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"If gay marriage advocates honestly believe they have a super-majority of New Yorkers in their corner, they should join with us to agree to permit a referendum to decide this issue. If they do not, their claims to represent the majority will ring rather hollow. This gay-marriage bill is not in the best interests of New York, it is not the choice of New Yorkers, and it is decidedly against the interests of the Republican party. The last time the Republican party caved on a deeply important social issue — abortion — it destroyed the party’s prospects for years." - New York state Sen. Ruben "I am the church AND the state!" Diaz, in a National Review column co-authored to the virulently anti-gay Michael Long of the New York Conservative Party.

"In a Manhattan Court in 2005 Justice Doris Ling-Cohen ruled that gay marriage was legal in New York. At the time this ruling was celebrated as a victory for gay marriage rights advocates. New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg decided that gay marriage was wrong for New York and ordered New York City's attorneys to appeal this decision. That appeal resulted in New York's highest court ruling that there is no right to marriage for same-sex couples under the New York State Constitution.

"That litigation has caused a lot of fighting and has cost a lot of money. Now this year, because Mayor Bloomberg sees that Goveror Andrew Cuomo and other leaders are getting close to a victory on gay marriage legislation, he has been spending a lot of his money to make people forget what he did. I believe that Mayor Bloomberg must be credited as having done a lot more than I have done to prevent gay marriage from being legal in New York." - NY Sen. Ruben Diaz, in a typically bizarre statement posted to his official Senate page.

(Via - Good As You)

Today New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz announced that he was ending his membership in the legislature's minority caucus. Most consider this move a reaction to today's news that a majority Senate vote may be there for same-sex marriage. Capitol Confidential provides this short blurb:

Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. sent a letter to the bicameral Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus announcing his departure due to “different philosophies” separating himself and the group. Although not specified, we’re betting those differences have to do with same-sex marriage and not, say, hydrofracking.

Despite the chair begging him to stay on topic (or on ANY topic) noted homophobe Sen. Ruben Diaz continues to ramble about nothing at all. Pity the legislators that have to work with this idiot every day.

"I was so nervous that morning that I threw up. I spoke against him across the street, directly within his view. But then I approached a police officer who escorted me to the podium where he spoke. My grandfather introduced me to the crowd and kissed me on the forehead. 'This is my granddaughter," he said. 'She chose her way of life, but I chose God's way, but I love her.' Grandpa even called me after the rally, to say that he was proud of me for 'respectfully speaking up for what you believe in.' You cannot tell someone that you love them and stay silent when people call for their death. 'Love' is empty when you say someone's life isn't natural. He could quietly vote 'no' if that's what he believes is right. But I want him to know that every word he utters hurts his own blood." - Erica Diaz, openly lesbian granddaughter of NY Sen. Ruben Diaz, recounting her awkward appearance at his Bronx hate rally last month.

The New York State Catholic Conference has issued a statement backing state Sen. Ruben Diaz, who is all over the net this week making unsubstantiated claims of receiving death threats from gay activists.

It is now reported, in a popular political blog that all policy-makers read in Albany, that the “F*** Ruben Diaz Festival” will be held soon in Brooklyn, where winners of the “F*** Ruben Diaz: Gay Erotica Featuring NYC’s Number One Bigot” writing contest will entertain themselves reading their dirty stories to each other, mocking this minister of the Gospel. And this is all known to the press and in the halls of the Capitol. So where is the outrage in the media? Where is the cry for tolerance and justice for Rev. Diaz against these hate purveyors? The answer, sadly, is that there is no outcry.

Are they saving it for after something truly awful happens to this good man? Until the hate that is being incited boils over into violent behavior? We are unjustly called “haters” and “bigots” by those who have carefully framed their advocacy strategy. The entire campaign to enact same-sex marriage is conducted under a banner of acceptance, and equality and respect for others. Yet behind that banner of tolerance is another campaign – of intimidation, threats and ugliness.

Uh yeah. "This good man" is the same one who stood beaming on the Bronx hate rally stage while his invited speakers called for the deaths of homosexuals.

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Pam's House Blend guest columnist Tony Varona notes:

Time and again I have seen how bilingual and bicultural politicians, religious leaders and other public figures make outrageously defamatory and inaccurate statements against the LGBT community in Spanish media that they would never get away with making in English-language broadcast and print interviews. Much of the time, the interviewer allows them to make whatever outlandish and homophobic or transphobic claims about us without any follow-up questions or challenge of any sort. Not so with Juan Manuel Benitez's 21-minute interview of Sen. Díaz.

And here is Varona's transcript of Diaz making such an outrageous lie this week on local NYC Spanish-language television. This time, the interviewer calls him out repeatedly.

