IN WHICH I CALL A LOT OF SENATORS
Today, there is much activity in the New York State Senate. The New York State Assembly voted (for the FOURTH time) in support of same sex marriage. The vote is now with the senate, and it is VERY close. They are in discussions now. There has never been a better time to jump in and make your opinions know. This is PARTICULARLY true if these senators represent you.
I called ALL of these senators this morning and spoke to people in their offices to get all the most up to date information. Here is where it stands.
UNDECIDED NEW YORK STATE SENATORS:
Greg Ball. gball@nysenate.gov, (845) 279 3773
Andrew Lanza, Staten Island. (718) 984-4073
Stephen M. Saland of Poughkeepsie. (845) 463-0840, saland@nysenate.gov
UNCOMFIRMED:
J. Kemp Hannon, Nassau County. (516) 739-1700, hannon@nysenate.gov
Mark Grisanti of Erie County, not answering the phone. May be in hiding. (518) 455-3240
VOTING AGAINST:
Betty Little of Glens Falls. (518) 743-0968, little@nysenate.gov
Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. , Suffolk County. (516) 882-0630 (winner of the WORST PERSON EVER ON THE PHONE, EVER award–kudos!)
IN FAVOR (no need to call!):
Roy McDonald
WHAT TO DO ON THE PHONE:
Here is what I learned this morning. Be polite but firm. You are likely to be asked where you are calling from, and possibly your address. State your support. Get that in there. Don’t lie to them. But if you ARE from that area, let them know. REALLY. Let them know. Don’t be put off. Polite and firm. That’s the way.
This COULD actually happen. It’s REALLY close. This is a life-changing moment for so many people–it will bring so many families together, provide rights for so many people . . . please, if you have a moment, please get in touch.
Remember, you can also TWEET and EMAIL these senators!
Posted: Thursday, June 16th, 2011 @ 10:16 am
Categories: advice.
Tags: same sex marriage.
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June 16th, 2011 at 10:21 am
Maureen, you’re the best.
June 16th, 2011 at 10:37 am
Lee M. Zeldin is senator for parts of Suffolk County. He is also voting AGAINST. His twitter is @leezeldin and phone # (631) 360-3356
June 16th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Maureen, thank you for doing this. I’m using you as my main reference point for encouraging others to act.
Delia Sherman & I were legally married in our backyard in Massachusetts in 2004 – but since 2006 we’ve been living in sin in NYC! Help us get, um, straight with the law!
June 16th, 2011 at 11:10 am
Thank you so much for your support!! <3
June 16th, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Maureen, it’s fantastic that you are pulling people together for such an amazing cause. It makes me proud to be an ally.
I’ve tweeted and tried to call. I feel a little bit useless since I’m not a NY resident, but please pass along anything else that we can do to help. Not only for this, but for overall decreasing hate and ignorance.
June 16th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
I’ve emailed and tweeted everybody! You’re awesome; thanks for the contact info. See you at Decatur Book Festival!
June 16th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
emailed the one from poughkeepsie
i’m by there right now, so it would be the most accurate. Thanks for the info!
June 16th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
Thomas K. Duane (D-District 29) is voting FOR!
June 16th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
YAY Maureen! You are so awesome! I’m trying to help!! I’m tweeting and such!! We REALLY need to get this passed!! I’m only 13 and I KNOW it needs to be passed. It is so important!! Thanks for the contact info!
-Meredith
@mintmeredith
June 16th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
What a wonderful idea. I emailed a couple of the senators earlier. I’m not from NY but I’m all about equal rights taking a stand. I wanted to also let you know, since you’re such a wonderful LGBT advocate, that I have a themed-giveaway this summer and an LGBT/Ally scholarship I personally put together. I’d love for you to spread the word so more people can benefit. You can learn more here: http://www.letsgetbeyondtolerance.blogspot.com and http://www.bridgethegapx.blogspot.com
-Lauren
June 16th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
[...] or EMAIL a New York State Senator who is undecided or unconfirmed on the Marriage Equality bill. here is Maureen Johnson’s post with all the details. Send me your message confirmation if you email, or let me know the result of your call, and tell [...]
June 17th, 2011 at 10:10 am
[...] you live in New York State, please, call the undecided senators immediately. Please also call your senators to either thank them for their support or to tell them where you [...]
