GOLDEN OLDIES

Billy Hufsey is 51 today. He is Teh Old.

CHECKING OUT THE COMPETITION

By now, most of the 2009 Lambda Literary Award submissions have been posted. My category:

GAY MYSTERY
Aloha, Candy Hearts, Anthony Bidulka, Insomniac Press

The 38 Million Dollar Smile, Richard Stevenson, MLR Press

Bangkok Dragons, Cape Cod Tears, Randall Peffer, Big Earth Publishing/Bleak House Books

Murder on Camac, Joseph RG DeMarco, Lethe Press

Glad Hand Saloon, Steve Scott, Smoke Tree Press

Nothing/Everything Disconnects/Connects, William Lester Tarvin, Xlibris

A Murderous Ball of Fluff, Ken Lansdowne, H Publishing

Straight Lies, Rob Byrnes, Kensington Publishing

What We Remember, Michael Thomas Ford, Kensington Publishing

Love and Genetic Weaponry, Lee Patton, Alyson Books

Mahu Vice, Neil Plakcy, Alyson Books

Murder in the Garden District, Greg Herren, Alyson Books

It's good I mentally took myself out of the running when I started work on my manuscript back in 2007 (for reasons of content, kids; not quality), because that's a tough, tough list of books and writers.

Although I already stole one Lammy, so you never know...

THIS IS WHAT COWARDICE LOOKS LIKE

This is what you look like when you know how you should vote, but don't have the courage.

Pretty, isn't it?

I knew Jim Alesi in passing back in the '90s, and expected better. I think it's obvious he did, too, from the look on his face.

But his vote, well... it is what it is. Now it's a piece of history.

His history.

TOLD YOU SO

Obviously, I had hoped that the New York State Senate would vote in favor of marriage equality, but the fact that it went down to defeat doesn't surprise me. Okay, maybe the margin of defeat -- 38 opposed, 24 favor -- was a shock, but not the defeat itself.

But this is only a temporary setback, I think. 2010? 2011? They'll be here soon. And while no one should have to wait for fairness and equality, that's how it breaks sometimes.

And now we know the names of 38 elected officials who have voted against equality. Most of them have spent decades trying to be everyone's friend, slapping the backs of the very voters whose equality they oppose. Now we know that those 38 men and women are not our friends.

The New York State Senators Against Equality:
Joseph Addabbo (D) — NO
James Alesi (R) — NO
Darrel Aubertine (D) — NO
John Bonacic (R) — NO
John DeFrancisco (R) — NO
Ruben Diaz (D) — NO
Hugh Farley (R) — NO
John Flanagan (R) — NO
Charles Fuschillo, Jr. (R) — NO
Martin Golden (R) — NO
Joseph Griffo (R) — NO
Kemp Hannon (R) — NO
Shirley Huntley (D) — NO
Owen Johnson (R) — NO
Carl Kruger (D) — NO
Andrew Lanza (R) — NO
Bill Larkin (R) — NO
Kenneth LaValle (R) — NO
Vincent Leibell (R) — NO
Tom Libous (R) — NO
Elizabeth Little (R) — NO
Carl Marcellino (R) — NO
George Maziarz (R) — NO
Roy McDonald (R) — NO
Hiram Monserrate (D) — NO
Thomas Morahan (R) — NO
Michael Nozzolio (R) — NO
George Onorato (D) — NO
Frank Padavan (R) — NO
Michael Ranzenhofer (R) — NO
Joseph Robach (R) — NO
Stephen Saland (R) — NO
James Seward (R) — NO
Dean Skelos (R) — NO
William Stachowski (D) — NO
Dale Volker (R) — NO
George Winner (R) — NO
Catherine Young (R) — NO


They do not deserve the votes or financial support of the LGBT community. And now they are On The Record.

On the other hand, you should support these state senators, who had the courage to do the right thing:
Eric Adams (D)
Neil Breslin (D)
Martin Malave Dilan (D
Tom Duane (D)
Pedro Espada (D)
Brian Foley (D)
Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D)
Craig Johnson (D)
Jeffrey Klein (D)
Liz Krueger (D)
Velmanette Montgomery (D)
Suzi Oppenheimer (D)
Kevin Parker (D)
Bill Perkins (D)
John Sampson (D)
Diane Savino (D)
Eric Schneiderman (D)
Jose Serrano (D)
Malcolm Smith (D)
Daniel Squadron (D)
Toby Ann Stavisky (D)
Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D)
Antoine Thompson (D)
David Valesky (D)