New York Welcomes Pro-Gay Governor Paterson After Spitzer Scandal

If any consolation for LGBT rights could be found in the sad and surreal spectacle of the prostitution scandal that led to the swift resignation of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer on March 13, it would be the ascension of Lieutenant Governor David Paterson to the state’s chief executive post.

Governor Paterson, 53, officially assumed the top job on March 17 after fellow Democrat Spitzer stepped down in response to public disclosure of federal wiretap evidence that revealed he had paid thousands of dollars for the services of a prostitute in Washington, DC on Feb 13 and possibly numerous other occasions. Some question whether the decision to monitor Spitzer was politically motivated.

Gay rights advocates in New York had championed the 2006 election of Spitzer, a former state attorney general who promised to advance same-sex marriage rights and correct the culture of dysfunction in  the state capital of Albany.

Although Spitzer did make good on his promise to introduce a same-sex marriage bill, which was passed by the state assembly in June, his 14-month tenure was plagued by low approval ratings and an uncooperative reputation exacerbated by his administration’s efforts to use state troopers to discredit its primary rival, Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. His resignation now casts doubt on his party’s attempt to win back the Senate, a long-held goal essential to advancing the Democrats’ legislative agenda.

Paterson, who is legally blind and campaigned on the Democratic ticket with Spitzer, is New York state’s first African-American governor. Prior to becoming Lieutenant Governor, he represented Harlem for two decades in a senate seat vacated by his powerful father, Basil Paterson. He brings a long-standing record of dedication to civil rights issues.

Paterson held the position of Senate Minority Leader from 2002 to 2006. During that time, the state Senate managed to assemble a bipartisan coalition to pass the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act. His commitment to marriage equality extends back prior to 1994.