Business as Usual or Gay Marriage?

So now that the New York State Senate has supposedly gone back to work, and they want to pass bills to show that they are honest and hard workers, will they actually pass anything meaningful, like oh let's say Gay Marriage. I read that they are ready to increase the sales tax in NYC right away, they want to deal with Mayoral control of City schools, and many other relevant bills that matter to New Yorkers. It is not surprising, but I have not heard anything about the Gay Marriage Bill that could ready to be passed and signed by the Governor, are they going to pass some big bills, but say we didn't have enough time to debate the issue with the time it so deserves, we call that B.S.. Then we have to do it all over again next year. Pass it in the assembly, the senate, and everyone else. I think we are close only because hate filled, ignorant so called Family value people are now taking ads in Times Square, who would have thought it, right in the cross roads of the world, in my NYC, ads saying that me and Rafael, and couples like us are about to destroy the sanctity of Marriage. They still don't get it, if anyone has ruined the institution of marriage, it is those who have been legally married for many years, or just say 2 days, either way they have the right to be married. This human rights issue has been pushed to the side for way to long, let's deal with it now, and if we need to go to Court let's go. To those who say liberal judges shouldn't decide, it was many liberal judges (I hate that term, it is negative from the start to be called liberal) that said the Mob mentality was wrong, and slavery should be abolished, they also said it is OK for women to have equal rights, for interracial marriage, and for desegragation of schools, not that that issue has really happened yet. If we leave it to the mob mentality, then let's vote on whatever we believe, get a majority, and who cares if it is right or wrong, the people voted, maybe we will vote that churches get no tax exemptions, why should married couples get a tax break, and then get to claim each child that they have, why should gays who can't adopt or in some staes be fosterparents pay taxes that go to schools, that they will never benefit from. Sounds fair to me, but that is why it is not and should not be left to the likes of just me and like minded people. I would vote to have all marriages annulled and make everyone have a civil union, if they want to go to their church and get it "blessed" fine, but this thing called marriage is a civil agreement, that a church can not honor without the blessings from the State, local, or town government, oh wait, that is me/us, we are the government (haha), so I say let's just get together decide what we like and don't and let the people vote, but then we have to remember, they steal our votes to, but that is another issue, right President Gore, I mean Bush....... I miss his speeches, he was like a good comedy show when you couldn't get outon a Saturday night............

Panel on Marriage Equality

So I have not been writing in some time. I have been so busy doing work on Union Issues, and the Marriage Equality Resolution I have submitted so my union of 300,000 people can take an official stand. By the time I get to the computer I barely want to read e-mails, let alone write on the blog sites. I am sorry, in case anyone cares. This has been one of the most emotional rides of my life. Standing in front of people, GLBT's, Allies, and "Just want to know" people. We had a seminar where it focused on The Head/History, the Heart and the Plan of action, well I had to do the heart story. It was very hard, but worth it. I looked at it from the point of a child growing up gay observing the battle about who they are. They hear they are an abomination, they do not deserve equal rights, and to think that this does not do damage is ridiculous. Well it is good to know that there are so many people out here fighting, I think it is something that has to be done, not that we, or I, want to be like heterosexual married couples, but I do want the rights that they have, and Rafael and I do not. I never thought it, or I, would get in so deep, but here I am, so I although I love writing, I never thought I would not have the time or the energy to write after a long day. I have to remember this is one more way, and just a little more time that I can give to getting the message out. So thanks for listening. It is my friend Todd from Hell's Kitchen that when I read his blogs and I say where does that man get the energy, but he inspires me with his posts, from humorous, to informative, to just FYI's........ Thanks Todd.

I am back

My resolution was accepted on Marriage Equality for GLBT's. Now it is up to the Delegates of the Union. Let's pray for the Senate to let this go to a vote and for the Senators to have the guts to do the right thing. Give us EQUAL RIGHTS nothing more nothing less.

We're Gonna have a resolution ya know

Resolution: MARRIAGE EQUALITY
　
JUSTIFICATION / EXPLANATION: MARRIAGE EQUALITY
WHEREAS, the denial of marriage equality hurts not just individuals, but also family members, neighbors and coworkers, who care about the well-being of same-sex couples and the children in their care; and
WHEREAS, domestic partnership and civil union laws bring welcome recognition to such families, there is no substitute for marriage. No legal mechanism for protecting families is as widely accepted or has as clear legal precedent and meaning as does marriage. Denying access to marriage for loving, committed same-sex couples discriminates against them and relegates them to second-class citizenship; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that CSEA hereby expresses it’s commitment to equal rights for all union members, including Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) members; and be it further
RESOLVED, that CSEA supports loving, committed same-sex couples having equal access to legal marriage, and oppose laws and constitutional amendments that deny that opportunity; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that CSEA calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to enact laws providing equality for all citizens and continues to foster support and diversity at all levels of our organization. That CSEA pledges to work aggressively to achieve this goal.
　　
Neil G. Kirby

Come Together Right Now

I was just part of my union's (CSEA) Political Action Committee (PAC) and the GLBT Committee come together to work side by side, to educate members of CSEA on the GLBT's they may work with, live with and/or just educate people in general. On the PAC side we are going to move fast and forward on getting equal rights for all U.S. Citizens, not just GLBT's, but also women, minorities, disabled, and anyone who is held back, BY THE SO CALLED LAWS that are supposed to help them, but have done little to nothing in this area. For one example, in the stimulus package, couples get $1000 just because, they need the break, OOPS, not all couples, just STR8 married couples, not even those gay legally married in the few states that have it. Thanks Barrack. The more things change the more they stay the same. But wait, we are going to change it for them and us, we certainly can't count on the Washington Group of .............

