Going Gaga for New York Marriage Equality
Over the course of the past hour, Lady Gaga — who had been very involved in the 2010 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal efforts — jumped into the New York marriage debate. Minutes ago, she provided her nearly 11 million Twitter followers with a link to the Human Rights Campaign’s New Yorker for Marriage Equality webpage, which is used to connect people with their senators.
According to the site:
Just enter your phone number and address details below and we’ll call you! You’ll hear a brief message with tips for making your call to your New York state senator. After the message you will be automatically connected to your state senator’s office. After you make your call, be sure to ask your New York friends and family to call as well!
Gaga isn’t alone.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) — a major contributor to Republicans in Albany — went to Albany to speak with the GOP caucus earlier today.
Also today, Ted Olson — the conservative George W. Bush administration solicitor general who is leading the court fight against Proposition 8 — urged conservatives to support marriage equality in New York:
Conservatives should support the Governor’s marriage equality bill. Equality under the law, nurturing strong families, and religious freedom are bedrock conservative values, and the Governor’s bill promotes them all. The bill finally ends the State of New York’s demeaning treatment of gay men and lesbians as second-class citizens unworthy of the institution of civil marriage. It stabilizes and strengthens New York families headed by gay men and lesbians by allowing them to marry, delivering untold benefits to the thousands of children raised by those parents. And the bill protects religious freedom by ensuring that religious institutions will not be required to perform marriages contrary to their beliefs. As a lifelong Republican and conservative, I support this legislation. New Yorkers who believe in freedom, respect family values and cherish religious liberty should embrace it as well.
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R) must schedule the bill, passed June 15 by the General Assembly, for a vote before the end of the session next week.
[UPDATE: Lady Gaga also is pushing out the work of Freedom to Marry — linking to the New Yorkers United for Marriage site — and HRC on Facebook, where her page is “liked” by more than 38.5 million people.
Gaga’s work on DADT was recognized by Servicemembers Legal Defense Network at its annual dinner earlier this year, showing the organization’s view of the power of her support.]
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