shortly thereafter. NJ United for Marriage seeks an override of the veto by early January 2014.

The coalition launched on July 24 with partners Garden State Equality, American Civil Liberties Union of NJ, American Unity Fund, Freedom to Marry, Gill Action Fund, Human Rights Campaign, and Lambda Legal.

New Jersey goes to the polls in November 2013 to decide the fate of Governor Chris Christie and elect state legislators. Following that election

LOOK: Openly Gay Man Running for Mayor of Seattle

Openly gay state senator Ed Murray is running to become the next mayor of the great city of Seattle, Washington. Watch his first ad, which features his husband and also includes him taking credit for writing "Washington's marriage equality law."

You know things are going our way when politicians are using winning battles for gay rights to help get them elected to higher office!

POLL: Strong Support for LGBT Equality in VA

Good news out of the Commonwealth of Virginia for supporters of LGBT equality! A new bipartisan poll conducted for Human Rights Campaign reveals that Virginians strongly support LGBT equality.

For example, support for marriage equality is at 55%, which jumps to 71% for voters under the age of 30. There is interesting geographic distribution too:

• 68 percent in Northern Virginia 

• 53 percent in Central Virginia

• 51 percent in Eastern Virginia 

It's great to know that the area in which I have been living (Ballston section of Arlington) has such strong support for marriage equality. But there is even more good news. Virginia also supports state recognition of same-sex couples (civil unions) as well as overwhelmingly support (by 74 percent) protections from employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

In fact, support for a state LGBT right law is strong among several demographics:

• 70 percent of Independents

• 62 percent of Republicans

• 71 percent of African Americans

The item "on the gay rights agenda" that is least supported by Virginians is adoption by same-sex couples, which is "only" supported by 60 percent.

Great news from Virginia! Maybe Virginia is for lovers, after all!

Queer Quote: Gov. Christie (R-NJ) Denounces DOMA Ruling

Chris Christie is the Republican governor of the very blue state of New Jersey. He is generally considered too moderate for most members of his party but it should not be forgotten how regressive he is on the issue of marriage equality. In 2012, he vetoed a marriage equality bill passed by the state legislature, insisting that the rights of same-sex couples to get married should be subject to a vote of the people of New Jersey.

So, his negative response to this week's landmark Supreme Court ruling striking down Section 3 of the federal Defense of Marraige Act in United States v. Windsor is today's Queer Quote:

“I don’t think the ruling was appropriate. I think it was wrong. They, the Court, without a basis in standing, substituted their own judgment for the judgment of a Republican Congress and a Democratic President. In the Republican Congress in the ‘90s and Bill Clinton. I thought that Justice Kennedy’s opinion was, in many respects, incredibly insulting to those people, 340-some members of Congress who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, and Bill Clinton. He basically said that the only reason to pass that bill was to demean people. That’s heck of a thing to say about Bill Clinton and about the Republican Congress back in the ‘90s. And it’s just another example of judicial supremacy, rather than having the government run by the people we actually vote for. So I thought it was a bad decision."

I guess he didn't hear that President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a rare joint statement supporting DOMA's demise:

By overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, the Court recognized that discrimination towards any group holds us all back in our efforts to form a more perfect union. We are also encouraged that marriage equality may soon return to California. We applaud the hard work of the advocates who have fought so relentlessly for this day, and congratulate Edie Windsor on her historic victory.

Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie are widely considered the frontrunners to be opponents in the 2016 presidential election. In New Jersey, more than 60 percent of voters support marriage equality right now. Does Gov. Christie really believe that in 2016 more Americans will support his regressive position denying rights and benefits to legally married same-sex couples than now?

Good luck with that!

Hat/tip to TowleRoad

L.A. MAYOR 2013: Election Today! Garcetti 48, Greuel 41

Today, besides being my 45th birthday, is also an important day because it is also Election Day for the next Mayor of Los Angeles. Eric Garcetti, 42, and Wendy Greuel, 51, are the two candidates competing in the run-off today. Garcetti, who this blog has endorsed, has been leading in almost every poll published since the March primary, but turnout is expected to be very low in today's general election so the result is still very much in doubt although recent polls also show that among people who have already voted by mail (like yours truly) Garcetti leads 48% to 42%, and 48% to 41% in how people say they intend to vote.

The survey, conducted from Tuesday through Thursday, showed a narrowing of the race since a survey a month earlier by the same researchers gave Garcetti a 10-point lead over Greuel. 

[...] 

They are vying to replace Democratic Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is stepping down after eight years because of term limits. 

The non-partisan campaign has centered on what Greuel and Garcetti agree is a dire financial outlook facing America's second most populous metropolis, and the political clout commanded by the city's public employee unions. 

[...] 

The latest USC Price/LA Times poll indicated Garcetti had built a lead by forging an unusual coalition of liberal and conservative supporters and by winning over voters in the suburban and largely middle-class San Fernando Valley, which had been expected to be Greuel's stronghold.

