republican majority

Log Cabin Republicans scored a coup last week when the Republican majority in the New York State senate introduced the Safe Schools for All Students Act, which would protect kids from being bullied in public schools because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Jeff Cook, legislative adviser for Log Cabin, said it was historic to have transgender people included in what is known in Albany parlance as a "rules bill" -- a bill introduced by the majority that is automatically understood to have the assent of the majority leader. "It is the first rules bill that we know of that includes gender identity and expression in New York State," Cook said.

New York's Republican senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, a 32-year institution in the state senate, announced his retirement Tuesday just as the GOP and Democrats gird for an election season that will determine the fate of the chamber and, potentially, New York's gay marriage bill. Democrats need to pick up two seats this November in order to gain control of the chamber -- something most LGBT activists wager would hasten the process of getting a same-sex marriage bill to the desk of Gov. David Paterson, who has supported marriage equality since the mid '90s. Democratic strategists said Bruno's exit raises questions about how effectively the GOP can raise money in his absence and whether they can hold certain constituencies together.