Tweet Of The Day - NOM

NOM has picked up on Sen. Ruben Diaz' claim of receiving death threats over a comment left on a Village Voice blog post. Because an anonymous internet comment is SO much worse than 20,000 screaming evangelicals waving signs that we will all burn in an eternal lake of fire.

Ruben Diaz Rides The Waambulance

"One of the things that I thought makes the United States special is that we can disagree and still get along. Unfortunately, the growing hatred of many people in New York's homosexual community toward me does not demonstrate that. It makes no sense to me as a minister and as a Senator because I have never preached hatred toward anyone, and I denounce those who do. My strong position against homosexual marriage is the very same as the positions held by rabbis, ministers, imams and priests. I'm not sharing this information to appear to be a victim for sympathy sake, but I do want to put this in perspective. I feel a great sympathy for the people who are targeting me with so much hatred. They will all be in my prayers." - NY Sen. Ruben Diaz, in a press release quoting numerous anti-Diaz blog comments and tweets.

RELATED: Diaz may claim to denounce anti-gay hatred, but I was right fucking there in the front row at his massive anti-gay rally in 2009 where thousands of his supporters waved signs about Sodom and Gomorrah, eternal damnation, pedophilia, etc. As he did two years ago, Diaz cleverly scheduled his coming protest on the day of the AIDS Walk, a move which decimates the potential number of counter-protesters. In my 2009 slideshow below, note that the barricaded area for marriage equality supporters was practically empty.

Quote Of The Day - Sen. Ruben Diaz

"If the affront to my personal safety wasn't enough, it was embodied in an article that was so poorly researched. The two factual errors come to mind: first of all, if as you say my chief-of-staff is gay, no one has bothered to tell her. Also, if any of your readers are interested in attending a counter-demonstration, they shouldn't bother taking your directions to gather at 181st Street expecting the end of our rally there, I and the thousands of New Yorkers who believe in respect for human life and sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman will be found praying near the Bronx County Courthouse at 161st Street and the Grand Concourse. It's so sad to see people in journalism abuse their positions, but it's outrageous to see how the editors of the Village Voice use their editorial discretion to facilitate and encourage homicide." - New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, responding to a Village Voice blog post in which a commenter made a death threat against him.

RELATED: On May 15th Diaz, who signed the above letter "Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz," will stage what may be the largest anti-gay rally in state history. A similar rally in 2009 brought over 20,000 Hispanic evangelicals to midtown Manhattan, most of whom arrived via out of state church buses. LGBT groups have noted that Diaz' rally is scheduled to conflict with NYC's annual AIDS Walk in order to diminish counter-protests.

ALSO RELATED: Please do not leave comments making even the most idle of threats of physical harm or property damage against any persons or places. Longtime readers may recall that in late 2009, anti-gay and Christianist websites launched a campaign against JMG, claiming that readers were making "terrorist threats" against supporters of Proposition 8. Please contact me via email if you see any threats or calls to violence and I will dispatch them at once. Our enemies are reading every word you write.

NEW YORK: Sen. Ruben Diaz To Stage Massive Anti-Gay Marriage Rally

Arch homophobe Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) will once again work with anti-gay Hispanic evangelicals to stage a massive anti-marriage rally in New York City on May 15th. JMG reader Sabirjan provides us with a translation of this news story.

Radio Vision Cristiana, a New Jersey-based Spanish-language AM radio station that broadcasts religious programming, is planning a huge anti-gay march in New York City on May 15, 2011. It will be held in the Bronx (starting at noon the participants will march from 149th Street and Third avenue to 181st street in the Bronx). The radio station, as well as the main organizer of the event, State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. are urging all Hispanics and especially evangelicals to oppose the possible legalization of same-sex marriages in New York State. Ruben Diaz is urging the participants "to paralyze all traffic in the Bronx" on that day. Organizers of the event expect up to 30,000 people to show up. A similar rally was held in 2009, it attracted about 20,000 people and took many city officials by surprise.

I attended the 2009 rally staged by Diaz and Radio Cristiana. The vast majority of the protesters arrived via church buses from outside New York City. In my video below, watch the crowd erupt in ecstatic song as their hero Diaz arrives.

NEW YORK: Sen. Ruben Diaz Denounces Gov. Cuomo For Gay Marriage Push

"I am deeply offended that during this Holy Week, which is a most sacred time to millions of New Yorkers, Governor Andrew Cuomo is working hard to mobilize elected officials to legalize homosexual marriage in New York. We all know that Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget, which was done in haste to beat the clock, will cause tremendous suffering to countless New Yorkers – especially Black and Hispanic communities. His cuts will hurt students, senior citizens, the sick, the poor and the needy. Now Governor Cuomo is targeting communities of faith in an effort to redefine marriage. The most basic tenets of New York’s largest faith communities include defining marriage as between one man and one woman. These religions that cherish these values include Catholic, Christian, Jewish and Muslim." - Anti-gay New York state Sen. Ruben Diaz, in a statement issued yesterday.

RELATED: In 2009 over 10,000 Hispanic evangelicals protested against same-sex marriage in Manhattan. Organized by Diaz, it was the largest such anti-gay rally in the history of the state.