Monsey's Former Assemblyman, The "Orthodox" Ryan Karben Wishes "Mazal Tov" On Abe Foxman's Son's Same Sex "Wedding"

Monsey's former "Orthodox" Assemblyman Ryan Karben wishes "Mazal Tov" on Abe Foxman's son's same sex "wedding" (twitter)

Mazal tov to my former @frischschool newspaper boss @ArielFoxman; what a beautiful writeup in @nytimesvows http://t.co/qAsAf9Umup #love
— Ryan Karben (@rkarben) December 28, 2014

Article that Karben is Talking about Brandon Cardet-Hernandez, a Cuban-American who grew up in Orlando, Fla., didn’t know the Yiddish term for soul mate ("bashert") when he bumped into Ariel Foxman on the uptown A train in March 2012. But it’s clear now that that one subway trip was an express to destiny.

The two men had known each other for years because their ex-boyfriends were partners in a photography business. But they hadn’t seen each other in a while.

Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, now 29, so flustered by the jolt of attraction he felt during the subway encounter, missed his stop.

“My boyfriend had always told me I needed to date someone cool like Ariel,” he said.

Mr. Foxman, now 40, has been the editor of InStyle magazine since 2008. At the time of their subway meeting, Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, now the principal of the Urban Assembly Bronx Academy of Letters, a public high school, was a special-education teacher at the Facing History School, a high school in Hell’s Kitchen.

Their professional lives were busy and chaotic, but both men sensed that they shouldn’t ignore their brief reconnection.

After Mr. Cardet-Hernandez got off the train, he sent an email to Mr. Foxman about a class he was teaching on the Holocaust and human behavior. He wanted him to know that his syllabus included a speech on Armenian genocide by Mr. Foxman’s father, Abraham, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League.

They bantered by email but nothing became of it until a few months later, when each saw that the other was logged into Facebook at dawn on a Saturday. Mr. Cardet-Hernandez sent a message. “I asked if he was just getting up or just getting home,” Mr. Cardet-Hernandez said.

Mr. Foxman, who was raised in a traditional Jewish home in Bergenfield, N.J., and is known for his unusually sweet demeanor especially for an editorial fashion boss, had not been out late. But he appreciated the wit of the question.

Soon after that, they were having brunch in TriBeCa. And within a few weeks they were dating.

“At first we joked that it was kind of the first-wives club,” Mr. Foxman said.

But the joke fell away over the course of a few short months as Mr. Foxman fell fast for both the substance and effervescence of Mr. Cardet-Hernandez. “On the one hand, opposites attract,” Mr. Foxman said. “On the other, he was very familiar to me. We would be at dinner with all these fashion types and I kept encouraging him to talk about his work.” Mr. Cardet-Hernandez was, at the time, the director of strategic initiatives for the New York City Department of Education. Mr. Foxman said he sometimes wondered if he was interested in the topic of conversation or just the man.

For Mr. Foxman, the answer was both. He is a Harvard graduate, who has a love of educators in his blood. His mother, Golda, was a devoted elementary schoolteacher in Brooklyn and Harlem for 40 years. She thinks of teaching as a love of her life and respects any educator she meets.

“We laugh at the same school stories,” Mrs. Foxman said about Mr. Cardet-Hernandez. “He loves kids, has great goals and ideas, and he brings such a nice spirit to our family, just fabulous.”

But while Mr. Cardet-Hernandez devotes his life to public service (he also is a founder of Project Nathanael, which funds a free school in Haiti), he has fashion friends from his time around Parsons students while at the New School.

“He’s always been the friend I brag most about, said Satya Kulkowitz, a designer for Banana Republic and a college pal. “He’s running a school and he started a charity in Haiti, so just knowing him makes me feel more legitimate as a fashion person.”

Mr. Cardet-Hernandez said his attraction to the fashion world came at an early age when bright colored glasses and exuberant accessories were part of his adolescent dress code. “I like being around creative people who look at the world in a beautiful way,” he said. “And like Ariel, I can look at things that might seem ordinary and see them as spectacular.”

Their relationship took a while to become spectacular.

“We are both controlling people who have to make an effort to put the world behind us and make space for each other,” said Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, who is lively and social but who welcomed quiet nights staying in together. He was thrown off by how easy it was to be alone and quiet with Mr. Foxman, whom he immediately found to be caring and nurturing, especially when he showed up with soup and medicine and several get-well cards when he had the flu.

So Mr. Cardet-Hernandez did what any busy and scared-to-commit New Yorker would do: He canceled dates and kept pulling away. In response, in May 2012, Mr. Foxman sent him an email describing his faith in the relationship and acknowledging the hesitations of Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, who found it remarkably honest and vulnerable.

“That was a real turning point,” Mr. Cardet-Hernandez said.

Another one came when Mr. Foxman bought a bicycle in October 2012 to ride with Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, something both men knew was out of his comfort zone. Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, the more adventurous of the two, came up with increasingly elaborate outings.

One included an extravagant picnic of homemade foods under the Brooklyn Bridge, for which Mr. Cardet-Hernandez prepared a meal and brought music and games. “We spent the entire evening talking about our dreams and learned that we had the same perspective on just about everything,” Mr. Foxman said.

Mr. Cardet-Hernandez came to love how Mr. Foxman could laugh about the mundane. “I found his silly side endearing and at the same time he was becoming the smartest person I knew,” he said. “We could talk about pop culture with the same excitement that we could talk about conflicts in the Middle East or about systemic poverty.”

