Carefully Studying
Politics of Supporting Gay Rights
By MIKE McINTIRE &
ROBIN SHULMAN, NYTimes on the Web, June 27, 2005
As New York City's master of
ceremonies, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg routinely makes the obligatory
declaration of solidarity with whatever group is sponsoring a parade -- he was
an honorary Puerto Rican, for example, on National Puerto Rican Day.
But the spirit of the day seemed to elude the mayor at the start of the annual
gay pride parade down Fifth Avenue yesterday, and he demurred when asked by a
reporter if he would declare himself "gay for a day."
"Let me get back to you on that," Mr. Bloomberg said with a grin, adding that he
would have his press secretary prepare "a very clever but ducking answer."
The moment, while lighthearted, seemed to capture the complexity of Mr.
Bloomberg's rocky relationship with gay rights advocates. Like his
restrained presence at the parade, the mayor's policies toward same-sex marriage
and benefits for domestic partners often seem to express a tempered enthusiasm:
He supports both, but with reservations that prevent him from issuing marriage
licenses to gay couples or requiring that companies doing business with the city
extend benefits to partners of gay employees.
This being an election year, those policies have become increasingly entwined in
mayoral politics, which was on full display at yesterday's march, since all four
Democratic candidates were also there.
Mr. Bloomberg repeated his position that it would be illegal for him to
authorize gay marriages until the courts clarified the law. He did issue a
directive in April that city agencies must recognize same-sex marriages
performed in other states or counties.
"What the gay community needs is the specificity of the court saying what the
current law really does or does not say, whether it permits or it doesn't," he
said yesterday. "I have said that if it turns out that it does not, I
would be in favor of changing the law and would work to do that."
In a sign of its irritation with such nuanced stances, the Empire State Pride
Agenda, a gay advocacy group, announced before the start of the parade that it
was endorsing one of Mr. Bloomberg's Democratic opponents, Gifford Miller, the
City Council speaker.
"He has done more than anyone else for our community, sometimes when it's
unpopular," said Alan Van Capelle, the group's executive director, who said the
mayoral endorsement was the first in its history.
Mr. Van Capelle noted that Mr. Miller supported legislation banning
discrimination against transgender people and requiring city contractors to
provide benefits to employees' partners. The latter was opposed by Mr.
Bloomberg, who said the city "cannot use its procurement policies to advance
social issues."
Another Democratic candidate, Fernando Ferrer, interrupted a trip to Puerto Rico
to march in the parade, flying back from the island yesterday morning and
returning later in the day. He said he would perform same-sex marriages if
elected mayor.
Drawing much attention along the parade route was the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is
not even running for office. Mr. Sharpton, who was in the parade for the
first time, danced to a salsa beat coming from the Latina-lesbian float ahead of
him. He said he had come to galvanize joint action among
African-American and gay leaders against H.I.V. and AIDS, and acknowledged that
expressions of support for gays was not something that has come naturally for
him.
"You have to be willing to take stances that are not always comfortable," he
said. "I'm a minister, from a conservative denomination. I'm a
Baptist. It's harder for me than for others. But you have to be
willing to put yourself on the line."
He marched alongside Brian V. Ellner, a gay Democratic candidate for Manhattan
borough president, who invited Mr. Sharpton to attend. Mr. Sharpton, Mr.
Ellner, and C. Virginia Fields, another Democratic mayoral candidate, clasped
hands and pumped them above their heads.
Mr. Sharpton said he had not decided whom to endorse for mayor.
(Emphasis Added.)
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