Now That Gay Marriage Is Legal In New York ...

A month ago I posted about the cutting edge of gay organizing, the transgender/gender queer/questioning movement.  I received interesting comments from the author at Bionic Mamas blog. Commenting on that May 9 post, Bionic Mama wrote, "this is far too short. In fact, this is at least 4 posts I'd like to read. write them."


So Bionic Mamas here goes.  Installment 1.


Now that marriage is legal in NY let's hope activists who have poured so much into the organizing and advocacy for what they considered a right (I'm agnostic on this) maybe they can begin to organize and advocate for other rights that US citizens are finding undermined and/or denied, such as the right to health care, comprehensive education beginning in early childhood and to advocate for themselves and  other workers through labor organizing.

It is telling that Governor Cuomo, according to the NY Times,  made a deal with people who share his  same opinion about social services to his people, that is Republican funders and hedge fund managers, to give Republican senators the financial "cover" to vote for gay marriage.


I live in a state, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, that has taken the risk to guarantee all it's citizens (yes, used to be all residents, documented or not.  We are not perfect.) access to health care regardless of their ability to afford it.  Commonwealth Care receives no cover from Republican activists.  They use it to bludgeon their potential presidential candidates (ok, Mitt Romney) and President Obama.  These are the kind of alliances gay marriage has brought us.


So as you celebrate Gay Pride in the city where transgendered persons and low-income queers took a stand while most wealthy Gay Republicans lived comfortably in their closets, don't forget all those marginalized people in this country who don't have governors making deals that could give them preventive care, or allow them to send their kids to decent schools or, heaven forbid, pay them a livable wage. 


So maybe this isn't exactly installment 1.  More on Wednesday, as well as reflections on my recent trip to Mississippi and Louisiana.  Oh, and read Bionic Mamas.  It's a great blog.