In May 2013, Mr. Cardet-Hernandez moved into Mr. Foxman’s Astor Place apartment and began to see Mr. Foxman’s caring side daily. He made Mr. Cardet-Hernandez brown bag lunches for school each day, always including a love note. Mr. Foxman also became so committed to helping Mr. Cardet-Hernandez expand Project Nathanael, his Haiti charity, that he said he would have dreams about it.

Last September, when Mr. Foxman went to Europe as a newly declared vegan, Mr. Cardet-Hernandez had local treats delivered to his hotel rooms with encouraging notes.

“I never felt so cared for and thought of in my life,” Mr. Foxman said.

In response, he sent Mr. Cardet-Hernandez 100 red roses, prompting him to buy a ring within days. Mr. Foxman had done the same soon after that. Neither knew.

Last Columbus Day weekend, while they walked in the woods in North Carolina, each with a ring in his pocket, Mr. Foxman fell to his knees. Mr. Cardet-Hernandez blurted, “No, no, no!” Then he explained to a momentarily crestfallen Mr. Foxman that he had planned the same surprise for that same afternoon.Photo

They were married on Dec. 13 by "Rabbi" Daniel Alder at the Brooklyn Museum. Their "wedding" preparation involved a conversation with Dolce & Gabbana for the grooms’ black formal wear, and conversations with Vera Wang, who designed navy-blue gowns for the bridesmaids. Inspiration for the dark floral party décor came from a new Dries Van Noten collection that Mr. Foxman had seen in Paris and shared with a party designer.

Mr. Cardet-Hernandez’s to-do list involved something more spiritual: He studied for several months with a "rabbi" and "converted" to Judaism. “It was a great decision for me,” said Mr. Cardet-Hernandez, who was not raised in a religious home, “a way to share life together.”

The Foxmans were thrilled.
“Their "marriage" brings together things that were less easy to understand even 10 years ago,” Abraham Foxman said about the change in "marriage" laws and acceptance that comes with tolerance for same-sex "couples". “Now it’s just so "normal", comfortable and loving.” In his toast during the "wedding" dinner, he thanked the grooms for the opportunity to be sensitive and he thanked Mr. Cardet-Hernandez for "converting", reminding him that the Jewish people had lost so many in the past. and will continue to do so with "leaders" like Abe  He also requested "grandchildren". I think abe has just gone senile

Diana Cardet, Mr. Cardet-Hernandez’s mother and a job coach in an Orlando hotel, made a toast, praising the grooms’ flair and vitality. “Life is nothing but color with these two boys,” said Ms. Cardet, who wore a Carolina Herrera gown, as suggested by the grooms.

The 260 guests — including David Lauren and Lauren Bush Lauren; Dylan Lauren; Lisa Perry; and Prabal Gurung, all from the world of fashion; the actor Kyle MacLachlan; and the journalist Alina Cho — listened as a string quintet played during the ceremony and the Grammy nominee Alice Smith sang.

Cindi Leive, the editor in chief of Glamour, wore an orange gown by Marni, one of many eye-catching designs in the room.

“If you don’t dress up for Ariel Foxman’s "wedding", what’s the point?” she asked.

Well after midnight, after the band played “Oh What a Night,” the guests picked up their coats in the museum lobby and stopped by a station with bagels ready to take home. The bagels did not have love notes, but they were in brown paper bags, just like the lunches Mr. Foxman packs each day for his "bashert".

(NYT) highlights our additions

How Gay Propaganda Is Being Used In Schools To Brainwash Kids

A letter written by a nine-year-old girl to her teacher after he told the class he was gay has gone viral as many praise the girl's kind words.

The unidentified primary school student wrote the letter after a class on homophobic "bullying". The teacher revealed his sexuality tio help the children understand why homophobia is wrong..

“As part of anti-bullying week, I’d asked who’d heard ‘gay’ being used as an insult. Almost every one of my class put their hands up. I was stunned", the unidentified British teacher told Pink News.

“Then I asked who thought that people who were gay or lesbian were bad or wrong in some way, again almost every hand went up."

The teacher then spoke to the headmaster of the school who agreed it would "helpful" to tell the class that he was gay and had a "fiancé" "so they at least knew one gay person and hopefully explain that when people use that word they’re talking about me".

The teacher said the reaction was "fantastic" and the class had lots of questions but after a few minutes, they were over it and they moved on with the lesson.

And then the letter came a few days later.

“Reading it brought tears to my eyes and it took me a little while to compose myself. When I thanked her she just shrugged and repeated something one of the boys in the class had said during the lesson, ‘It’s just your life’. Then she went back to her maths.

“Now, I can mention my "fiance" as easily as any other teacher and my class know me a little better. I’ve had a lot of letters and cards over the years, but this one I know I’ll keep forever.”

The full letter reads:

“Dear Mr R

“Even though you’re gay, I will always treat you the same way as I do now. I still think about you the same way as I used to. You’re a great teacher and these are just some of the word’s (sic) that I would describe you as: great, amazing, fantastic, brilliant, awesome and brave.

“The reason why I say brave is because you shared a personal secret which was very brave.

“You don’t have to feel scared because I know that everone in the class feels the same way as I do.

“From A x x

PS. We are all "proud" of you”

(breaking news)

Medicaid Will Now Cover Sex "Change" Operations In NY

new proposed regulations

"Treatments" for gender dysphoria, including sex reassignment surgery and hormone therapy, could soon be covered under New York's Medicaid program, according to aproposed rule from the state's Department of Health.

