National
Prominent N.Y. same-sex marriage opponent’s son backs issue
Ruben Diaz, Jr.,’s father spoke at rally against nuptials for gays and lesbians in D.C. on Tuesday
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. (Photo courtesy of Ruben Diaz, Jr.,’s office)
The son of a New York lawmaker who vehemently opposes marriage rights for same-sex couples on Wednesday announced he now supports nuptials for gays and lesbians.
“My decision, which comes after years of thought and reflection on the issue, is informed by the experiences I have had with close friends, family and loved ones,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., said in a statement.
The New York City Democrat cited his gay chief-of-staff Paul Del Duca, his partner and his lesbian niece, Erica Diaz, in his statement. He also noted the passage of New York’s same-sex marriage law in 2011.
“It is my contention that our city and our state are better off than they were before marriage equality became the law,” Ruben Diaz, Jr., said. “Not only has our city seen an incredible financial impact from marriage equality, the quality of life for myself, my family and my friends has not suffered one bit.”
Ruben Diaz, Jr.,’s statement came a day after his father, New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr., spoke at a rally against marriage rights for same-sex couples on the National Mall as the U.S. Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments in a case that challenges the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8.
Ruben Diaz, Sr., who is also an evangelical pastor, testified against the same-sex marriage bill before his Senate colleagues narrowly approved it in 2011. LGBT rights advocates in New York have repeatedly blasted him for describing homosexuality as unnatural and equating same-sex sexual activity to bestiality.
“This is not about my dad,” Ruben Diaz, Jr., told the Washington Blade when asked whether he spoke with his father before he announced his position. “This is about an evolution that I’ve had over the last few years. This is about seeing how marriage equality has had a positive effect in New York City and the state of New York.”
Ruben Diaz, Jr., whose office provided grants and other assistance to the Bronx Community Pride Center that closed last year, in 2007 voted against a same-sex marriage bill while he was a member of the state Assembly.
He told the Blade his position on the issue since then has evolved in the same way President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others’ have.
“There are still people who are on the fence,” Ruben Diaz, Jr., said. “There are still people who against it today and hopefully we should hope for that those folks at some point get right on the issue as well.”
Political observers in New York with whom the Blade spoke said the Bronx Democrat’s announcement will have little impact.
“Once the president has come out to support gay marriage and once New York State has approved of it, what’s the point of coming out in support of gay marriage,” Juan Manuel Benítez of NY1 Noticias said. “It’s a non-issue politically in the state of New York at this point. And had he wanted to have an impact with his announcement, he could have come out in support of gay marriage when his dad was voting against it in the state Senate when it really did matter back two years ago.”
Gerson Borrero, a columnist for the Spanish-language newspaper El Diario La Prensa, said he feels Ruben Diaz, Jr., announced his support of marriage rights for same-sex couples because he has aspirations to run for city-wide political office. He described the announcement to the Blade as a “hypocritical, opportunistic move,” while adding he should speak out against his father’s anti-gay rhetoric.
“If he’s really for the equality of all human beings, than let him start denouncing every pronouncement—disgraceful pronouncements and hateful pronouncements that his father has made,” Borrero said. “When he does that, then we can believe in Rubencito.”
Ruben Diaz, Sr., did not immediately return the Blade’s request for comment.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
PHOTOS: Fairfax City Pride
EXCLUSIVE: Pelosi reflects on four decades of LGBTQ advocacy
D.C. prepares to party as Pride celebrations kick off Saturday
David Archuleta, Monroe Alise named D.C. Pride parade marshals
