Maya Angelou, Cynthia Nixon Phoning NY Pols on Gay Marriage

"Helloooo, this is Dr. Maya Angelou calling. Tell me something: Would you deny your son or your daughter the ecstasy of finding someone to love?" This was the question posed by the Pulitzer prize-winning poet over the phone to State Senator Shirley Huntley, a Queens Democrat who opposes same-sex marriage. It wasn't a pre-recorded robocall; it was actually Angelou, and at first Huntley thought it was a joke, telling the Times, "I said, ‘What?’ I heard the voice, and I said: ‘My God. It is her.’ And that was that."

But by 'that was that,' she doesn't mean Angelou changed her mind. The impassioned phone call failed to shake Huntley's commitment to defend the rights of straight people who believe marriage means a man and a woman (and not man and muppet, either). Angelou was also on the horn to two other State Senators this week, as part of a push to get a same-sex marriage bill passed in New York before the Legislature's summer recess. And she wasn't alone: Cynthia Nixon, co-star of "Sex and the City," and Paul Tagliabue, the former NFL commissioner and father of a gay son, also personally called politicians. Check and mate, NOM. Start shopping for wedding attire, gay lovers!

Of course, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (or should we say "Marraige"?) sneers, "We think the most effective lobbyists on marriage are actual constituents, not Hollywood stars," who can no longer be "actual constituents" once they're famous—that's the law! But nobodies like us can still participate, and the group New Yorkers for Marriage Equality has a one-stop website that makes it unbelievably easy to track down your state representatives and give them your best Maya Angelou impression.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on May 29, 2009 9:59 AM

Comments [rss]

Chas

I'd probably always defer to a muppet's judgment. I mean look at Cookie Monster, he's 100% correct about cookies, so how could he be wrong about anything else..

Hyperkinetic

If religion insists on using the legislature to deny equal rights to EVERYONE, then they should all lose their tax exempt status and pay their fair share.

longacre

What numbnuts decided that Maya Angelou, of all people, would be able to sway anyone's opinion? Why not Billy Mays? Or Joe Piscopo? Or Miss Cleo?

dreamking

BTW, there is NO such thing as too many Sesame Street muppet photos in an NYC blog.

dreamking

"The impassioned phone call failed to shake Huntley's commitment to defend the rights of straight people who believe marriage means a man and a woman (and not man and muppet, either)."

What, now they're having a go at the Muppets?

First they came for the mannequins, and then the marionettes. Then the Muppets...

Trilby16

You know what? Marriage sucks whether you're straight or gay. Gay people-- I wish I could give you my marriage. Somebody take it please!

A better idea would be to remove the advantages of getting married and just let everyone BE individually.

zhuli

Little known fact - state senators in New York City are undecided and do NOT support marriage equality. Change their minds: http://newyorkequality.com

Manitoba

What's up with all the Muppet photos these days?

John Del Signore

Do you mean to say there's such a thing as too many Muppet photos?

nicemarmot

"Helloooo, this is Dr. Maya Angelou calling. Tell me something: Would you deny your son or your daughter the ecstasy of finding someone to love?"

And the answer is apparently, yes, she would. Who cares about gay people's ability to find love and happiness and commitment? They're part of the Great Satanic Army persecuting innocent Christians across the country. Agents of Satan shouldn't have any rights!

/sarcasm