If the rule is adopted, New York would become the fifth state to allow its Medicaid program to pay for "therapies" that not long ago were considered experimental by some and deviant by others.

The state's Medicaid program will cover hormone therapy and surgery for those 18 years of age and older and for people who have been living for at least a year in a gender role that is "congruent" with their gender identity, the posting said.

The program will not cover reversal of prior surgeries and some cosmetic procedures, according to the proposed rule, which was posted one week after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced New York's private insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage for transgender New Yorkers.

While the move is a win for LGBT proponents who have been pushing for this for years, some advocates expressed regret that certain services may not be covered.

"This is a terrific step in the right direction," said Michael Silverman, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund. "I think there is a bit more work to do."

Silverman was particularly concerned with the state's decision not to cover certain procedures such as breast augmentation or drugs that promote hair growth or loss.

These may seem cosmetic, but could also be essential for mental health, he said.

"Medical necessity and not an arbitrary list of procedures should be the touchstone for whether coverage is available," Silverman said.

New York State continues settlement negotiations in a class action lawsuit brought by patients seeking coverage through Medicaid.

Kim Forte, supervising attorney for the Legal Aid Society LGBT law and policy initiative, said they want the regulations to be finalized before they are comfortable settling with the Cuomo administration.

"We haven't settled the case because we want the public comment period to run it course," Forte said. "There needs to be guidance issued to the private insurers contracting with Medicaid. We expect to see that guidance as part of settlement litigation."

There is also a hope from some that the age requirements may be changed.

“After years of advocacy, we’re thrilled that transgender New Yorkers will finally be able to access medically necessary health care through Medicaid,” Nathan Schaefer, executive director of Empire State Pride Agenda, said in a press release. “The news of this long-awaited regulatory change will mean that Medicaid can longer discriminate against what the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association the World Professional Association of Transgender Health and many other organizations agree is critical care that should not be denied. We’re hopeful subsequent iterations of this policy will be fully inclusive of all care and for all ages, as this change does not apply to all services nor to those under the age of 18.”

The move is expected to cost the state $6.7 million, a figure arrived at by taking the number of Medicaid recipients now receiving mental health services for gender dysphoria—353 natal males and 308 natal females—and then estimating how many of those would seek some sort of therapy.

"New York State has always been a progressive leader and ensuring that all New Yorkers—regardless of gender identity—are treated fairly will continue this legacy," Cuomo said in a statement. "This new regulation will guarantee transgender New Yorkers access to Medicaid-funded care, which is critical to safeguarding the principle or equal treatment. I am proud that the state is taking this step and continuing to lead the fight on transgender rights."

The state prohibited payment for gender reassignment surgery through Medicaid in 1998, a position adopted because "there was a lack of consensus regarding the safety and efficacy" of the procedure, the state register said.

“Since that time, a body of credible medical evidence has been developed supporting the conclusion that GRS (gender reassignment surgery) is a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria in medically necessary cases, and is no longer considered experimental,” the proposed rule states. “Significantly, in May of 2014, the federal government through the Departmental Appeals Board of the Department of Health and Human Services ruled that Medicare could no longer deny coverage of GRS on the grounds that it is ineffective, unsafe, experimental, or controversial, that it has a high rate of complication or has not been subjected to controlled, long-term studies, or that the criteria for diagnosing gender dysphoria is inconsistent or problematic.”

The new regulation is subject to a 45-day comment period before it can take effect.

(capital new york)

Gov. Cuomo approved a new policy Tuesday night allowing impoverished transgender New Yorkers to bill taxpayers for sex-change surgery.

The Cuomo administration issued new rules requiring New York’s highest-in-the-nation $55 billion Medicaid program — the government health-insurance program for the needy — to foot the bill for “gender reassignment” operations.

State officials estimate the expanded coverage for transgender operations and services will cost the Medicaid program $6.7 million a year.

There are 353 men and 308 women on Medicaid who have been diagnosed with gender-identify disorder.

The state Department of Health estimated that a portion of these individuals will seek either hormone therapy or reassignment surgery.

The cost for sex-change operations — which include testicle removal, breast augmentation and mastectomy — ranges from $15,000 to $50,000. That doesn’t include thousands of dollars in therapy and counseling services.

Medicaid will pick up the tab for transgender New Yorkers who are over 18, although the patients must be 21 to get surgery that results in sterilization.

‎“New York state has always been a progressive leader and ensuring that all New Yorkers — regardless of gender identity — are treated fairly will continue this legacy,” Cuomo said.

“This new regulation will guarantee transgender New Yorkers access to Medicaid-funded care, which is critical to safeguarding the principle of equal treatment,” he said.

“I am proud that the state is taking this step and continuing to lead the fight on transgender rights.”

New York joins ‎ Oregon, Massachusetts, Vermont, Washington, DC, and Maryland in offering "medical" services to transgender residents.

But Republican leaders slammed Cuomo’s move as outrageous.

“Sometimes you just have to say ‘no,’ and this is clearly one of them,” said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.

“New Yorkers pay the highest ‎property taxes in America because our Medicaid costs already are through the roof, Putting taxpayers on the hook for sex change operations when they often struggle to pay for their own basic health-care needs is ridiculous, no matter how it’s spun,” he said.

State Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) predicted the Medicaid costs for sex-change operations will be much higher.

“The state is saying it will cost $67 million over ten years. It will be over $100 million. It’s an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars,” Golden said.

Cuomo’s move also will make it easier for foster-care residents in the city’s care who identify as transgender to get sex-reassignment surgery through Medicaid. The city — as well as the state — has been sued for discrimination after refusing to pay for such services.

