Diaz: Espaillat’s gay marriage support offensive to religious leaders

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. says that Congressional candidate Adriano Espaillat is “slapping [religious leaders] in the face” with his full-throated support for same-sex marriage.

In one of his “What You Should Know” missives to the press, Diaz Sr. cites Espaillat’s recent speech at a meeting of the Stonewall Democratic Club, in which he promised to fight to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act at a national level if elected to Congress.

“Apparently now that Adriano Espaillat is running for a Congressional seat which covers a great part of the Bronx, he still thinks that the Christian and Catholic pastors and ministers are unimportant,” Diaz Sr. writes. “Once again, Adriano Espaillat is slapping us in the face by enthusiastically supporting gay marriage – now for the whole nation. He is clearly telling all of us, once again, to take a hike because he doesn’t need our vote.”

Interestingly enough, Espaillat made reference to Diaz Sr. in his speech to the Stonewall Democratic Club on Wednesday, noting that he led the push for same-sex marriage within the Latino caucus in the Legislature and was able to convince all the member except Dias Sr. to vote in favor of the bill.

“Not only did I vote for the bill, but I led the way. I made sure that other members of the Latino caucus  of senators that I chair, all but one were successful in coming together as a group and making sure we passed this historic legislation,” Espaillat said.

But Diaz Sr. says Espaillat’s support for same-sex marriage may inhibit his run for Congress.

“I suspect that with this news of Adriano Espaillat’s pandering to the Stonewall Democratic Club about his promise to bring gay marriage to the nation if he gets elected to Congress, will awaken some Catholics and Evangelical Christians who were planning to vote for him,” Diaz Sr. writes. “I am afraid that they will change their minds and even vote for Charlie Rangel or maybe just sit this election out.”

Rangel, of course, is also a supporter of gay marriage and LGBT rights. And Diaz Sr. is not a supporter of Rangel in any respect, blasting the veteran congressman recently for being insensitive to mentally disturbed individuals.

We doubt this is the last we’ll hear from Diaz Sr. on the topic of this contentious congressional race. Here’s his full statement.

You should know that Adriano Espaillat has not only voted to impose gay marriage in the State of New York, but now he’s on his way to try to impose gay marriage on the entire nation.

You should know that yesterday, April 26, 2012, Adriano Espaillat stood before the Stonewall Democratic Club and promised them that he will bring his support and fight for gay marriage to Washington D.C. if he is elected to Congress. Espaillat promised: “I will go to Washington and ensure that marriage equality becomes national law.”

You should know that the Stonewall Democratic Club is the biggest and most influential gay democratic political club in the State of New York.

During my fight in Albany to stop gay marriage in the State of New York, Adriano Espaillat was one of those senators who rejected my request to vote “NO.” Adriano Espaillat decided that the Catholic and Evangelical Christian votes were not that important to him, and that the money, support and the vote of the gay community would do for him more than any Catholic or Christian vote.

Apparently now that Adriano Espaillat is running for a Congressional seat which covers a great part of the Bronx, he still thinks that the Christian and Catholic pastors and ministers are unimportant. Once again, Adriano Espaillat is slapping us in the face by enthusiastically supporting gay marriage – now for the whole nation. He is clearly telling all of us, once again, to take a hike because he doesn’t need our vote.

As you already know, Adriano Espaillat is running against Congressman Charlie Rangel in the upcoming primary. Espaillat is going around to different groups and promising them the stars, the moon and the sky. Now he has promised the gay and lesbian members of the Stonewall Democratic Club that they can count on him to push gay marriage in D.C. and work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Under DOMA, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. DOMA passed both Houses of Congress by large majorities and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996. Now Adriano Espaillat is helping to repeal this law

Under DOMA, no state or other political subdivision of the US may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship marriage in another state.

You also should know that by these actions of Adriano Espaillat, he has not only slapped the faces of priests, pastors, ministers, rabbi, imam and other religious leaders who do not believe in gay marriage, but he has also offended other people with other pronouncements.

For example, there are some white constituents in the Riverdale section in the newly-formed Congressional District who are offended by Espaillat’s ‘cracker’ remarks that he made in Harlem at a gathering in March.

I suspect that with this news of Adriano Espaillat’s pandering to the Stonewall Democratic Club about his promise to bring gay marriage to the nation if he gets elected to Congress, will awaken some Catholics and Evangelical Christians who were planning to vote for him.

I am afraid that they will change their minds and even vote for Charlie Rangel or maybe just sit this election out.

So my advice to Adriano Espaillat is: My friend, I think you are losing steam in part of your community by slapping the faces of Christians and Catholics and religious leaders – and by using a derogatory expression like ‘cracker.’

I am Senator Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.