I want to give a big shout out here on the blog to some excellent online organizing on the part of the Manhattan Young Democrats. Those of you following the many gay marriage battles across the country will likely know that New York State Assembly recently passed a gay marriage bill, but that similar legislation faces an uphill battle in the state senate, despite the fact that Democrats now control the senate and the bill is supported by the Governor.
A few days ago, a diarist at the Albany Project, one of the most influential NY State Politics Blogs, threw down the gauntlet and called-out New York state advocacy orgs for pulling their punches on this issue and failing to put together a creative, coherent online strategy in support of the legislation. Not one day later, the Manhattan Young Democrats rushed in to fill the void, launching a new website, New York Equality, and an online campaign to pressure swing senators to vote in favor of equal rights for all New Yorkers.