Garcetti also has a slight lead in money spent, $9.4 million to  $8.9 million but has had more cash on hand in the final stretch than his opponent, but outside groups (mostly unions of city employees) have been breaking records to spend money to support Greuel, who is considered the slightly more conservative candidate.

I think Garcetti is going to take it (and I hope he does) but don't forget about the other races. Openly gay Ron Galperin is running for Los Angeles City Controller (against Dennis Zine) and openly gay David Vela is running for Los Angeles Community College District (Seat #6) against incumbent Nancy Pearlman. Progressive and very strong straight LGBT ally Mike Feuer is running against Los Angeles City Attorney Carmen Trutanich. As for the three(!) marijuana measures on the ballot, I voted  Yes on Measure D and No on Measure E and No on Measure F.

2013 L.A. Municipal Election: My Ballot Choices

The 2013 Los Angeles City municipal election day is May 21 (my birthday!) exactly two weeks from today, although of course, since most likely more than half the ballots will be cast by mail the election is really going on right now. Hopefully the turnout will not be as horrendously low as the estimated 21% in the March 5, 2013.

Anyway, this is how I am voting:

• Mayor: Eric Garcetti. 

• City Attorney: Mike Feuer. 

• Controller: Ron Galperin*. 

• Los Angeles Community College District (Seat No. 6): David Vela*.  

• City of Los Angeles Measures 

• Proposition C (Resolution In Support of Constitutional Amendments Regarding Limits on Political Campaign Spending and Rights of Corporations): Yes. 

• Proposition D (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): Yes. 

• Proposition E (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): No. 

• Proposition F (Medical Marijuana Regulation and Taxation): No.

The candidates marked with an asterisk* are openly gay. Yes, there are not one, not two, but three medical marijuana initiatives on the 2013 City of Los Angeles municipal ballot.

Of course my voting record is provided here for informational purposes only. You should make your own choices for whom and what you will cast your own ballot.

L.A. MAYOR 2013: Garcetti Leads Greuel In Polls

The runoff election for Mayor of Los Angeles is on Tuesday May 21, exactly one month from today. Former City Council President Eric Garcetti, the MadProfessah-endorsed candidate, leads former City Controller Wendy Greuel (the Bill Clinton-endorsed candidate) in three separate polls published in the race, from 7 to 10 points. However two of these surveys were the little-respected computer-generated polls by SurveyUSA, released on March 28 (47-40) and April 12 (49-40).

The much more prestigious Los Angeles Times/USC poll is the latest poll to show Garcetti in the lead:

The survey also found no sign of success for Greuel's effort to gain an edge among women by highlighting her potential to make history as the city's first female mayor. Women preferred Garcetti, 50% to 41%.

Latinos and younger voters backed Garcetti by still wider margins. The city councilman from Silver Lake has strengthened his standing in the central city and Eastside neighborhoods that he won decisively in the March primary. He has also built a solid lead on the Westside — a key target of Greuel's.

Perhaps most worrisome for Greuel, the city controller, is her failure so far to establish a base in the Valley, where the two are effectively tied. Greuel, who lives in Studio City, had hoped that audits by her office that found wasteful spending of taxpayer money would appeal to the Valley's Republicans, often a pivotal vote in L.A. elections.

Instead, Garcetti has emerged with a lopsided lead among conservatives citywide, picking up support from many of those who voted in the primary for Republican radio personality Kevin James, now a Garcetti backer.

 In fact, every single one of the major candidates in the March 5 primary election (Jan Perry, Kevin James and Emmanuel Pleitez) has endorsed Garcetti for Mayor as has almost every single member of the current Los Angeles City Council, even though Greuel was herself a Councilmember from 2002 to 2009.

To me it is very telling that the people Greuel worked with on the City Council, as well as the people she beat all are choosing someone else over her to be the next Mayor of Los Angeles.

The two are relatively similar on many key Democratic policy positions (LGBT equality, reproductive rights, environmentalism, immigration, gun control) but Garcetti would be the one who would more firmly embrace the "progressive" label. And he has already played the Mayor of L.A. (multiple times) on television:

After May 21, Garcetti can be called Mr. Mayor in real life, too.

POLL: 62% Support for Marriage Equality in New Jersey

A new poll of New Jersey registered voters conducted by the Eagleton Center at Rutgers University indicates that support for marriage equality is twice as large as its opposition in the Garden State. 62% of respondents say that they would vote for legalizing same-sex marriage if it were on the ballot, while 30% said they would vote against and 8% say they "Don't Know" how they would vote. Additionally, even larger percentages of voters want to vote on the issue, with 69% saying that voters "should decide on same-sex marriage" and 25% saying that voters should not.

