New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo isn’t new to New York politics.  His first taste of it came at age 19, when his father’s political supporters allegedly plastered a mostly Italian neighborhood with posters that read, “Vote for Cuomo, not the Homo.”  Mario Cuomo was running against New York City Mayor Ed Koch in the 1977 Democratic primary.  Both Cuomos deny involvement in the smear, according to an extensive New York Times article exploring Andrew Cuomo’s relationship with the state’s LGBT community.

At 52, supporters say, Cuomo is comfortable in his role as an advocate for LGBT equality, even if he isn’t always as vocal as some would like, according to the Times:

In his understated way, aides and friends said, he has advanced gay causes by appointing gay men and lesbians to key positions and, as attorney general, cracking down on two companies accused of discriminating on the basis of sexuality. He has frequently sought the counsel of gay elected officials like [New York City Council Speaker Christine] Quinn. And he has made clear, since announcing his candidacy for governor in May, that he supports same-sex marriage.

In fact, Cuomo told a reporter in June that passing a marriage equality bill in 2011 will be a priority of his administration, and one he thinks will happen.

“To me, that’s extremely encouraging. For the guy to say it’s a priority and then for him to say he may very well be able to get it done in his first year, it’s terrific,” said Ethan Geto, a New York political strategist who spoke to the Wall Street Journal about Cuomo’s commitment on marriage equality.

Photo:  ZumaPress.com

Openly gay New York State Sen. Tom Duane is on a mission to bring one of NASA’s retiring space shuttles to the west side of Manhattan.

According to the Advocate, Duane is touting the city’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, and its nearly one million annual visitors, in a national contest to find homes for the shuttles Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavor.

Duane’s office released a statement applauding the New York Senate for backing his effort:

On Thursday, by a unanimous vote, the State Senate approved a legislative resolution spearheaded by State Senator Thomas K. Duane that enthusiastically endorses the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum’s application to permanently display one of NASA’s three retiring Space Shuttles on Manhattan’s West Side.  The Intrepid Museum is competing for the privilege with more than twenty other institutions across the United States.

Fight Back New York scored its first knockout victory last night.  The New York political action committee, formed to defeat state senators who voted “no” on a marriage equality bill last year, helped keep former Democratic senator Hiram Monserrate from regaining his seat in a special election held yesterday.  Assemblymember Jose R. Peralta easily beat Monserrate, who was expelled by his senate colleagues over a conviction for misdemeanor assault against his girlfriend.

Fight Back had listed eight state senators it plans to help defeat.  Last night it sent a message to its remaining targets:  ”One down.  Seven to go.”

FightBackNY, a new political action committee, aims to unseat New York state senators who voted against a marriage equality bill late last year.  The committee was set up and funded by a group of donors to LGBT causes, most notably Tim Gill of Denver, Colorado, according to report in the New York Times.

“Politicians who deny gays and lesbians basic equality should be thrown out of office, starting with convicted criminal Hiram Monserrate,” said Bill Smith, an adviser to the committee.  Monserrate, a Democrat who was expelled from the senate by his colleagues after being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend, is running in a special election to regain his seat.

A handful of senate Democrats surprised marriage equality advocates late last year when they voted “no,” leading to a lopsided defeat.  But political observers say a few more committed Democrats would unlike key Republican votes in favor of the bill in the coming year.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has recommended Daniel Alter to serve as judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  If President Obama makes the nomination and it’s approved, Alter would become the first openly gay male to serve on the federal bench, reports the DC Agenda.

In a statement released by the senator’s office, Schumer called Alter, “a lawyer whose views have been tempered by a broad range of experiences” and “a candidate who would enhance the diversity of the federal bench.”

DC Agenda is carrying the story:

For judicial nominations, presidents traditionally abide by the recommendations made by the senior senator from the state where there’s a vacancy, which in the case of New York is Schumer.

In a statement, Schumer said he recommended Alter because he’s “a brilliant attorney who possesses the knowledge, balanced views and temperament required of a federal judge.”

“His outstanding leadership skills, his commitment to justice, and his extensive experience make him an exceptional choice for a position on the federal bench,” Schumer said. “I’m proud to nominate Daniel Alter. Period. But I am equally proud to nominate him because he is a history-maker who will be the first openly gay male judge in American history.”

A graduate of Columbia College and Yale Law School, Alter clerked for several judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

For six years, Alter was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he specialized in first amendment matters and became an expert on terrorism issues. He worked on al Qaeda cases and was on the prosecution team for the trials for the African embassy bombings of 1998.

Alter has also been an advocate for civil rights. As national director of the civil rights division of the Anti-Defamation League, Alter handled work on hate crimes both within the United States and abroad.