NY Gay Group Endorses New Candidates

Empire State Pride Agenda announced Tuesday that it will actively campaign for pro-gay candidates running against state senators who rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

The group's first endorsement in this effort: Queens assemblyman Jose Peralta, who is running against Sen. Hiram Monserrate in next year's Democratic primary.

In a December 2 vote, the state senate rejected a marriage equality bill, with 24 senators voting for it, 38 against. Monserrate was one of eight Democrats to vote against the legislation, despite previously indicating he might support the bill.

"We are going to begin a very strategic and steady rollout over the course of the next months of candidates who we feel would make better state senators than the people currently sitting in the seats," Alan Van Capelle, the group's executive director, told the Poughkeepsie Journal.

The group says it will seek candidates, both Democrats and Republicans, who support same-sex marriage to run in 2010.