Activist group Queer Rising is calling on amateur paparazzi to join them at a protest of New York State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.'s fundraiser, thrown by Senate Majority leader John Sampson.
The group writes, in an email: "Queer Rising is outraged by New York State Senate Majority Leader John
Sampson's decision to hold a fundraiser for anti-LGBTQ Senator Ruben
Diaz of the Bronx on Thursday, August 12th. Senator Diaz led the
Democratic revolt against Marriage Equality in the Senate last
December, and he is a key target of a unified LGBTQ effort. In
response, Queer Rising invites all to join us at 'The Sampson & Diaz
Bigot Gala' paparazzi protest. 'Queer Rising is in the business of
holding people accountable for their anti-LGBTQ actions, attendees of
this function are supporting a bigot and need to be exposed,' said Natasha
Dillon, a founding member of Queer Rising."
The demo is scheduled to take place on Thursday at Maestro's Caterers, 1703 Bronxdale Avenue in the Bronx.
Sampson got an earful from LGBT activists over the weekend at a meeting of the Stonewall Democratic Club pissed at his support for Diaz and at his refusal to pledge to bring the marriage equality bill up for a vote.
"Furious gay advocates gave Senate Democratic leader John Sampson an earful in Brooklyn in an angry exchange that got so heated Sampson threatened to walk out.
He didn't.
Nor did he budge on the advocates' key issues during the two-hour meeting with the Stonewall Democratic Club.
Sampson has angered gay advocates with his pledge to support all Senate Dems seeking reelection, including the six who voted against the same-sex marriage bill, killing it, 38 to 24…The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender [LGBT] community is especially concerned by Sampson's support of Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley, a 'no' voter facing a primary challenge from gay-marriage supporter Lynn Nunes. Sampson gave Huntley $9,500 from his own campaign cash and tried unsuccessfully to prevent the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's largest LGBT organization, from endorsing Nunes."
Diaz, who is a current target of the Fight Back NY PAC, recently sent out a letter to supporters encouraging them to support Huntley, Senator Frank Padavan, and girlfriend-beating Senator Hiram Monserrate, because of their stand against same-sex marriage.
Said Diaz in the letter: "These election results will be vital to us as Christians and God-fearing people to keep our family, moral and traditional values that our ancestors left us and that the Bible teaches us."
