Ruben Diaz
Encyclopedia
Rubén Díaz, Sr. is a U.S. politician
. A member of the Democratic Party
, Díaz represents the 32nd District in the New York State Senate
. His constituency includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Castle Hill
, Clason Point
, Parkchester
, East Morrisania
, Hunts Point
, Melrose
, Pelham Parkway
, Longwood
, and Soundview
. He is well-known throughout New York for his activism against legalizing same-sex marriage in the state
.
, Díaz has been a resident of New York City
since 1965. Prior to arriving in New York City Díaz had served in the United States Armed Forces
beginning in 1960, ultimately obtaining an honorable discharge three years later.
He would go on to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree
from Herbert H. Lehman College
. Later, in 1978, he became an ordained minister of the Church of God
, whose headquarters are located in Cleveland, Tennessee
, and describes itself as evangelical and pentecostal
. At the same time, Díaz served as Executive Director of the Christian Community Benevolent Association, Inc., and as a pastor at the Christian Community Neighborhood Church.
In 1993, Díaz was appointed to serve on New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board
, and in 1997 he received an honorary doctorate from an evangelical university located in the Dominican Republic
.
Díaz expressed anger at Governor Eliot Spitzer
after Spitzer reversed course and abandoned his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain New York driver's license
s. Díaz said he had been betrayed by Spitzer.
Prior to his election to the State Senate in November 2002, Díaz served on the New York City Council
, where he was the only elected member who was also an ordained minister.
In 2010 Díaz was challenged by Carlos "Charlie" Ramos in a Democratic primary campaign. Díaz won the primary by a margin of 79% to 22%. Ramos' campaign complained of a number of polling irregularities, including intimidation of voters, bringing campaign literature into polling sites, and expelling certified poll watchers who worked for Ramos.
Díaz has a son, Ruben Diaz, Jr., who currently is the Bronx Borough President
.
, backed out of the group in early November. According to a memorandum leaked to the New York Times in December 2008, the remaining "Gang of Three" tried to use their leverage to have one of them named Senate majority leader and another named chair of the Senate finance committee, and to obtain a guarantee that the Senate would not vote on the issue of same-sex marriage. This deal fell through, and the three reached a compromise with State Senator Malcolm Smith in January 2009, recognizing Smith as Senate president and majority leader.
of Queens was also pro-life, according to Democrats for Life New York; and then-Sen. Bill Stachowski also self-identified as pro-life) Senator Díaz has taken prominent public positions against expanding access to abortion and against state funding of embryonic stem cell research.
In a March 2005 speech on the State Senate floor, Senator Díaz made the following remarks: "Abortion is the American Holocaust.... The comparison is plain: six million Jews were exterminated by Hitler in Germany; Almost 48 million babies have been exterminated in the abortion clinics of America. We have simply been in the killing for a longer period of time than Hitler.... Hitler used the ashes of the Jews to make bars of soap. In America, we are selling fetal tissue to be used in: the manufacture of cosmetics as well as for medical research.... Do not point your finger at Hitler; we are worse." In 2008, when a colleague proposed legislation that would expand abortion rights in New York, Senator Díaz described the bill as "one of the most dangerous and radical pieces of proposed legislation in New York State that I have ever seen."
and Lt. Governor David Paterson
, sought to pass same-sex marriage legislation, Díaz was a vocal opponent and was highly critical of Democratic support for the bill. Senator Díaz's opposition to same-sex marriage continued in 2008, when he vowed to vote against same-sex marriage legislation and participated (along with hundreds of clergy) in a "Power in the Pulpit" rally held by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms in the Legislative Office Building to oppose same-sex marriage; at the rally, Sen. Díaz was reportedly presented with over 15,000 petitions in support of heterosexual-only marriage. In May 2009, Sen. Díaz led a rally against same-sex marriage in front of the New York City office of Governor David Paterson; the rally was attended by an estimated 20,000 participants.
While Díaz has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, a November 2009 New York Times states that Díaz "love[s]" his gay and lesbian relatives, but "[doesn't] believe in what they are doing." The same article quoted Díaz's openly gay chief counsel as stating that Díaz "is a true believer in Christian values, in treating people the way you want to be treated."
On December 2, 2009, Díaz voted against same-sex marriage
legislation, which failed to pass the Senate.
Díaz has been one of the most outspoken opponents in the 2011 effort to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. On May 15, 2011, he led a rally of thousands of traditional marriage supporters in the Bronx. His granddaughter Erica Diaz, who is openly lesbian, led a counterprotest of a couple dozen. During Díaz's speech, his granddaughter came up on the stage with him, and Díaz hugged and kissed her and said, "This is my granddaughter. I love her. I love her. I love her. I respect her decisions. She does what she wants." Erica subsequently stated that "You cannot tell someone that you love them and stay silent when people call for their death. 'Love' is empty when you say someone's life isn't natural." Díaz has reported receiving numerous death threats, and a New York gay bar said it would hold a "Fuck Ruben Diaz" event.