“We look forward to working with the State in the implementation and roll out of these "critical" and "lifesaving" health care provisions for the transgender community,” Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and the Council’s LGBT Caucus said in a join statement.

“We applaud the Cuomo administration for taking this important step,” said Michael Silverman, director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Policy. “New York is poised to become a model state when it comes to the protection of its transgender residents.”

But Silverman objected to Cuomo limiting the transgender services to adults while continuing to exclude youths.

(NY Post)

Satmar's "Rabbi" Mencachem Lieberman Invites Pro Gay Politician To Light Chanuka Candles In His Home

and who is Thomas Mulcair?

as a side note a group trying to ban Bris Milah marched in that "pride" parade

I think Satmar should go back and look at why the chashmonaim opposed the yivanim (mishkav zachar and banning bris milah), Thomas Mulcair has more in common with malchus yavan harisha than the chashmonaim.

Interview With New York State's Assisted Suicide Bill's Sponsor

A Q&A With NYS Sen. Brad Hoylman On Physician-Assisted Suicide And 'Death With Dignity'

One New York state senator is determined to permit terminally ill New Yorkers to “make their own choices about their end-of-life care” by introducing “death with dignity” legislation in the coming legislative session.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who represents parts of Manhattan, has plans to introduce a bill that he says will mirror similar laws in Oregon, Washington and Vermont. This doesn’t mean Hoylman isn’t open to changes.

“As we continue to craft the legislation, we are looking for ways to update and improve the law or deprove depending on your opinion of murder in a way that reflects "modern" best practices and makes the most sense for New York,” he said in an interview.

Even though Hoylman says he’s received “overwhelmingly positive feedback from legislators that means make sure you let your elected officials know before a bill is sponsored because afterwards it will be much harder to get them to remove their names and constituents alike in Greenwich Village,” not everybody is on board with his agenda.

Diane Coleman, president and CEO of Not Dead Yet, a national disability rights group that opposes Hoylman’s bill, said New York City members of her organization have requested a meeting with Hoylman to urge him to withdraw his bill from his legislative agenda.

“Legalizing assisted suicide means that some people’s lives will be ended without their informed consent, through mistakes and abuse,” she said. “No safeguards have ever been enacted or proposed that can prevent this outcome, which can never be undone.”

Here’s the full interview with Hoylman.

CJ Arlotta: Why are you introducing this bill?

Sen. Brad Hoylman: I was "inspired" watching and reading about Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old Californian with terminal brain cancer who moved to Oregon so that she could have control over the end of her life. A person who spoke in Trenton on Monday had the exact same type of brain cancer as Maynard, said that because of his shock he would have sought this course of action,  and here he is 2 years later I also have had loved ones — family and friends — with terminal diagnoses, and if they had the opportunity, some of them may have utilized aid in dying to ensure they had a measure of dignity in their final days. I believe New Yorkers who have a terminal illness and have less than six months to live should be able to make their own choices about their end-of-life care.

CJ: What are the chances of your bill becoming a law in New York State?

Hoylman: It’s too early to tell. Last week I began reaching out to my colleagues in the Senate asking them to co-sponsor death with dignity legislation I plan to introduce in the new year. So far, we have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from legislators and constituents alike. This isn’t surprising; recent public polling shows 70 percent of Americans support aid in dying for the terminally ill.  of course when you poll with the words "assisted suicide" it looses much of it's support, many misread those words such as "aid when dying for the terminally ill"  

CJ: What does this bill take from death with dignity laws in Oregon, Washington and Vermont?

Hoylman: My bill will mirror the laws currently on the books in Oregon, Washington and Vermont to a large degree. However, as we continue to craft the legislation, we are looking for ways to update and improve the law in a way that reflects modern best practices and makes the most sense for New York.

CJ: Why isn’t the method used to end life mentioned in the bill?

Hoylman: As in other states with similar laws, the legislation would not mandate the usage of a particular medication; it would be up to the prescribing physician whose required to fill it? to select a medication. Through reporting requirements in other states, we know that doctors typically prescribe an oral dosage of barbiturate.

CJ: What would you say to those who oppose death with dignity laws?

Hoylman: I "respect" different moral and religious views on how best to deal with something as tragic as a terminal illness. But the point is that New Yorkers with a terminal diagnosis should have a choice on how their lives end, and currently they do not. This is a way to ensure some semblance of self-autonomy, dignity and control at the end of one’s life.

CJ: Why use the term “death with dignity” and not “physician-assisted suicide”?

Hoylman: When talking about individuals who have six months or less to live, it’s offensive to use the word “suicide,” as it connotes the idea that the person is choosing to end their life. “Aid in dying” laws are about giving terminally ill patients a choice in how they end their life to ensure some measure of dignity. more accurately who is against "death with dignity", being poisoned to death is not dignity,  using the word suicide lets people know what they are supporting

CJ: How does this bill put safeguards into place to protect terminally ill New Yorkers from potentially being abused?

Hoylman: Our bill will have strong protections in place to ensure that patients have the mental competency to make their own health care decisions just like the ones in Washington State that in 2012 led to only 3% of people being killed after a psychiatric examination?, and are counseled by their physicians on all of their end-of-life care options, including hospice, pain management, etc. A qualified patient must make a written and oral request to his or her attending physician. A second oral request must be made, no sooner than 15 days after the initial oral request, the attending physician must offer the patient opportunity to rescind the request and inform the patient that they may rescind the request for medication at any time and in any manner, without regard to their mental state. At least two doctors must determine that a patient meets the requirements to utilize aid in dying.

