Florida Agenda

WASHINGTON, DC – On Saturday night, Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker told attendees at the 16th annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) National Dinner that as Governor of New Jersey, he would sign marriage equality legislation into law.

“I’m going to declare right now that the state of New Jersey—with all of the fiber of my being, with my allies left and right—that we will ensure that marriage equality is signed into law in the state of New Jersey,” said Booker, adding, “And when that bill is signed, I may have a very good seat for it.”

The rising star of the progressive movement reaffirmed remarks he made at this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.—in which he also hinted at a possible gubernatorial run in the Garden State. In February, state lawmakers voted to legalize marriage equality, but the legislation was vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican.

“It is the unconquerable spirit that when some of us in our nation were told you aren’t good enough, this spirit stood and said, ‘Yes I am,’” Booker told the 3,000 attendees at the Washington Convention Center.

NORTH BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY – The former Rutgers University student convicted of using his Web cam to spy on his roommate having sex with another man, left jail last week, less than three weeks after he began a 30-day jail sentence.

Dharun Ravi, 20, became something of a national antiposter boy for bullying not long after beginning his freshman year at Rutgers in fall 2010. Just a few weeks after school began, the freshman set up a Web cam to spy on Tyler Clementi, his roommate, who requesting their shared room so he could host a date.

Clementi, 19, killed himself days later, after learning that Ravi had invited others to watch the two men engaging in sex. Ravi was convicted in March of 15 criminal charges, some of which carried penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment.

Because Ravi was not charged in Clementi’s death, Judge Glenn Berman of Superior Court sentenced him to 30 days in jail, three years of probation, 300 hours of community service, and fined him $10,000, which is to be paid to a fund that helps victims of bias crimes. Last week, federal immigration officials announced they will not seek to deport Ravi to his native country, India.

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY – Union County Superior Court documents indicate that a gay, HIVpositive man claims that he was denied treatment and visitors for—in the words of the attending physician— “Going against God’s will.” Joao Simoes is suing Trinitas Regional Medical Center because “requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored,” and his sister was denied visitation rights. Simoes was admitted to Trinitas Regional in August 2011, and was confined to the hospital’s mental health wing.

Simoes’ complaint says that Susan V. Borga, M.D., from the hospital’s Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, asked the man about his HIV status. When Simoes told the psychiatrist that he got HIV “from unprotected sex,” the complaint notes that “Dr. Borga closed the plaintiff ’s file, put it down and looked at plaintiff with disgust on her face and asked, coldly, ‘Is that from sex with men?’” Court records indicate that after Simoes told her had contracted HIV from sex with male partners, “Dr. Borga proceeded to exit the room.” Additionally, no other doctors or nurses came to check on Simoes, even after he told them that he required HIV medication.

ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY – Union County Superior Court documents indicate that a gay, HIVpositive man claims that he was denied treatment and visitors for—in the words of the attending physician— “Going against God’s will.” Joao Simoes is suing Trinitas Regional Medical Center because “requests for his lifesaving medication were not honored,” and his sister was denied visitation rights.

Simoes was admitted to Trinitas Regional in August 2011, and was confined to the hospital’s mental health wing. Simoes’ complaint says that Susan V. Borga, M.D., from the hospital’s Department of Behavioral Health and Psychiatry, asked the man about his HIV status.

When Simoes told the psychiatrist that he got HIV “from unprotected sex,” the complaint notes that “Dr. Borga closed the plaintiff ’s file, put it down and looked at plaintiff with disgust on her face and asked, coldly, ‘Is that from sex with men?’” Court records indicate that after Simoes told her had contracted HIV from sex with male partners, “Dr. Borga proceeded to exit the room.”

Additionally, no other doctors or nurses came to check on Simoes, even after he told them that he required HIV medication.

By Cliff Dunn

ORLANDO, FL – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has LGBT activists wondering if he goes “both ways” on gay rights issues. His call last week for a statewide referendum on same-sex marriage followed hot-on-the-heels of his nomination of the first openly gay justice to the state’s Supreme Court.

Christie, 49, is on record opposing gay marriage, and last week he proposed an alternative to legislative action on the issue, saying that voters should decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage, the matter being “too serious to be treated like a political football.”

New Jersey Democrats had hoped that by forcing a vote in the legislature, it would force Christie to either change his position, or veto the legislation and in doing so, show himself to be out of touch with the majority of voters.

The governor’s judicial nomination of Bruce Harris, the 61-year-old openly-gay Republican mayor of Chatham, New Jersey, came a day before Christie promised to veto same-sex marriage legislation in the Garden State.

Opponents decried Christie’s call for a statewide vote. Democratic lawmakers criticized the governor for sidestepping a civil rights issue, but Christie dismissed their concerns, saying that “people would have been happy with a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets of the South.”

That drew fire from Democrats, who pointed out that public opinion opposed civil rights for blacks in the Jim Crow-era South, and a referendum to end segregation during that time would have been overwhelmingly defeated. State Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, one of two openly-gay New Jersey legislators, compared Christie to anti-civil rights segregationists.

The governor called Gusciora and other critics “numbnuts.” He also chastised reports for giving credence to his critics’ remarks. “C’mon guys — you’ve got to be able to call B.S. on those kinds of releases,” said Christie.