This question of voting on marriage equality a very live one in New Jersey politics because Governor Chris Christie vetoed a marriage equality bill in February 2012 and at the time he did so he said New Jersey should allow "citizens to vote on a question that represents a profoundly significant societal change." The state legislature has until the end of the legislative session (which should happen sometime before the November elections where Christie is the overwhelming favorite to be re-elected) to try to over-ride Christie's veto.

Some legislators favor passing a new marriage equality measure that would include a referendum on the question but the position of Democratic leaders (who control both houses) have opposed this idea on the principle that marriage equality is a civil right and should not be subject to the whims of the electorate.

The analysis of the new polling data indicates that it is now those opposed to marriage equality who also are opposed to putting it on the ballot, because they think it will pass.

As the Legislature considers putting same-sex marriage on the ballot, 69 percent of voters want to vote on it, while 25 percent do not and 6 percent are uncertain. Although Christie initially called for a vote, which Democrats in Trenton opposed, liking or disliking the governor makes no difference to support for putting the question on the ballot.

Likewise, 68 percent of both Democrats and Republicans support a ballot measure. Black voters are 11 points less likely than whites to want voters to decide – 62 percent to 73 percent. But 82 percent of voters under 30 want the chance to vote on same-sex marriage.

If the issue reaches the ballot, voters seem overwhelmingly in favor of adoption. Support for same-sex marriage is at its highest level ever recorded in a Rutgers-Eagleton Poll (62 percent in favor, 30 percent opposed).  Seventy-five percent who support a ballot question favor same-sex marriage. Twenty percent would veto the measure.

Three-quarters of those who want the issue on the ballot would vote in favor, while 20 percent would oppose legalization. A majority (59 percent) of those opposed to allowing voters decide the matter also oppose legalization while 34 percent support it. “Many of those who oppose same-sex marriage appear to recognize it is likely to pass if on the ballot,” noted Redlawsk. “Thus they would prefer to keep it off the ballot in the first place.”

Large majorities of Democrats (72 percent) and independents (63 percent) favor same-sex marriage compared to 40 percent of Republicans. Only 31 percent of conservatives would vote yes, but same-sex marriage legalization has gained majority support across virtually all other groups.

“While Democratic leaders have called same-sex marriage a civil right that should not be subject to a vote, the evidence is that voters would readily align New Jersey with other states that have already legalized same-sex marriage,” Redlawsk said. “It may simply be time to move that way for those who want the issue resolved.” 

This is a tough question for LGBT activists and the progressive colleagues in the Legislature. It may also become a more pressing question as majority public opinion moves faster in the direction of marriage equality than majorities of legislators do. Should they agree to place marriage equality referenda on ballots as apart of a legislative compromise to pass a bill? I imagine legislators in Rhode Island, Illinois, and Delaware (where marriage equality bills are currently pending) are all looking at their counterparts in New Jersey very carefully.

What do you think, vote in the poll below:

Should New Jersey LGBT activists agree to allow a referendum on marriage equality in November 2013?
	Yes, since polls indicate a wide majority support marriage equality, the measure would pass easily.
	No,because allowing a vote on marriage equality violates a core principle of civil rights.
	Unsure, this is a tough question!
pollcode.com free polls

The Next Governor of Virginia May Be A Raving Homophobe

Virginia Attorney Genera Ken Cuccinelli is running for Governor and he is a raging homophobe. Evidence of support for this characterization is his decision to appeal a recent ruling striking down that state's "crime against nature".

The Washington Blade reports:

Caroline Gibson, a spokesperson for Cuccinelli, told the Blade in an email that Cuccinelli believes the dissenting judge on the three-judge panel was correct in stating the Lawrence decision applies only to sex between consenting adults in private and doesn’t apply to cases involving a minor. The case in which the three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the Virginia sodomy law involved a man charged with soliciting oral sex from a 17-year-old woman.

“We believe the panel decision was erroneous, and that the dissent correctly concludes that the petitioner was not entitled to federal habeas corpus relief, Gibson said, referring to the court’s decision to overturn the man’s conviction under the sodomy law. “So the full court should have the opportunity to decide this matter,” she said.

“Like most people, we think the court made the right decision,” said James Parrish, executive director of the LGBT advocacy group Equality Virginia.

“We think what needs to happen is the General Assembly needs to remove the current sodomy law that has been declared unconstitutional,” he said.

Cucinelli is running for Governor of Virginia as a Tea Bag Republican, someone who thinks that Supreme Court justice Antonin Scali is "too liberal." Back in 2009, when he was running for election as Virginia Attorney General, Cucinelli said:

 My view is that homosexual acts, not homosexuality, but homosexual acts are wrong. They’re intrinsically wrong. And I think in a natural law based country it’s appropriate to have policies that reflect that. ... They don’t comport with natural law. I happen to think that it represents (to put it politely; I need my thesaurus to be polite) behavior that is not healthy to an individual and in aggregate is not healthy to society.”

This is the man who may be elected the next Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia in roughly 7 months.