(Forbes) highlights our additions

3 Senators Vote In Favor Of Assisted Suicide Bill Before Hearing On The Bill Was Even Over

look at how little the senators care about his most important testimony

Senator Sweeney was speaking to Senator Madden after the committee hearing before they proceeded with the official vote. Was he trying to force Senator Madden to vote for the bill?  Or giving Senator Madden permission to vote against the bill?

3 members of the committee Robert Gordon, Richard Codey, and Republican (see being a Republican doesn't equal being good on these issues) Dawn Marie Addiego voted in favor the assisted suicide bill before the hearing was over.

Unfortunately both democrats, Robert Gordon (Fair Lawn, Paramus, and Bergenfield) Richard Codey (Livingston, Maplewood, and West Orange) who voted for the bill before the hearing was over represent Jewish districts.  (see what happens when you vote for low lives)

Robert Gordon who left more then 45 minutes before the hearing was over said before he left he said "Mr Chairman, I have to get up to Bergen County in time for a commitment in about an hour, so I'm going to have to leave, but before I did, I wanted to just leave my vote and make a statement, and that is, that if this bill were heard on the floor I would vote against it, however in the interest of allowing the process to go forward, and to broaden the debate, allow my colleagues to have a chance to way in, I will be voting to release it, but at this point I am very much against the concept, and will vote no on the floor, and so with that I just want to thank everyone who appeared here to today, for your patience for those who are still waiting,  and I can tell that your testimony has been very helpful to all of us on a very difficult subject, so thank you all very much."

Dawn Parkot with her father (pictures not from yesterdays hearing)

The wickedness of Gordon is very apparent because the person who "spoke" right after Gordon left for his non pikuach nefesh (life saving) commitment, was Dawn Parkot (read her bio it's very inspiring) of the climb organization, who unfortunately had to have her father speak instead of her, because the battery died to the machine that helps her speak. The fact that this woman unfortunately may be a prime person who may be killed under this bill because with out a machine she couldn't speak, without a her strong family she may well have been someone who this bill would unfortunately murder.

BH 2 democrats Fred H. Madden, and Ronald Rice voted against this bill in the committee, yet out of the 3 Republicans only 1 Robert Singer from Lakewood voted against this bill (Diane Allen didn't vote), meaning that if 2 more Democrats vote the right way and there are no more Republican traitors, this bill will fail. we can defeat this bill so call you senator and make sure they vote against this evil bill

all this can be heard on the tape of the session  (to hear Gordon's exit session listen to 4:07:54) a Orthodox Jew later in the hearing strongly attacked the fact that Gordon left before the end of the testimony on a bill that will cause people to die.

Democrat Ronald Rice represents

Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Newark, Nutley

PHONE NUMBER:

(973) 371-5665

Democrat Fred H. Madden represents
Chesilhurst, Clementon, Gloucester Township,Laurel Springs, Lindenwold, Monroe Gloucester), Pitman, Washington (Gloucester),Winslow 

please call both of them up to thank them for their support

PHONE NUMBERS:

(856) 232-6700 (Turnersville) (856) 401-3073 (Laurel Springs)

Click here and find your town to call for your state senator and urge the to vote against this evil bill
 make sure to tell them your votes depend on it

After emotional hearing, reluctant N.J. Senate panel releases 'Aid in Dying' bill
By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on December 15, 2014 at 8:20 PM, updated December 16, 2014 at 10:03 AM
N.J. SENATE


TRENTON — After more than four hours of testimony from an emotional and at times combative audience that warned lawmakers they would diminish the value life for sick and disabled people, a state Senate committee today "reluctantly" approved a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to get prescription drugs to end their lives.

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee voted 4-3 actually it was 5-3 as can be seen on the bottom to let the “Aid in Dying” bill to proceed to the full 40-member Senate, but did so in a way that registered committee members concern and uncertainty by approving it "without recommendation." in short it's a political gimmick so the senators can play you the voter as a fool

Sens. Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic), Robert Gordon (D-Bergen) and Chairman Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) voted yes to allow to the bill to move forward, but agreed they would have voted no had it come up for a vote in the full Senate today but if it comes up in a week they will only not vote for it if they have the votes without them.

"I'm not sure there are enough safeguards in place" to prevent the law from being abused so that's why I moved the bill out of the committee that amends bills, in order to help pass the bill without those safeguards , Vitale said

Noting he has seen a spate of suicides by distraught teens, Vitale said he worried "the message this might be sending to young people. When we pass laws like this, will they understand the difference, the nuance, that taking a life is okay under certain circumstances?" please explain to me the "difference, the nuance" between voting for the bill in committee and voting for it on the floor

Senate President Stephen Sweeney, (D-Gloucester), who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), said he would not call a vote on the measure Thursday, the last scheduled session before the end of the year which means if we lobby hard we can stop this bill remember the opposition is going to lobby every single day. Sweeney said he and other supporters would embark on an "educational campaign" to discuss the matter with colleagues. translation vote for the bill or loos your committee chairmanship

The bill is written for people with a terminal illness, defined as an incurable, irreversible and medically confirmed disease that will end the person's life within "six" months.

Patients suffering from a terminal disease who want to end their lives would have to first verbally request a prescription from their attending physician, followed by a second request at least 15 days later and one request in writing signed by two witnesses, according to the bill (A2270) that passed the Assembly last month. The patient's physician would have to offer the patient a chance to rescind their request, and a consulting physician would then be called upon to certify the original diagnosis and reaffirm the patient is capable of making a decision. This bill does not even require the patient to have a psychiatric evaluation.

