Emily
MikeTwo days ago I wrote about how NY State had voted down a same-sex marriage bill. After impassioned commentary from some senators, including the widely-circulated Diane Savino speech shown below, the State Senate disappointed millions by voting against civil rights.
In the aftermath, I’ve learned disturbing information about one NY Democrat who cast his vote against gay rights. His name is Hiram Monserrate, and he represents the 13th District, in Queens. In December 2008, he was arrested for slashing his girlfriend’s face with a broken glass during an argument, and then forcibly dragging her, while she was bleeding, through their building. The latter part of the violence was caught on a surveillance tape, even though Monserrate attempted to say the entire event had been an “accident.”
Senator Monserrate’s girlfriend received 20-40 stitches to close her wounds.
Today, nearly a year later, Monserrate has been sentenced to 3 years probation, 250 hours of community service, and a year of domestic violence counseling. Monserrate violently physically attacked his girlfriend, and is still allowed to serve on the NY State Senate (since the chargers were for a misdemeanor– not felony).
Not only is he still able to hold his position on the Senate, he was allowed to cast his vote to determine the “morality” of other people’s love, behaviors, and futures.
Sen. Monserrate voted against the legitimacy of same-sex love and marriage. He used his voice to uphold discrimination, bigotry, and misplaced moral high-ground. Yet as a man who slashed his girlfriend in the face with broken glass, dragged her through a building, and tried to cover it up, he is free to marry whomever he chooses, without judgement by the State or Church.
Because he is straight. This is a privilege in our society– a privilege he invokes to oppress the rights of others.
So not only did New York state choose to vote down the rights of same sex couples to marry and share a future together with the same legal protections given to heterosexual partnerships, but it has allowed a domestic abuser a platform to continue these inequalities.
This is state-sponsored hypocrisy in its highest form.
Filed under: GLBT, Marriage, Politics, Religion, Same-sex Marriage, Violence Tagged: | Gay rights, hiram monserrate, LGBTQ, Same-sex Marriage
We’re so disgusted by this and couldn’t help blogging about it ourselves. It’s so disheartening to know that a man like that, who has shown such utter disregard for his relationship, gets the privilege to vote on the rights of others.
Terrible that he is still allowed to have his position. And another thing I found sad was this in the NY Times article:
It’s always difficult to hear of an abused woman deciding not to file charges. So the fact that NY law mandates arrests in these situations is good. I wonder how prevalent that kind of law is.
And I couldn’t tell, but it might be that she is still living with him. If so, this could happen again.