Arroyo vs Diaz on gay marriage

The Daily Politics - NY Daily News


December 30, 2008

To the list of outside interests pressuring Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. on the issue of same-sex marriage add NYCLU, which has posted a YouTube video featuring footage of a recent event in his district at which members of the LGBT community talked about their coming out experiences.

At the end of the clip, Diaz's fellow Bronx Democrat, Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, explains why she voted "yes" on gay marriage in 2007 and also questions the senator's staunch opposition to the measure.

Diaz, a Pentecostal minister, has always said he opposes same-sex marriage for religious reasons, but Arroyo says:

"I don't think that he believes. He talks. He talks against same-sex marriage. I'm going to vote for what I believe is the right thing to do. When I voted for that bill, I did it because I knew that I am protecting members of my family and I'm protecting the majority of the people....This government is for the people and by the people, by the ones that pay taxes. If everybody pay taxes, everybody should have the same rights."


According to NYCLU, the Bronx has more LGBT families than any other borough.

But given the senator's re-affirmation this week of his opposition to gay marriage, it seems unlikely that he will change his position on this issue any time soon, nor does he seem overly concerned about the pressure being brought to bear on him by allies of Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith.