New York Leaders on LGBT Rights - Paper Example

Introduction

New York City has a long-standing history of the presence of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) in the United States. Sexual relations in New York, just like in all other parts of the world have been an issue of controversy with same-sex relations raising numerous moral and ethical questions among the populace. In New York, activism for the same sex relations mainly began in the 1950s and 1960s that were propelled by moments of Stonewall riots due to apathy witnessed in civil as well as political institutions (Schindler). However, such activism was only legalized in 1981 following a judicial action. New York has since witnessed various ramifications to the law to include LGBT rights especially the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in 2011. The act granted same-sex marriage to all the residents of New York in the case of United States v. Windsor. Traditionally, New York City has represented one of the most populous cities in the world with large populations of LGBT people. In this regard, the leaders elected have mainly been the ones supporting LGBT rights which necessitate further research on their position.

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Kirsten Gillibrand has been the representative in the US Senate as a junior senator for New York since the year 2009. Being a member of the Democrat Party, Gillibrand has had numerous social stands that align with the larger population in New York. On the issue of LGBT, Gillibrand indicated her support for the rights of same-sex marriage. The senator has always supported legalization of same-sex marriage in the State of New York. In this regard, Gillibrand was given a score of 100 out of 100 by Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group in the 111th, 112th, and 113th congresses. In this regard, she has always been voted as a non-discriminative representative for the defense of human rights. It should be noted that Gillibrand was the first New York Senator to support same-sex marriage and even endorsed the Governor's proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. In this regard, she has always been at the forefront of supporting LGBT people rights.

The House of Representatives from New York City have also seen support for the LGBT rights. It should be noted that the voters in New York have always been debating vigorously on their representatives' support for human rights and especially the rights for the LGBT population. Considering that New York has a massive number of LGBT population, the representative for the House of Representatives Dan Donovan has been in support of the rights of the LGBT population. The representative noted that support of the LGBT population is support for human rights, a fundamental form of right in the US. In this regard, his remark regarding the LGBT population was seen as basic fundamental support of the local population that should be encouraged. Following his appointment, he has always been in support of policies and motions to legalize same-sex marriage understanding it as a way of ensuring that people are not discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.

As a representative in the New York State Assembly, Helene Weistein's stand on the LGBT rights is unclear. It should be noted that Helene Weistein is the chair for the Standing committee where she oversees all the states legislation regarding Family and Domestic Relations Law. In this regard, she has immensely been involved in civil rights. However, she has been noted to be coy on the issue of same-sex marriage. For example, she was accused of burying marriage equality act that seeks for the rights of gay people. Besides, she has been noted to be uncomfortable on the gay activism. Despite these allegations, Helene has not announced her position regarding LGBT publicly.

As a representative in the New York State Senate, Simcha Felder has been a major political figure in the New York politics regarding the social human rights. Simcha Felder has openly supported the rights for gay people and particularly same-sex marriage. However, he has also personally opposed homosexuality regarding the interpretations of the Jewish law. In this regard, Simcha has developed a transactional style of leadership in politics due to unpredictability. He has, therefore, been termed as opportunistic as well as pragmatic following his stand on the LGBT. Although he opposes some acts by the LGBT people, he has always supported their rights as enshrined in the state and federal laws.

Chaim Deutsch won the Brooklyn Council Seat following an immense campaign that ousted the Republican David Storobin. His win was unique in an area that opposes gay marriage. Unlike his competitor Storobin who publicly opposed gay marriage, Chaim Deutsch supported same-sex marriage and especially the rights for the LGBT people. Storobin has been accused of living away from the area he represents thereby lacking an understanding of the issues affecting his people. However, Deutsch has continued to support human rights for all regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Following the discussions and positions are taken by the New York leaders who represent me, I understand that human rights are a fundamental concern in the state. It should be established that New York represents diverse people regarding sexual orientation. The state shows high numbers of lesbian and gay people, as well as transgender and bisexuals who form an important social and economic block in the state (Purnick). In this regard, it is necessary for the leaders in the state to show their support for LGBT rights including same-sex marriage to ensure that they capture the interests of the people they represent. It is notable that the leaders support marriage equality since it aligns well with the populace. Even in areas where most people oppose gay marriage due to cultural orientation of religious practices, the leaders seem to adopt the national approach noting that state politics may play a crucial role in local politics as opposed to the vice-versa. In this regard, elected representatives in New York are a representation of the major population ideologies and beliefs.

Another notable aspect of the New York politics is the unhealthy politics due to the LGBT issue that has attracted not only national but also global politics. Due to this inequality in the political arena, politics in New York seem to be unhealthy based on politics and religion (Caron). It should be pointed out that New York is a largely religious diverse state. Different religious groups have different stands on the issue of same-sex marriage. For example, the Catholic Church which has a large population in the city has opposed such developments arguing that they go against the principles of a family as taught in the religious traditions. However, the diversity in the city makes people be more attracted to human rights and oppose discrimination as opposed to the religious foundations. This makes elected leaders support LGBT rights or remain coy on the same for the political interests. This is demonstrated by Simcha Felder who despite supporting human rights for all including LGBT, he has remained silent on his position regarding same-sex marriage. In this regard, there is a need to develop systems where people can interact freely regardless of their position in the LGBT issue. Through this, citizens would be able to choose from all leaders regardless of their position of same-sex marriage.

Conclusion

Conclusively, New York State has been a socially liberal state regarding the LGBT rights due to its diversity. New York is noted to be one of the most diverse cities regarding immense population of lesbians, gay, transgender, and bisexual population. Considering the high number of heterosexual too, the state depicts a mixture of people of diverse sexual orientation living together. In this regard, the elected leaders must align themselves with the reality to represents the interests of their subjects. As noted from the selected elected leaders in the city, the advocacy of LGBT rights is essential for their success in political ambitions. It should be noted that elected leaders have either proposed bills regarding LGBT rights and same-sex marriage or developed or supported an advocacy movement for the people. In this regard, same-sex sexual activities have seen a legality test. Following ramifications by the populace, the leaders passed the Marriage Equality Act in 2011 that supports same-sex marriage. In essence, the passage of the law is a representation of the general population ideologies regarding sexual orientation.

Works Cited

Caron, Christina. "'In Rainbow Wave' LGBT candidates are elected in record numbers." The New York Times November 7, 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/lgbt-election-winners-midterms.html

Purnick, Joyce. "Homosexual Rights Bill is passed by city council in 21-to-14 vote." The New York Times March 21, 1986. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/1986/03/21/nyregion/homosexual-rights-bill-is-passed-by-city-council-in-21-to-14-vote.html

Schindler, Paul. "The evolution of a Brooklyn progressive." Gay City News October 26, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.gaycitynews.nyc/stories/2017/22/w28702-evolution-brooklyn-progressive-2017-10-26.html