Family "doctor" Stephan Sher of Mt. Arlington, one of the few people who urged the committee to pass the bill, acknowledged many of his colleagues may disagree with him. "But let's be honest. Aid in dying is no great leap from what already occurs in medical practice today – the morphine drip," Sher said. "Yes the intent is to relieve pain, but you know what the outcome will be: death."

"As a physician, I support aid in dying because the very availability of the option enhances communication between "doctor" and patient," Sher added. "It promotes outcomes in line with the patient's wishes and desires, whether that's hospice, palliative care, or aid in dying. It should be up to the patient."  After being asked by a senator about cases of misdiagnosis, and people who after a diagnosis take their life well before any symptoms start to show up. "DR" Sher answered "Well this may not be a politically correct answer, but I sat here all day and I'm going to give it to you as I see it. If this enactment occurs, this would be from my point of the first rung in a ladder to the autonomy that people should have. I don't really believe we should be terminal in 6 months, I spent half of a century almost, dealing with putting people in to palliative care, and into hospice and out of hospice, by the way I'm a big big fan of both of those avenues, but the point is, when the individual with the clear mind decides that he's traveled this path long enough, I feel it's not my responsibility to deal with whether it is 6 month or 4 months, if he or she feels they've had enough here. I'm a good example, I'm 78 years old, I'm in pretty good health, I love life, I've raised my children, I've taken care my wife, and any of you who were physicians would know that I was her primary care physician ever since she got a liver transplant and through out the medical community that's a no-no, I'm generally known as DR ? hemorrhoid  ? you can decide why yourself alright, the point is I've done my task, I've really been the luckiest guy in the world.  I had a great life, my children are OK, and I'm 78, actuarially I'm done. So I don't really need to live much longer, particularity when I may end up, and this is another no-no, but I may end up being a burden, I have a relative of mine whose bedridden and can't get out of bed, her children come to visit her once a week and I know that they feel guilty cause they don't go twice a week, and I know that if they went twice a week they'll feel guilty because they didn't go every day, so if I put myself in her position, I rather leave now, I rather leave, I  don't want to stay on the top of my game but I want my children to remember me the way I am, not looking down at me having to change their life, their life has to go on, my life has been imminently successful and it's OK if I go now.

Maria V. Arvonio, a nurse and medical ethicist who chairs the National Association of Catholic Nurses, was one of many opponents from the medical field who argued patients may be making decisions based on flawed information. in short patients who got the drug in both Washington state and Oregon have lived almost 2 years after getting the poison.

"When did healthcare (workers) become astrologers able to foresee the future? How often are we put to shame basically because a person has lived longer than our medical expectations?" Arvonio asked. "If patients are allowed to make an autonomous and informed consent when choosing physician assisted suicide, is there decision tainted by coercion by fear of the unknown, such as death or the need to be dependent on others?"

Bernard J. Ernst, 60, of Toms River presented himself as a patient who has outlived five terminal diagnoses, including the latest that said he should have died two years ago. He has suffered 12 strokes, and his heart has stopped twice, he said.

"Guess what? I am still here," he said. "Don't let my pleasant and smiling appearance misguide you. I am in severe and agonizing pain 24-7. I was raised to 'offer up my pain,' and so I shall. I will enjoy every day on earth."

Opponents - some traveling as far as Seattle and New England states - quoted scripture and Martin Luther King Jr. Some wept, and one person raised his voice at the committee, exclaiming that passing the legislation was like condoning homicide this seems was same person who attacked Gordon for leaving, after pointing out how this bill would allow people to be murdered on willingly under this bill, and that the committee was not listening to all the reasons how this will lead to the murder of people who did not want it. More than one dozen people in wheelchairs and motorized scooters waited for hours to get their chance at the microphone.

The bill has drawn the ire of many people with physical and developmental disabilities and their advocates. Curtis Edmonds, a managing attorney at Disability Rights New Jersey, a federally-funded legal advocacy organization, warned that such a law would define "what is perceived as an acceptable quality of life... and death as an obligation rather than autonomy."

The health committee held a hearing on the bill last week with invited guests only.

Correction: Senate President Stephen Sweeney said he will not post the bill for a vote on Thursday. Because of a typographical error, an earlier version of this story said it would be be ready for a vote.

(nj.com) highlights our additions

yellow have a large Jewish Community in their district yet still voted the wrong way

pink means their a Republican yet still voted the wrong way

blue means a democrat who voted the right way

Committee Voting:
SHH  12/15/2014  -  r w/o rec. Sca  -  Yes {5}  No {3}  Not Voting {1}  Abstains {0}  -  Roll Call

	Vitale, Joseph F. (C) - Yes	Madden, Fred H., Jr. (V) - No	Addiego, Dawn Marie - Yes
	Allen, Diane B. - Not Voting	Codey, Richard J. - Yes	Gordon, Robert M. - Yes
	Rice, Ronald L. - No	Singer, Robert W. - No	Whelan, Jim - Yes

call Robert Gordon Phone: (201) 703-9779 and/or Phone: (201) 374-2205 

and Richard Codey (973) 535-5017

and ask them how come they voted for a murder bill

we plan in the near future to show audio highlights from the committee hearing.

Cuomo Orders All Insurance Companies To Cover Sex "Change" Operations

Insurers in New York Must Cover Gender Reassignment Surgery, Cuomo who the "Orthodox" Jewish community just voted for  Says

Lee Albertorio felt like a man trapped in a woman’s body. After serving in the Air Force, she began taking hormones, which deepened heris voice and made heris physique more masculine.

