Despite Gay Brothers, State Sen. Diaz Still Anti-Gay Marriage

One of the staunchest opponents to same-sex marriage is a Bronx state senator with two gay brothers, a gay grandchild, and a gay chief counsel. Democrat Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Pentecostal minister, has been a die hard foe of any bill that would legalize gay marriage in New York State, despite his supposedly convivial relationship with many homosexuals. "I love them. I love them," says Díaz, who grew up one of 17 children in Puerto Rico. "But I don’t believe in what they are doing."

With so many gays in his life, he asks the Times, "How could I be a homophobe?" And indeed, his openly gay chief counsel, Christopher R. Lynn, describes Diaz as "my brother. [But] he said to me, 'For me to accept this, I have to turn my whole value system upside down.'" Yet it wouldn't be the first time Diaz turned his "system" upside down. In 1965 he was a drug addict who got busted for heroin and marijuana possession. Then he got religion, became a pastor, a community organizer, and ultimately a gay marriage-blocking senator.

It's looking increasingly likely that Diaz will get his way and a bill to legalize same-sex marriage will not come to the senate floor for a vote. In his Times interview, Diaz said, "The people of the nation don’t want gay marriage. They didn’t want it in California; they didn’t want it in Maine. And the people of upstate New York, after what happened to the candidate in the 23rd Congressional District, they sent a message they don’t want gay marriage. Forget about it. People don’t want it."

Try telling that to openly gay City Council speaker Christine Quinn, who yesterday held back tears during an emotional press conference, telling reporters, "If the bill is not voted on and passed, a week after a referendum passed in Maine that took rights away from the residents, if seven days after that, the New York state Senate stands up and says, 'All New York families are equal,' what a message that sends about what we believe as a state...This is literally a moment when people can stand up and say that everybody's family matters, that everybody's home is a blessed place and that everybody has the same rights. Tomorrow is really about bringing hope to fruition. It's about a moment where you lift people up or you drag people down. So I ask the state Senate to have the courage of its convictions and to act."

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By John Del Signore in News on November 10, 2009 10:35 AM

Comments [rss]

handsomedevil

The problem with the anti-gay-marriage stance is there is absolutely no valid, logical reason behind it. It's all either

a) I think it's gross.

b) The bible says it's bad.

c) Dumb stuff about "what marriage is" as if there is some fixed definition somewhere that can't change.

d) Dumb stuff about parenting.

or e) Fallacious claims that if this becomes legal anything can be legal.

These are all bad arguments. That's why anti-gay voters are assholes - not only do they want to impose their preference on others, but they don't really have a good reason for that preference. It's not like, say, disagreeing on health care because of what you think the budget ramifications are. It's just bigotry.

angry_pickle

a) I agree, not valid

b) I agree, not valid

c) If marriage isn't defined, why are all those gays wanting it? So they want something that they can't define? The truth is there is a definition of marriage that has been in place for thousands of years and it involves a heterosexual relationship. Gays have civil unions that they can embrace; a tradition that they can define separate from marriage. Yet the ones with the biggest mouths refuse; probably because they relish throwing marriage in the face of their parents, or whomever else they hold a grudge against.

d) Never heard of this argument

e) It isn't fallacious; some judge mentioned something about this.

On the contrary, most arguments for gay marriage consist of extensive name calling.

yytttt

Dear JDS... that photo is 100% pure class. We all know why grown men become ministers, Diaz, who are you trying to fool? The sooner you come out of the closet the sooner you can resign in shame and the local government can get some work done.

yytttt

By "some judge", do you mean a philosophy professor mentioning it as the slippery slope fallacy?

kade3000

As a gay black man...i can tell you. I would not have wanted "THE PEOPLE" to vote for my civil rights in the 50's and 60's and i damn sure don't want them voting for my rights now. And Diaz is an idiot..and not just on this issue. Look at his history...Piece of garbage senator. But he's only a step above El Sucko Espada

Atomische

I wonder what Diaz's position on misegenation is?

And why is Quinn even bothering to chime in? She's won the election.

felixthecat2

I HATE QUINN

S.K.

Chris Quinn may live a progressive lifestyle at home, but at work she is an homage to Boss Tweed.

MickeyC

When will people finally investigate Diez? Most people know what's going on and yet no one bothers to investigate him and he is allowed to continue in his pretend "Christian" diatribe against anyone he doesn't like. Wake up New York!!!

felixthecat2

I will tell Christine Quinn that she is less than me or anyone on this planet. She is a fucking sell-out thief and she is disgusting. After she stole our money and extend her term to 14 years, she deserves NO right. I don't want her as Speaker much less see her FUGLY face on TV and hear her annoying voice. LGBT needs someone else to speak for them, Quinn just turns people OFF!!!!!

sidenote

I don't believe the government should conduct a referendum on morality - isn't it the government's duty to protect the minority in the face of the majority?

Here's what I really don't understand though - how can his gay chief consul work for someone like this? I'd like to hear him explain why he isn't disturbed by the senator's views.

HipCat

Yes everyone has the right to their own beliefs and I believe that Sen. Diaz is an idiot and a coward. If he wants to use his religion as an excuse, then lets analyze it. He's a Pentecostal minister, he therefore has christian beliefs. He follows or believes in the bible. Where in the bible does it condemn homosexuality? In Leviticus, but lets not forget eating shellfish is also condemed in Leviticus as is any pork product...Mr Diaz ever had a shrimp? crab? lobster? oyster? mussel? bacon? ham? or pork rib just to name a few? Well then your going to hell already so might as well vote for marriage equality and quit hiding behind religion as an excuse.

S.K.

Why do so many commenters expect Rev. Diaz to change his mind on gay marriage? Would you expect his gay brothers to change their mind about sleeping with other men?

Why do so many commenters call Rev. Diaz a homophobe for opposing gay marriage? Would they call his gay brothers bigots for opposing Diaz's Pentecostal beliefs?

Diaz lives at peace with his gay friends, they found a way to "agree to disagree." Be happy he is not a fire-and-brimstone crusader like those Westboro folks. I doubt anyone at the Westboro Church ever shared a meal with a gay, so give Diaz some credit.

hotstepper

you have obviously never listened to interviews with this piece of shit.

duckumu

"Be happy he is not a fire-and-brimstone crusader like those Westboro folks."

so i guess that anti-gay-marriage rally he held last year (in which he bused in 20k people) doesn't count as fire-and-brimstone? the westboro dipshits are a group of roughly 15 or 20 crazies who have no political clout whatsoever. ruben diaz is infinitely more dangerous.

diaz deserves no credit for his constant spewing of untruths about gay people and what gay marriage really means. it has nothing to do with religion. absolutely nothing. we're not asking diaz to submit his religion and start worshipping gay devils. we're not forcing him to enter in a gay relationship. we don't want to marry goats and have sex with kids. we just want a fucking marriage license.

NannyState

If the Civil Rights Act were put to a public referrendum, like Gay Marriage has, in all those states whose electorates Ruben Diaz so fondly refers to, it would have likely failed. This isn't an issue for the likes of shitbags like Diaz, it's an issue for likes of shitbags in the US Congress.

nyorker555

He doesnt seem all that bright. The cool thing is that it is only a matter of time for somone to find some dirt on him -- favor swapping or taxes or payola whatever. Looking forward to that to happen.

The Edge

"He doesnt seem all that bright."

Of course not. He found religion.

wingedearth

Gay is not an ethnicity. It's an act of sexual perversion. We tolerate it, but we don't have to condone it.

Next you'll want to give subsidies for golden showers.