Here I am again

So I had this great idea of blogging from Lima Peru, and all over the world, well there is something to say for Wireless and Laptops and Wi-Fi, etc..... Every time I had something brilliant to write about, NO CONNECTION, well ok maybe it was not brilliant, but it was my voice, I couldn't connect.So folks, please help me to keep my voice going. I want to think I have something to say, something deep or funny, or just a bit of FYI stuff. I am getting very involved with my GLBT Union Committees. I am joining the NYV Pride Agenda, and the Pride at Work Organization, there thing is "PAW" maybe that is why I am really joining, isn't that about the cutest thing, a little PAW, but we have a big roar, and we are not fighting for Equal Rights, we are going to get Equal Rights, I may be shy, and quiet, but get me riled and I'll join anything and everything.
I want to get married, and unlike so many, I found the right person, we are already together, but OOPS, my Govt. says I can't, I may ruin the blessed institution of Marriage. Oh well, the str8's haven't exactly set the best example, could we do worse? I by no way mean all heterosexual people, I just mean those Holy Roller Christians who know best, like Rush the druggie, Ted the I just can't stay away from the boys and so many others. But that is for another time or writing.

Writing from another America

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !! I hope you all have a happy and healthy new year, may all your dreams come true, well alright, may a few dreams come true, OK how about ONE dream or small wish come true. I am going to South America and I am taking my Laptop, I do not know how to use a Laptop, but I will try. Now my good friend HellsKitch won't be nearby to talk me down and show me how to do this. He was such a huge part of me finding Niall's Voice. Forever in his debt. Once it got going, it hasn't been quiet too often. That is good. So I travel a lot and so many times I want to share what I am going through, like when Rafael has this NYC born and bred boy from the Bronx, who didn't climb a hill growing up, let alone a mountain, he has me trying to walk up or down mountains, actually I climb much up better than I walk down, but I walk, slide, sit, do what it takes to get back to land, I just keep looking down and think it is either go slow and careful, or just DROP to the bottom. How come I don't ever know these things in advance, or do I ignore the signs and the airline tickets. To be honest, meeting Rafael has been the best adventure of my life. When I met him I thought, oh let me, the world traveler, I had only been to Ireland, well I will take him to Ireland, we went, got on a tour bus in Dublin and were off, now let me say off the bus is not what we did, I pointed out to him all the must sees, BUT stayed on the bus, we went to Trinity College, and I told him "inside there is a Book of Kells, very famous something or other, but we'll look some other time. I did stop to take pictures of the Molly Malone Bronze statue, and sang to him as well." I thought, look at me, I am showing him the world. When my cousin Marybeth and Mike came with us the next year(s) she showed him all the things, she made us GET OFF THE BUS. See, little did I know that Rafael was already a world traveler, who spoke about 5 languages, moved to countries for periods of time. Yet he just amused me and let me think I was just about as cool as could be. P.S. Molly Malone was the only thing I really allowed us to get off the bus for. We passed the Goalmahne Jail (spelling ?) , I did point it out, not off the bus, the Wicklow Mountains, stay on the bus please, then we stopped at the place where they certified you an alcoholic, figured I got off there, plus the driver made us. Then we went too the Cliffs of Moher, where the sites were beautiful, there is no fence on the Cliffs, but I showed Rafael a short cut, well I started slowly, then I was running, for those who know me, I am not a runner, but I was running/sliding right towards the edge of the Cliffs, I turned around and saw Rafael, my new partner and 2 older Irish-Americans staring at me, they thought for sure I was going off the Cliffs, for sure, perhaps I would. All Niall was concerned about was, "when I am flying through the air, to my certain death, thousands of feet into the Atlantic, would I look stupid?" God forbid, I wanted to at least fall graciously, with dignity. Well as you all know I did not fall off the Cliffs of Moher, but Rafael barely lets me get close to the curb of NYC sidewalks. Then he forgets for a week or two and gets me climbing a mountain, or fishing for pirhana in the Amazon Rain Forest, walking in mud, where my footing is non-existent and laughable, and I finally inquire, when is it going to stop raining, why do they give us rain coats every day, OH the RAIN FOREST, hehehehe. See when you put your voice on this little thing called the internet, and you share your voice and writings, you need to be prepared to share it all. See vacations are great, Niall is not too often graceful, but I am grateful, hopefully most of the time. Well I hope to write from Peru, now if you don't hear from me, pray for me. I need it. I just want to share because some people think my travels are so sophisticated, for those who know me, they are fun, exciting, great, leisurely, wild, educational, but Niall from Tolentine, Fordham Road in the Bronx, NEVER sophisticated. Life is good and I am going to write about it.