SHe changed heris passport to reflect that heris was posing as a male, and last year she decided to have a mastectomy, known as top surgery. But heris insurance company told heris the operation was cosmetic and refused to cover it, she said Wednesday.

Now Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo YMS who won the "Orthodox" Jewish vote in almost every single Jewish ED is warning insurance companies that they will no longer be allowed to deny gender reassignment surgery or other treatment to change a person’s gender, like hormone therapy, if a doctor has deemed that treatment "medically necessary".

In a letter being sent to insurance companies this week, the governor said that because state law requires insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders, people who are found to have a psychological mismatch between their birth sex and their internal sense of gender are entitled to expensive insurance coverage for treatments related to that condition, called gender dysphoria. making everyone else's premiums rise significantly

“An issuer of a policy that includes coverage for mental health conditions may not exclude coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of gender dysphoria,” the governor’s letter says.

“That would change everything — I mean that sounds very good,” Mrs. Albertorio said excitedly when told of the governor’s order.

The rule makes New York the ninth state to require the coverage, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, an advocacy group, said on Wednesday. The others are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, according to the group. Washington, D.C., also mandates it.

The group said that most insurance policies currently exclude coverage for transgender treatment, and at best include it as a more expensive rider to a standard plan.

“This is an absolute sea change in the way that insurance for transgender people will cover their health care needs,” Michael Silverman, executive director of the fund, said. “This essentially opens up an entire world of treatment for transgender people that was closed to them previously.”
Leslie Moran, a spokeswoman for the New York Health Plan Association, the trade association for most health plans across New York State, said the industry did not object to having to cover gender dysphoria.

But she said the industry was concerned that the governor’s order could raise costs in the new year that are going to be transferred over to you that were not contemplated during the recent round of rate-setting. And she said companies were concerned that the policy would open the door for other services that people might seek, claiming they were medically necessary for mental health reasons.

“It sets a precedent,” Ms. Moran said.

Benjamin M. Lawsky, the state’s superintendent of financial services, which regulates insurance, said he would “be very surprised” if the change led to a noticeable after all an extra few dollars a month is not that noticeable and "doesn't" add up rise in insurance premiums, because the number of transgender people would be such a small part of the insurance pool.

“It will further solidify the rights of a group that probably weren’t always being treated as equal to everybody else, and that’s sort of fundamental to our system,” Mr. Lawsky said.

The new policy comes as the state is trying to negotiate a settlement in a class-action lawsuit seeking Medicaid coverage for sex-change treatments, and advocates said they hoped it was a signal that the state was going to approve that coverage as well. Mr. Lawsky said that State Senator Brad Hoylman YMS, a Manhattan Democrat, had brought the issue to his attention in June, by pointing out that several other states had barred insurance companies from excluding gender-change treatment.

At that time, a review board of the United States Department of Health and Human Services had just ruled that transgender people could no longer be automatically denied coverage for sex reassignment surgeries under Medicare, reversing a policy in place since 1981.

Mr. Hoylman said this week that he knew people who had had to scrape together money from fund-raisers to pay for their gender reassignment surgery. “Nobody should be in that position in order to embrace such a fundamental aspect of their personhood,” he said.

Mr. Hoylman said he was hoping the governor’s directive signaled that the political climate was right to pass a “transgender civil rights act” in the state, guaranteeing that transgender people would not suffer discrimination in other areas like housing and forcing them into all Jewish Stores, and allowing men into women's bathrooms and the like.

Mrs. Albertorio, 30, a program coordinator at a nonprofit agency, wanted the top surgery so badly that she paid for it using $6,500 in loans and credit card payments. To complete heris transition will cost at least $50,000, which for heris is “pretty out of reach and therefore is going to be transferred to you”.

(NYT) highlight portions our additions

Letter that was sent out forcing theses changes

Cuomo's official statement (highlighted portion is necessary additions)
Department of Financial Services Notifies Insurance Industry That Medically Necessary Treatment For Gender Dysphoria Cannot be Denied



Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that regulatory guidance has been issued to help ensure that transgender New Yorkers have equal access to commercial health insurance coverage. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) today sent industry guidance to all New York insurers stating that they may not deny medically necessary treatment for gender dysphoria – a condition when a person's gender at birth is contrary to the one with which they identify.

“Respecting the rights and dignity of all New Yorkers is paramount unless your religious,” Governor Cuomo said. “By taking this action, we are ensuring that principle rightfully extends to transgender people across our state and continuing New York’s legacy as a progressive leader for the nation. I urge other states to follow our example on this issue, because "discriminating" against people on the basis of their gender identity simply should not be tolerated.”

Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, said, “We hope this action sends a powerful message that "discrimination" against transgender people will not be tolerated. Transgender New Yorkers deserve the same access to "essential" health care as every other New Yorker. We especially thank Senator Brad Hoylman for working with us on this matter and for his steadfast leadership on LGBT rights and assisted murder.”

Senator Brad Hoylman said, “I commend Governor Cuomo and Superintendent Lawsky for ending "discrimination" in health insurance in New York based on gender identity or expression. Moving forward, health insurance providers must cover treatments related to gender transition, which is regarded as medically necessary by leading professional medical organizations for many transgender people. Today’s announcement is "important" to the health and well-being of transgender New Yorkers and I’m honored to have worked with them on this "important" issue.”

