New York Senate Votes Overwhelmingly To Allow Church Services In Public Schools

By vote of 54-7 today the New York Senate voted to allow churches, many of them viciously anti-gay, to conduct services in public buildings when they are "not in use for school services." Only seven Democrats opposed the bill, including openly gay Sen. Thomas Duane. But even this lopsided victory was not enough for Sen. "Reverend" Ruben Diaz:

I am disappointed that seven Senators: Senator Liz Krueger, Senator Daniel Squadron, Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Senator Tom Duane, Senator Bill Perkins, and Senator Suzi Oppenheimer – all Democrats – voted against this bill. You need to know that the 160 religious groups, including churches that rent space in public schools for their activities are all located in Democratic areas, and mostly minority members of the Democratic Party.

The Bronx-based Diaz went on to slam the NYC Council for refusing to support "even a simple resolution" endorsing the bill. The bill has 70 cosponsors in the Assembly, which has not yet voted on the item.

New York City Council Balks At Resolution Endorsing Churches In Public Schools

To the surprise of some observers and despite having dozens of co-sponsors, on Friday the NYC Council refused to endorse a resolution in support of a pending state bill that would allow churches to hold services in public school buildings. Religious groups are being booted from city school premises after the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower court's ruling that they should not be allowed to rent or have free access to public school spaces.

Andy Humm reports at Gay City News that the resolution was done in by complaints from openly gay Queens Councilman Daniel Dromm:

Dromm wrote to Council colleagues, “I believe allowing churches that preach virulent homophobia in public schools violates not only the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause but also New York City law.” Several students from the Bronx High School of Science testified against the resolution. “If someone is excluded because of sexual orientation, it is a violation of the school’s administrative code,” said Diego Velasquez. “Everyone is supposed to feel welcome. No one in the school is above the administrative code,” including outside groups. Bronx Science does not now have a church worshipping in its school, in part because the school is utilized by students engaging in extracurricular activities on Saturdays and Sundays. But any empty space in the school could be requested by a church whenever classes are not in session under the new state bill. The religious groups using the schools as their churches are capitalizing on the lack of after-school and weekend activities available to students in schools serving poorer students.

Dromm: "I am frustrated that sometimes my colleagues don’t seem to take these churches’ virulent homophobia as seriously as it should be taken. It is an outrage that progressive people aren’t as outraged as is necessary. These issues are at the core of determining whether you’re a progressive."

Last month anti-gay hate groups led a coalition of local church members in a march over the Brooklyn Bridge to express support for the bill. FRC head Tony Perkins and other leading opponents of New York's recent marriage equality law have loudly lobbied Albany for the bill's passage.

Quote Of The Day - Jessica Lappin

"Most New Yorkers probably don’t realize that, right now, about 160 New York City schools are doubling as churches. I’m not talking about a religious after school club or bible study group. These churches use the same public space, at the same time, in the same school each and every week for free, or just the cost of custodial fees. Even worse, some are using taxpayer-subsidized space to preach hatred of homosexuals and people of other faiths. What’s more, the state legislation in both the Assembly and the Senate is so broad it would 'prohibit the adoption of restrictions to exclude or limit speech during non-school hours, including speech that expresses religious conduct or viewpoints.'

"What does that mean? It means the Department of Education wouldn’t be allowed to turn away any groups at all, religious or otherwise – not even the Ku Klux Klan or a pornography club could be denied. Freedom of religion and the separation of church and state are unique and critical elements of our democracy. Nowhere in America is that wall more apparent or important than in 21st century New York, a city more culturally, ethnically, and religiously diverse than any in history." - NYC Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, via press release.

Today the NYC Council will consider a resolution endorsing the above-mentioned state bill that would allow religious services in NYC public schools despite a recent federal appeals court ruling which banned churches from renting or having free access to public schools. Last week the U.S. Supreme Court refused to review the appeals court decision. At least 35 NYC Council members have cosponsored the resolution.

NOTE: Lappin is the councilwoman for my Upper East Side district.

Anti-Gay Hate Group Pushes Bill To Force Religious Services In NYC Public Schools

In a move some are calling an "end-run around the separation of church and state," the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund has authored a bill that would force New York City public schools to allow religious services on their premises. Sock-puppeting for the ADF is GOP Sen. Martin Golden.

Legislation pending in the Senate and Assembly would overturn the city’s policy banning churches and other religious groups from using school buildings for worship services and would allow them whenever they’re “deemed not disruptive of normal school operations.” “It is an end around,” City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott told the Daily News yesterday. Walcott also raised alarms about the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based religious organization that fought unsuccessfully in court to overturn the city’s ban and has worked with lawmakers on the legislation.

The ADF, according to its website, opposes legalized abortion and has fought against the spread of gay marriage and what it deemed the “homosexual agenda.” Walcott said the group’s history is “not what we're about as far as equal rights and equal opportunity.” Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), a sponsor of the bill, defended the legislation and downplayed the ADF’s role, saying they were one of many groups that had pushed for its passage. Golden conceded, though, that a lawyer for the group did help his staff craft portions of the bill. The legislation could be approved as early as next week, he added.

As I reported here two week ago, also in this fight is the Family Research Council, who says that New York City is oppressing religious liberty by adhering to a recent federal appeals court ruling that bans churches from renting or having free access to public school property. That decision was refused review by the U.S. Supreme Court.