May 25, 2011
For Immediate Release
Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz's Public Awareness Campaign
New York Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz released the following statement in response to the planned "F*** Ruben Diaz Festival" advertised online to be held on June 11th at the Metropolitan bar in Brooklyn.
"I continue to be the target of a vulgar campaign by seething extremists who oppose my defense of New York's marriage laws.
The latest attempt to publicly attack my integrity is a call for written entries 1000 – 2000 words at a "F*** Ruben Diaz Festival” set to be held on June 11th. An online group called The New Gay is advertising the event: TNG Writing Contest Alert - "F*** Ruben Diaz: Gay Erotica Featuring NYC’s Number One Bigot". Here are their details:
"So all you LGBT litterateurs (and allies, of course) pick up your pens and plug in your laptops — if a fool is our theme, let satire be our song. Imagine a day in the life of the Bronx's most prominent Pentecostal minister. Is he downtown scoring poppers? Is he rehearsing his latest screed in his bathroom mirror? Is he waking up in a tangle of hard man-bodies after a raging orgy? Don’t think you have to take the closet case angle though, feel free to put Ruben in whatever ridiculous scenario you want — think Onion headline material — 'Ruben Diaz Sprains Ankle, Loses Faith in God', 'Ruben Diaz Tired of Wife's "Meatloaf Mondays'", ‘Ruben Diaz Gives Impassioned Anti-Gay Speech to his Co-Op Board', or, I don't know, 'Ruben Diaz in the MI6: Killing for Queen and Country'."
My position on marriage as defined between a man and a woman is no different than the position of many other Christians. It is also the teaching of the Catholic Church, of Judaism and of Islam. The United States Constitution guarantees us all the right to freedom of – not freedom from – religion. I am blessed to serve as a Pentecostal minister and I celebrate this!
It is sad to see the disrespect and irreverence that flourishes from those who have no respect for religious leaders here in New York and those who mock us as we serve our communities.
As a Christian and as the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization, I will continue to defend the teachings of the Bible and oppose homosexual marriage. As a Member of the New York State Senate, I will continue to defend the definition of New York's marriage laws to be between a man and a woman.
I urge Governor Andrew Cuomo along with my colleagues in the legislature, the media, and all New Yorkers to take a close look at the hard core and vulgar tactics that are being used to change a law in New York State. I urge all to compare my non-violent, peaceful and prayerful rallies to protect marriage and the attempts to humiliate me because of my one vote in the State Senate. Add to that the intolerant onslaught of hate-filled phone calls to my office. Add to that to the death threats and threats against my family that have been duly reported to the FBI and the police departments of New York and Albany.
As a Christian, of course I love those who hate me and I will continue to pray for their souls.
Even though for the most part these attacks remain unreported in the news, the public deserves to know about them. As such, I will continue to document them so my constituents and my colleagues remain aware."