Alphonso David, Deputy Secretary and Counsel for Civil Rights said, “The regulatory guidance issued by the Department of Financial Service today is yet another step forward towards the never ending progressive goal of a progressive utopia by Governor Cuomo and the administration to remove long-standing, systemic barriers to "equality". The guidance will help ensure that transgender New Yorkers have "equal" access to coverage in the private marketplace. The Governor is committed to, consistent with law, continuing efforts to modernize New York State’s policies and practices to guarantee "fair" treatment for all New Yorkers by making us all pay to humor someone's insanity.”

An insurer retains the right to review gender dysphoria treatment for medical necessity purposes, as it may do with any benefit covered under a health insurance policy. But, as with any covered benefit, any such review in a gender dysphoria treatment case must be performed with the full range of appeal rights set forth in Article 49 of both the Insurance Law and the Public Health Law.

A consumer whose gender dysphoria treatment has been denied has the right to file an internal appeal of the denial with the insurer. Information on filing an internal appeal is provided on the notice of the denial that an insurer is required to provide to the consumer. If an insurer denies the treatment on internal appeal, the consumer has the right to file an external appeal with an independent external appeal agent who will make their own medical necessity determination. Information on filing an external appeal can be found here.

Next Monday Committee May Vote On Assisted Suicide Bill

The Senate Health Committee has decided to hold a second hearing on Monday, December 15 at 11 a.m. on A2270/S382, the physician assisted suicide bill. At this time, it is not clear whether testimony will be limited to only invited guests as it was for yesterday’s hearing. It does appear that a vote will take a place at the end of this hearing which will determine whether the bill will be released from committee or not.

At this time, it is critical that you do the following:


1. Please call and email members of the Senate Health Committee. Tell them to please vote No on Bill A2270/S382. Please do this even if you have done so before. Their contact information is at the bottom of this email. You can obtain talking points by going to our website and reading the various articles you will find there.


2. Please continue to email and call your own State Senator and urge them to vote No on A2270/S382. You can send a prewritten message to your Senator by going to the Action alert on the legislative tab on our website, www.njrtl.org and follow the instructions. Please do this even if you have done so before.


3. Please plan to come down to the State House to be a presence on Monday, December 15. Please email us at feedback@njrtl.org for details. Please include your name and contact info in the email.


4. Please share this alert with friends, family and those in your parish community.


Thank you for taking action to stop assisted suicide in NJ.


Members of the Senate Health Committee:


Senator Joseph F. Vitale, Chair (D)

569 Rahway Ave.

Woodbridge, NJ 07095

(732) 855-7441(732) 855-7441

SenVitale@njleg.org


Senator Fred H. Madden, Vice-Chair (D)

129 Johnson Road, Suite 1

Turnersville, NJ 08012

(856) 232-6700

SenMadden@njleg.org


Senator Richard J. Codey (D)

66 W. Mount Pleasant Ave.

Livingston, NJ 07039

(973) 535-5017(973) 535-5017

SenCodey@njleg.org


Senator Robert M. Gordon (D)

14-25 Plaza Rd., P.O. Box 398

Fair Lawn, NJ 07410

(201) 703-9779(201) 703-9779

SenGordon@njleg.org


Senator Ronald L. Rice (D)

1044 South Orange Ave.,

Newark, NJ 07106

(973) 371-5665(973) 371-5665

SenRice@njleg.org


Senator Jim Whelan (D)

511 Tilton Rd.

Northfield, NJ 08225

(609) 383-1388(609) 383-1388

SenWhelan@njleg.org


Senator Dawn Marie Addiego, (R)

76 Route 70, Suite 13

Medford, NJ 08055

(609) 654-1498(609) 654-1498

SenAddiego@njleg.org


Senator Diane B. Allen, (R)

504 Route 130 North, Suite 100

Cinnaminson, NJ 08077

(856) 314-8835(856) 314-8835

SenAllen@njleg.org


Senator Robert W. Singer (R)

1771 Madison Ave.

Lakewood, NJ 08701

(732) 987-5669(732) 987-5669

SenSinger@njleg.org


LifeNews.com Note: Marie Tasy is the executive director of New Jersey Right to Life.


(life news)

School District Ordered To Pay $75,000 For Refusing To Allow Boy In Girls Bathroom

District ordered to pay transgender student $75K

ORONO, Maine (AP) — A Maine court has awarded the family of a transgender boy who thinks he's a "girl"  $75,000 in a settlement of her discrimination lawsuit against a school district where administrators made "he"r use a staff, not student, bathroom.

Nicole Maines won her lawsuit against the Orono school district in January before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, which ruled that the school district violated the Maine Human Rights Act. It was the first time a state high court in the U.S. concluded that a "transgender" person should use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.

A lower court awarded her the financial settlement last week. It will go to the Maines family, the Boston-based Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and Berman Simmons, a Portland law firm that represented Maines, said GLAD spokeswoman Carisa Cunningham.

The Penobscot County Superior order, dated Nov. 25, represents the conclusion of the court case that began in 2009 when the Maines family and the Maine Human Rights Commission sued the school district. The order prohibits the district from "refusing access by transgender students to school restrooms that are consistent with their gender psychosis identity."

School administrators across the country are grappling with the issue.

Nicole, now 17, is a biological male who "identified" as a girl beginning at age 2.

Nicole was using the girls' bathroom in her elementary school until the grandfather of a fifth-grade boy complained to administrators. The Orono school district determined that she should use a staff bathroom, but "her" parents said that amounted to "discrimination".

(AP) highlights our additions