On June 24, 2011, Díaz once again voted against same-sex marriage legislation; however, this time the measure successfully passed in the Senate by a vote of 33-29. Governor Andrew Cuomo
signed the bill minutes after the passage, making New York the sixth state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. The law went into effect on July 24, 2011, thirty days after it was signed, per state law.
, claiming that doing so would lead to an increase in AIDS
cases and to wider acceptance of homosexuality by young people. Díaz wrote that hosting the Games would lead children "to conclude that if there are so many gay and lesbian athletes then there is nothing wrong, nor any risks involved." The other members of the Board issued a unanimous rebuke of Díaz's comments.
, and after the City of New York agreed that the school would be open to all students.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. A member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Díaz represents the 32nd District in the New York State Senate
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
. His constituency includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Bronx
Castle Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the South Central section of the borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
, Clason Point
Clason Point, Bronx
Clason Point is a peninsula geographically located in the south central Bronx. The area includes a collection of neighborhoods including: Bronx River, Harding Park, Soundview-Bruckner, and Soundview. The neighborhoods are part of Bronx Community Board 9...
, Parkchester
Parkchester, Bronx
Parkchester is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the south central Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
, East Morrisania
East Morrisania, Bronx
Crotona Park East, also known as Crotona , is a low income residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwest Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 3...
, Hunts Point
Hunts Point, Bronx
Hunts Point is a low-income neighborhood located on a peninsula in the South Bronx in New York City. It is the location of one of the largest food distribution facilities in the world. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries are the Bruckner Expressway to the west and...
, Melrose
Melrose, Bronx
Melrose is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the SouthWestern section of the borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 1. Its boundaries, starting from the North and moving clockwise are: East 161st Street to the North,...
, Pelham Parkway
Pelham Parkway
The Bronx and Pelham Parkway is a parkway in the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Despite the parkway moniker, Pelham Parkway is a local street, with two main roadways , and two service roads. Like other parkways in New York City, commercial traffic is disallowed, and is redirected to the...
, Longwood
Longwood, Bronx
Longwood is a low income residential neighborhood geographically located in the southwest Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 2. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 167th Street to the north, the Bronx River & the Bruckner...
, and Soundview
Soundview, Bronx
Soundview is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the South Central section of the Borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
. He is well-known throughout New York for his activism against legalizing same-sex marriage in the state
Same-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed on June 24, 2011, by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day...
.
Early life and career
Born in Bayamón, Puerto RicoBayamón, Puerto Rico
Bayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
, Díaz has been a resident of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
since 1965. Prior to arriving in New York City Díaz had served in the United States Armed Forces
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
beginning in 1960, ultimately obtaining an honorable discharge three years later.
He would go on to graduate with a Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Herbert H. Lehman College
Lehman College
Lehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
. Later, in 1978, he became an ordained minister of the Church of God
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...
, whose headquarters are located in Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
, and describes itself as evangelical and pentecostal
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
. At the same time, Díaz served as Executive Director of the Christian Community Benevolent Association, Inc., and as a pastor at the Christian Community Neighborhood Church.
In 1993, Díaz was appointed to serve on New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board
Civilian Complaint Review Board
The Civilian Complaint Review Board is an all-civilian board tasked with investigating civil complaints about alleged misconduct on the part of the New York Police Department.- History :...
, and in 1997 he received an honorary doctorate from an evangelical university located in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
.
Díaz expressed anger at Governor Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
after Spitzer reversed course and abandoned his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain New York driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
s. Díaz said he had been betrayed by Spitzer.
Prior to his election to the State Senate in November 2002, Díaz served on the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
, where he was the only elected member who was also an ordained minister.
In 2010 Díaz was challenged by Carlos "Charlie" Ramos in a Democratic primary campaign. Díaz won the primary by a margin of 79% to 22%. Ramos' campaign complained of a number of polling irregularities, including intimidation of voters, bringing campaign literature into polling sites, and expelling certified poll watchers who worked for Ramos.
Díaz has a son, Ruben Diaz, Jr., who currently is the Bronx Borough President
Borough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
.
Gang of Three
Díaz is one of three Democratic Senators, known as the "Gang of Three", who threatened to abandon the Democratic majority elected to the New York State Senate on November 4, 2008. A fourth, Senator-elect Hiram MonserrateHiram Monserrate
Hiram Monserrate is a former member of the New York State Senate. He represented the 13th District which includes the Queens neighborhoods of Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Woodside...