New Jersey lawmakers passed a civil unions law in 2006, after the state Supreme Court ordered that marriage benefits be extended to gay couples. The law is being challenged by Lambda Legal, which says that the measure doesn’t provide marriage’s full range of benefits and protections.

Christie told reporters that Harris, his nominee to the state’s high court, has a record of advocating for LGBT rights. “If confirmed to the court, he would recuse himself from that matter because he did not want there to be the appearance of bias on his part on that issue,” Christie said. “My perspective on that issue was to put it aside because he’s not going to rule on that.”

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Democrats say they are within striking distance of securing enough support to override a veto by Governor Chris Christie of same-sex marriage legislation if chooses not to support it. The Wall Street Journal reports that state Senator Raymond Lesniak, one of the bill’s sponsors, estimates the chamber has between 24 and 27 supporters
for legislation allowing same-sex marriage. It takes 27 votes in the 40-member state senate to override the governor’s veto.

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Jan.19 found that 52 percent of New Jersey voters favor gay marriage, the first time approval has topped 50 percent in the poll’s history. Support varies by party affiliation: majorities of Democratic (62 percent) and independent voters (54 percent) are in favor, while only 35 percent of Republicans approve, according to the poll.

In 2003, New Jersey became one of the first states to authorize civil unions for same-sex couples. The bill now under consideration would allow couples with a civil union to “immediately” get a marriage license if they seek one.

UNION TOWNSHIP, NJ – The Union Township school board has filed tenure charges against Viki Knox, a high school English teacher whose anti-gay remarks on Facebook raised a firestorm over her free speech rights and her role as a public school teacher. According to the Star-Ledger, Knox was placed on paid administrative leave last September after she posted on Facebook that homosexuality is “a perverted spirit” and a “sin” that “breeds like cancer.” The board formally filed charges against Knox, a step that begins the lengthy and costly process of terminating her employment.

Christie Calls Teacher’s Anti-Gay Facebook Remarks “Disturbing”

TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey’s Republican Governor Chris Christie expressed his concern about anti-gay statements made by a New Jersey high school teacher on her personal Facebook page.

The statements made by Viki Knox have set off a debate about free speech and gay rights.

“I think that kind of example is not a positive one at all to be setting for folks who have such an important and influential position in our society,” said Christie last week on a radio program. “I’m really concerned about those kinds of statements being made.”

According to the New Jersey Star Ledger, the uproar over Knox began two weeks ago when she posted comments on her public Facebook page that were critical of a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month display at Union High School. The special-education teacher with more than 20 years of experience went on to describe homosexuality as “a perverted spirit” and “a sin that breeds like cancer.”

The school board has launched an investigation to determine whether or not Knox’s conduct violated the school’s policies.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL – Robert Hofmann, author and humorist, comes to & Stonewall National Museum Archives, Tuesday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

Robert Hofmann grew up in New Jersey, and what a wild, crazy and wonderful life he has had. Between his family and his friends, he guides the reader through many exciting episodes of his history. It is wickedly bitchy and hilarious!

His first two books, “An Ordinary Madness” and “Surrounded by Insanity,” introduced his unique brand of humor. In his newest book, Robert Hofmann takes us on yet another wild ride into hilarious world. Hofmann doesn’t mind telling tales out of school.

Among his chapters are those devoted to trailer trash, hot in leather, love and loss, parties, friends and “not-so-close friends,” making for hilarious fun.

The Stonewall National Museum & Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. This event is free and open to the public.

NEW JERSEY – Seven gay and lesbian New Jersey couples, along with many of their children, are going to court to try to force the state to recognize gay marriage.

The families say in their legal complaint that the state’s civil union law designed to give gay couples the same legal protections as married couples has not fulfilled that promise.

One man says he was denied being able to make urgent medical decisions for his partner. Another saw his partner and children’s health insurance canceled by a skeptical auditor. One woman had to jump through legal hoops to adopt the baby of her civil union.

Along with the gay advocacy groups Garden State Equality and Lambda Legal, the couples planned to announce details of the lawsuit on Wednesday. The advocacy groups provided a copy to The Associated Press on the condition that no details be published before Wednesday morning.

The lawsuit, to be filed in state court, comes less than a week after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law allowing gay marriage in that neighboring state. But it’s the latest step in a nine-year legal battle in New Jersey.

States afford gay couples a hodgepodge of rights. New Jersey is one of seven states that offer the same legal protections of marriage, but call it either civil unions or domestic partnerships.

New Jersey’s civil union law is cast as the villain in the suit.

“The separate and inherently unequal statutory scheme singles out lesbians and gay men for inferior treatment on the basis of their sexual orientation and sex and also has a profoundly stigmatizing effect on them, their children and other lesbian and gay New Jerseyans,” the claim says.

The legal filing tells the stories of seven couples — two of whom previously sued for the right to marry — and the problems they say they’ve faced since the state began offering civil unions in 2007.

Their lawyer, Lambda Legal’s Hayley Gorenberg, said most people in places like medical offices don’t want to discriminate against them, but don’t understand the rights conferred through civil unions.

“People are not badly inclined toward them,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “They are just flummoxed” by the civil union requirements.