PROGRESS REPORT: Making Equality a Bipartisan Concern

By: JEFF COOK
10/30/2008

All across America, hearts and minds are changing to recognize that the most important thing about marriage isn't the gender of the individuals involved, but the love, commitment, and sacrifice those people share. As couples have tied the knot in Massachusetts and California and prepare to in Connecticut, the sky hasn't fallen and the institution of marriage is getting stronger. Polls continue showing greater acceptance for marriage equality.

Next week, California voters will decide on a discriminatory constitutional amendment, Proposition 8, which would roll back the clock on marriage equality. When voters reject Prop 8 and uphold the right to marry, the fight for marriage equality will take another giant leap forward. Anti-gay opponents will no longer be able to argue that the right to marry is merely the will of activist judges and will have to confront the reality that it is becoming the will of the American people. Victory in California will radically change the context in New York, as legislators in Albany would begin to recognize that supporting marriage is not only the right thing to do, but the politically smart thing to do.

Regardless of the outcome of this year's election for New York Senate and Assembly, we know one thing - marriage equality will not become law in New York without significant support from Republicans. And the Log Cabin Republicans are playing the critical role in winning that support.

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Over the past eight years, gay and lesbian New Yorkers have successfully engaged Republican legislators to pass a repeal of the sodomy law, hate crimes and non-discrimination legislation, and limited domestic partnership benefits. In the 2007-2008 legislative session, Log Cabin focused its efforts in Albany on making the fight for marriage bipartisan and ending the six-year logjam on the Dignity for All Students Act. We have made considerable progress.

Up until last year, marriage equality legislation had moved forward only in California and only on a party line vote. The lack of Republican support had slowed our progress and limited our issue's appeal to only a segment of the general public. In New York, where Republicans control the Senate and equal rights bills have needed support on both sides of the aisle, a bipartisan strategy is critical.

Log Cabin worked hard to convince Assembly Republicans to support the marriage equality bill, securing pro-marriage votes by Republican Assemblymembers Joel Miller of the Hudson Valley, Teresa Sayward from the North Country, and Dede Scozzafava also from the North Country, and recent support from Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, another North Country Republican.

We encouraged Assemblywoman Sayward to become the first Republican co-sponsor of marriage equality legislation in American history, which she announced at our 2007 national convention in Denver. By reaching out strategically and making the conservative case for marriage, Log Cabin was able to add the historic bipartisan dynamic to the Assembly vote and set the stage for further progress in 2009.



Since 2002, safe schools legislation has regularly passed the Assembly, but stalled in the Senate without a Republican sponsor. This year, Log Cabin stepped into the void to craft and negotiate a fully-inclusive bill that would meet the policy objectives of both the Senate Republican Conference and the Dignity for All Students Coalition. The Safe Schools for All Students Act would empower local schools to combat harassment, discrimination, and bullying to ensure a safe learning environment for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

After the agreement was reached, Log Cabin persuaded Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Repubilcan, to introduce the bill in July. At his first appearance in front of a gay and lesbian audience as majority leader, a Manhattan Log Cabin fundraising event in September, Senator Skelos pledged to pass the bill in early 2009.

This progress would not have occurred without the tireless efforts of gay and lesbian Republicans, working within our own party, to advance the cause of equal rights for our families. Log Cabin does not make excuses for the bad deeds or words of those who fight against us. Instead, we defend those who have stood with us, like the courageous Assembly Republicans for marriage, whose victories this fall will encourage Senate Republicans to step up and do the right thing.

And we continue our work to court a more positive direction for our party, because we know a more inclusive Republican Party is key to a more inclusive America. At long last, marriage is finally on the horizon for gay and lesbian New Yorkers, and Log Cabin will continue to lead the way to build the necessary Republican support to make it a reality.


Jeff Cook is legislative advisor for the Log Cabin Republicans (logcabin.org).