, backed out of the group in early November. According to a memorandum leaked to the New York Times in December 2008, the remaining "Gang of Three" tried to use their leverage to have one of them named Senate majority leader and another named chair of the Senate finance committee, and to obtain a guarantee that the Senate would not vote on the issue of same-sex marriage. This deal fell through, and the three reached a compromise with State Senator Malcolm Smith in January 2009, recognizing Smith as Senate president and majority leader.
Relationship with Hiram Monserrate
In 2009, Rubén Díaz stated his intention to officiate at Hiram Monserrate and Karla Giraldo's wedding.Opposition to abortion and stem cell research
In 2008, Senator Díaz was described as "the state senate's sole pro-life Democrat." (In fact, then-Senator George OnoratoGeorge Onorato
George Onorato was a Democratic member of the New York State Senate, representing the 12th Senate District in Queens, New York, since winning a special election in 1983....
of Queens was also pro-life, according to Democrats for Life New York; and then-Sen. Bill Stachowski also self-identified as pro-life) Senator Díaz has taken prominent public positions against expanding access to abortion and against state funding of embryonic stem cell research.
In a March 2005 speech on the State Senate floor, Senator Díaz made the following remarks: "Abortion is the American Holocaust.... The comparison is plain: six million Jews were exterminated by Hitler in Germany; Almost 48 million babies have been exterminated in the abortion clinics of America. We have simply been in the killing for a longer period of time than Hitler.... Hitler used the ashes of the Jews to make bars of soap. In America, we are selling fetal tissue to be used in: the manufacture of cosmetics as well as for medical research.... Do not point your finger at Hitler; we are worse." In 2008, when a colleague proposed legislation that would expand abortion rights in New York, Senator Díaz described the bill as "one of the most dangerous and radical pieces of proposed legislation in New York State that I have ever seen."
Opposition to same-sex marriage
In 2007, as his party, led by Governor Eliot SpitzerEliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
and Lt. Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
, sought to pass same-sex marriage legislation, Díaz was a vocal opponent and was highly critical of Democratic support for the bill. Senator Díaz's opposition to same-sex marriage continued in 2008, when he vowed to vote against same-sex marriage legislation and participated (along with hundreds of clergy) in a "Power in the Pulpit" rally held by New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms in the Legislative Office Building to oppose same-sex marriage; at the rally, Sen. Díaz was reportedly presented with over 15,000 petitions in support of heterosexual-only marriage. In May 2009, Sen. Díaz led a rally against same-sex marriage in front of the New York City office of Governor David Paterson; the rally was attended by an estimated 20,000 participants.
While Díaz has been an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage, a November 2009 New York Times states that Díaz "love[s]" his gay and lesbian relatives, but "[doesn't] believe in what they are doing." The same article quoted Díaz's openly gay chief counsel as stating that Díaz "is a true believer in Christian values, in treating people the way you want to be treated."
On December 2, 2009, Díaz voted against same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed on June 24, 2011, by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day...
legislation, which failed to pass the Senate.
Díaz has been one of the most outspoken opponents in the 2011 effort to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. On May 15, 2011, he led a rally of thousands of traditional marriage supporters in the Bronx. His granddaughter Erica Diaz, who is openly lesbian, led a counterprotest of a couple dozen. During Díaz's speech, his granddaughter came up on the stage with him, and Díaz hugged and kissed her and said, "This is my granddaughter. I love her. I love her. I love her. I respect her decisions. She does what she wants." Erica subsequently stated that "You cannot tell someone that you love them and stay silent when people call for their death. 'Love' is empty when you say someone's life isn't natural." Díaz has reported receiving numerous death threats, and a New York gay bar said it would hold a "Fuck Ruben Diaz" event.
On June 24, 2011, Díaz once again voted against same-sex marriage legislation; however, this time the measure successfully passed in the Senate by a vote of 33-29. Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
signed the bill minutes after the passage, making New York the sixth state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. The law went into effect on July 24, 2011, thirty days after it was signed, per state law.
Opposition to Gay Games
In 1994, while on the Civilian Complaint Review Board, Díaz was critical of the city hosting the Gay GamesGay Games
The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. It welcomes participants of every sexual orientation and every skill level...
, claiming that doing so would lead to an increase in AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
cases and to wider acceptance of homosexuality by young people. Díaz wrote that hosting the Games would lead children "to conclude that if there are so many gay and lesbian athletes then there is nothing wrong, nor any risks involved." The other members of the Board issued a unanimous rebuke of Díaz's comments.
Criticism of Harvey Milk School policy
In 2003, Díaz filed a lawsuit to stop the expansion of the Harvey Milk School, claiming that the school infringed upon the rights of heterosexual students. The lawsuit was settled in 2006 after the school agreed not to discriminate against heterosexual students and not to restrict admission to students who identify as LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
, and after the City of New York agreed that the school would be open to all students.