June 17th, 2011 at 10:57 am
[...] in New York, and you want to add your voice to support this historic vote: You can visit Maureen Johnson Calls a Lot of Senators and get the list of names and contact numbers for your very own [...]
June 17th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Senator Greg Ball,
I am emailing you in regards to your impeding vote on the upcoming issue of same-sex marriage. I am from Texas and I am 17 years old, but I still have an opinion and I want to be the Silent Majority that finally speaks up.
Let me get right to it. I am in support of same-sex marriage. I am sure that the opposing opinion has many compelling arguments, but should that matter when the Constitution clearly states that each citizen has the ultimate right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Homosexuals are a minority, just like any other race or ethnicity or group in the United States that receive all of the benefits of freedom, yet homosexuals are denied the freedom to express themselves and the freedom to love fully.
In Texas, heterosexual couples who live together for a year or so receive all of the benefits of a heterosexual married couple without actually being married. How is that fair when there are homosexuals who live together for years and years and still receive nothing? That does not preach the equality that America boasts about.
Another point is that many of the senators are voting no on the issue in part because of their religious belief. And before you say that marriage is sacred between only one man and one woman, that is also a religious belief that was instilled in the minds of Americans as a result of the Bible. If the government wanted to follow the Bible and its teachings then cheating on a spouse, adulteration, and other ’sinful’ actions specifically spoken against in the Bible should also be made illegal. You cannot punish one child and leave the other child alone when they are both doing wrong. The church and state ideas are supposed to be separate. It is the senator’s job to be impartial on issues until they are properly educated on the subject enough so to make an educated decision based solely on the facts. Think of it as being in the Supreme Court. Some decisions that they make are based on the facts presented, and they rule in favor of which facts make more sense (and of course other reasons), not on what they believe is morally right and wrong.
Perhaps this is the most compelling argument: Currently homosexuals face a lifetime of discrimination and hate. From parents and friends and family who don’t understand to a society where being gay is a disgrace to a country who will not allow these people the same rights as everyone else, homosexuals have it tough, a lot tougher than you or I could ever imagine. If this law passes and homosexuals are allowed to freely marry, their lives would be made much easier and their quality of life would improve. Though we cannot fix other people’s views toward them and we cannot fix the nightmare they are facing with their family, we can make it better. We can make a difference in their lives. Perhaps you are thinking, “This is only one state that might turn”, but you know as well as I do that one person, one action, one state can make all of the difference in the world.
I realize you have probably thought about all of this seeing as it is your job to educate yourself about both sides of an issue and I am sure there is a lot more to think about than what I have discussed, but please, vote in favor of same-sex marriage. I speak for the silent majority when I say same-sex marriage is wanted and needed in order to show everyone else the United States can and will stand for equality and nothing less.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Amelia Thompson
June 18th, 2011 at 12:13 am
I’ve emailed everyone whose address I could find/was listed here. I would call but it’s one in the morning in New York (and here in Virginia), so…
Thank you, Maureen, for providing the contact information.
June 20th, 2011 at 8:44 am
Good on you, Maureen!
We need more ppl. like you. Take democracy and use it for the benifit of your fellow human beings right to be who they are & live in peace & Love. I, 4 1, am with you like many milions across the world
Love & Light,
…from:@MirrorPools-Twitter.
Stockholm/Sweden
June 22nd, 2011 at 10:52 am
Wait, why is Fuschillo the worst person on the phone ever? If I call him will I end the call crying?
July 21st, 2011 at 6:34 am
[...] here) and you can read more on Nathan Bransford’s fantastic weekly wrap. (And speaking of Maureen, she’s calling to arms people to call up American pollies in favour of same-sex marriage.)And now the Minister for Small Business [...]
August 19th, 2011 at 9:44 am
Excuse me while I go and get my horn…
September 8th, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Perfect advice (and I’ve quit a lot of jobs, so I know)! Advice made even better by awesome choice of movie stills!
While scrolling down, I only got as far as Cary Grant’s nose, and immediately knew who it was, which movie, and what scene. Yes, it’s one of my super powers. Chaaaaaaaarge!!! (Strange how often that’s come up in my life recently. LOL)
October 28th, 2011 at 5:15 am
[...] voted in support of same-sex marriage, and the issue is currently being debated in the senate. Maureen Johnson has information on which senators New Yorkers can call to help this get [...]