New York Anti-Gay Marriage Rally 'Flops' | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

New York Anti-Gay Marriage Rally 'Flops' | On Top Magazine :: Gay & Lesbian News, Entertainment, Commentary & Travel

By Carlos Santoscoy
Published: June 11, 2009

The biggest names in the anti-gay marriage movement failed to muster a significant crowd – or media attention – at an anti-gay marriage rally in New York.

The all-star lineup for Stand 4 Marriage at the Capitol should have been enough to peak the interest of any red-blooded social conservative: New York State Senator Ruben Diaz (Republican), Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. and National Organization for Marriage (NOM) President Maggie Gallagher.

The rally was sponsored by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and highly endorsed by NOM. Both groups worked to get the word out with press releases and radio.

“Let's all come out, joining the NYCF in making a positive – and fun – stand for marriage! Bring the whole family, and don't forget the signs and banners!” a NOM release for the event says.

Despite the firepower of the movement's most powerful movers and shakers, the rally barely managed to attract a few hundred warm bodies to the steps of the Capitol and fewer news men and women. Most New York media remained silent on the event. Even NOM's press room was more preoccupied with defending former-Miss California Carrie Prejean's anti-gay marriage views after being fired than talking about their rally Wednesday.

Participants encouraged state senators to vote against a gay marriage bill waiting for Senate approval to become law and stirred up the mostly religious conservative crowd – who rallied around signs that read “Save our God given marriage” and “God who gave us life, gave us liberty” – with their fiery oratory.

“What God did was he dropped a huge boulder in the path of the same-sex marriage bill yesterday with the Senate coup,” Rev. Duane Motley, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, told a cheering crowd referring to the new Republican-led majority in the Senate.

Utah-based progressive blogger Chino Blanco summed up the rally: “It was HUGE!!! A huge flop.”

Gay marriage in the Empire State is favored by a majority of lawmakers – including Governor David Paterson – and the public. A new poll released Wednesday shows a large majority (74%) of New Yorkers approve of recognizing gay and lesbian unions with civil unions or marriage. And a majority of respondents (46%) support granting gay couples the right to marry.