Benitez: This legislation does not affect your church. It is a civil issue. Why are you still opposed?
Sen. Díaz: That is not the case.
Benitez: Someone will force you to [solemnize same-sex marriages]?
Sen. Díaz: Yes. According to the bill as written, and in the future, yes. Churches will be forced.
Benitez: That is not true. Let us talk about facts. We are talking about civil marriage. No one will go to your church to have you marry them.
Sen. Díaz: Marriage is marriage.
Benitez: Civil marriage.
Sen. Díaz: Marriage is marriage. And the bill as written... the bill does not exclude... as it is written specifically... does not exclude either churches or ministers specifically. It does not say it in the bill.
Benitez: The bill refers only to civil marriage, never to religious marriage.
Sen. Díaz: Marriage refers only to marriage between man and woman.
Benitez: The bill refers only to civil marriage, not religious marriage. Do you really think same-sex couples would go to your church to get married... to have you marry them?
Sen. Díaz: Well, who knows? They would come to my church so that I would refuse to marry them, and so that they could sue me, and mount a discrimination case. To mount a case in favor of stripping my church of taxes [tax exempt status], just because I would not marry them. [...]
Benitez: I don't know if you have read the bill, but the bill specifically excludes churches and deals only with civil marriage, which is performed by civil authorities. It deals with civil marriage and not religious marriage.

"There is no just comparison between America’s struggle to overcome the evils of slavery and the promotion of the lifestyle of homosexuality. It is preposterous for Mayor Bloomberg to degrade and minimize the plight of African-Americans in this civil rights struggle by equating it with the effort to push to legalize homosexual marriage. Black Americans should not sit back and let Mayor Bloomberg compare the long struggle of their ancestors against American slavery to the current fight for a lifestyle choice.

"The effort to redefine marriage to include a man and a man or a woman and a woman can never be compared to the struggle against slavery. Before Mayor Bloomberg attempts to borrow from history for comparisons, he should take a look at the uncivil discourse that is taking place by those whose goals he has embraced. Black leaders should not allow Mayor Bloomberg or anyone else trivialize their suffering and their history!" - New York state Sen. Ruben "Reverend" Diaz, writing on his official state website.

"Like many who heard about the prediction that a Biblical rapture world come upon us yesterday, I used the occasion to reflect upon my life. The rapture prediction put many of us in mind of our final judgment. Since no rapture took place and we are here continuing with our lives, I take from this a rededication to devoting myself to protect the institutions of the family which include marriage between a man and a woman, and to promote respect for all human life. To those who hoped that I would be taken away on the rapture day, please be assured that your negative blogging and tweeting comments have not distracted me. Instead I will proceed undeterred dedicated to my Christian beliefs." - NY Sen. Ruben Diaz.

Village Voice reporter Steven Thrasher points out a major lie told by Sen. Ruben Diaz at Sunday's hate rally in the Bronx.

Last Sunday, Reverend Ruben Diaz made a big deal about the role of Latino state senators in deciding the future of same-sex marriage in New York. As he addressed a crowd overwhelmingly composed of religious Hispanics, Diaz repeatedly led the flock to believe that the issue would be made or broken by his five fellow Hispanic colleagues. Well, under Diaz's logic, it's a done deal, then. All five say they support same-sex marriage. Staffers of the five other members of the Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus — José Peralta, Gustavo Rivera, José Serrano, Martin Malavé Dilan, and Adriano Espaillat — tell the Voice that each firmly supports marriage equality. Not that Diaz's logic can be trusted, because despite what he was putting out, these senators were never really swing votes. All five have long been counted in the yes column, and one or more may co-sponsor same-sex marriage legislation when it comes up in the Senate.

The New Gay has launched a "Ruben Diaz fan fiction" story writing contest. Rules at the link.

Days after ripping off my Bronx hate rally video and posting it as theirs, NOM has issued its own production video of Sunday's event.

(Via- Good As You)

Yesterday Village Voice reporter Steven Thrasher spoke to Sen. Ruben Diaz' 22 year-old lesbian granddaughter, Erica Diaz, about her expulsion from the military under DADT and her relationship with the elder Diaz. Erica is facing strong criticism across the LGBT blogosphere today for her decision to join Sen. Diaz on the rally's stage. Hit the above link for Thrasher's excellent break-down of the entire day.

Igor Volsky at Think Progress reports the words of Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega of Radio Visión Cristiana, who spoke at Sen. Ruben Diaz' hate rally in the Bronx yesterday. Ortega's speech was being translated into English from the podium, hence the odd wording below.

"Committing sexual acts between man and man. And receiving the retribution of the things that they have done from straying away. And because they did not take God in count. God gave them over to reprimand their mind to do things that are not right, being against all justice, fornication, perversity, aberrations, malignity…those who practice such things are worthy to death, not only do they do it, but those who also practice it. God bless this earth. That is the word of God."

The maker of this clip follows the Fox report with some photos from the slideshow I posted last night. It's interesting that Fox describes the crowd as only numbering in the hundreds, when most media outlets reported attendance at around 2500.

(Tipped by JMG reader Andy)

And the crowd goes wild!

(Video by Andres Duque at Blabbeando)

Below you'll find a 130-photo slideshow of today's hate rally in the Bronx, including some images of the good guys in the counter-protesting area. Full-screen versions are here and permission is granted for reproduction anywhere.

With his lies being interpreted into Spanish by a screaming pastor, NOM president Brian Brown warned the crowd that "kids as young as kindergarten are taught in Massachusetts that their parents are bigots because they believe marriage is the union of a man and a woman." Brown then exhorted the crowd to believe that there is no actual separation of church and state. The irony of being told to "stand up for civil rights" was completely lost on the Bible-waving thousands.

NOTE: My apologies for the occasional shakiness of this clip, it was starting to rain a bit harder and the other guys in the press pit were jostling me while they covered their equipment.