Anti-Gay Leader of New York State Senate to Retire

As the New York Times and 365gay.com are reporting, New York State Senate Majority Leader, Joseph Bruno, has announced that he will not seek re-election. The 79 year old Bruno and the GOP controlled Senate have been a principal obstacle for pro-gay legislation working its way through the New York State General Assembly. Inasmuch as the GOP controls the Senate by only one vote, there is the possibility that the Democrats might win control in November, 2008. Should that happen, pro gay legislation would have a greatly improved chance of passage. Obviously, if New York were to pass gay marriage legislation, the national impact would be enormous, particularly if the anti-gay marriage initiative to amend California's falls in November. Personally, I am pleased to see Bruno go. Here are highlights from 365gay.com:

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(Albany, New York) The top Republican in New York State and its most vocal opponent of LGBT civil rights, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, has confirmed he will not seek re-election. The 79-year-old state Senate Majority Leader has used his power to consistently block pro-gay legislation. Last year the NYS Assembly passed legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry. The measure had the approval of then Gov. Elliott Spitzer and most recently current Gov. David Paterson. Bruno has refused to allow the bill to be considered in the Senate.

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For seven years in a row the Assembly passed the Dignity For All Students Act. Bruno opposed the anti-bullying bill in the Senate over its inclusion of gender identity. Bruno also opposed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, which bans discrimination against transgender people in housing, employment, credit, public accommodations, and other areas of everyday life.

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As for what this could mean in terms of the GOP losing control of the Senate, here are highlights from the Newy York Times:

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Senator Frank Padavan, a Queens Republican, said that Mr. Bruno’s timing was dictated by the broader political situation, including the desire to see a Republican candidate succeed him in his Senate district and the need for a quick succession so Senate Republicans could enter the fall elections unified and energized.

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A key question for Senate Republicans will be whether several other older members will stay on. Mr. Bruno had persuaded them to stand for re-election in recent years and it was not clear if, given his departure, other senior senators in their late 70s and 80s would follow.

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“His resignation, I think, will have an effect on their ability to hold on to their majority,” said Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, a Democrat from the South Bronx. “He was the center. And when the center falls, everything falls apart.” The state Democratic Party appeared gleeful about the news.