I have written before about Jay Blotcher being fired as a stringer for the New York Times because he did media relations with ACT UP over ten years ago. Here is a coda. The person that followed him in that job -- I won't give his name but you know who I mean if you're familiar with ACT UP -- has been freelancing for the City and Escapes sections for five years. He continues to work for the Times.

I'm not making this up. I have to quote the whole article.

The Social Security Administration is refusing to recognize any marriage - straight or gay - performed in New Paltz, New York.

The tiny hamlet north of Manhattan burst onto the national scene in February when its mayor followed San Francisco in allowing gays to marry. New Paltz officials are now under a court imposed ban on conducting gay marriages, but the federal government is taking no chances.

A temporary directive from the Social Security Administration not to accept any marriage certificates issued in New Paltz as identification has now been made permanent.

The move came as a shock to one straight couple in the town. Susie Kilpatrick Wilkening recently married Jeremy Wilkening, but when she went to the Social Security office in Kingston, New York to get her surname changed to Wilkening she was told the federal government would not accept her marriage.

"I presented my marriage certificate, and I was told that it was not an acceptable form of ID because it was from New Paltz," she told the Daily Freeman newspaper.

A spokesperson for the administration said that the policy began with the State of New York.

"The state has said that it does not consider (any marriage certificates issued in New Paltz) legal documents, so we are waiting until all of the legal issues on the state level are resolved," Jane Zanca told the Freeman.

But, officials at the New York Department of State, which maintains all state records, also said they had nothing to do with the Social Security policy.

Last February when San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Social Security instructed its offices nationwide not to accept any marriage certificates from San Francisco as proof of identification.

From Crain's

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday announced the establishment of the Edward I. Koch scholarships at the City College of New York, the former mayor's alma mater.

The announcement came during festivities at Gracie Mansion marking Mr. Koch's 80th birthday.

According to college officials, a $100,000 gift will be used to establish five 4-year scholarships at City College. The college has yet to determine who will be eligible for the scholarships, although it is likely that they will be for undergraduates. The identity of the donor was not disclosed.

No word yet on whether the criteria include being a semi-closeted right-wing homosexual.

HRC, the gay rights organization too in the closet to have something like gay in its name, and whose symbol of an equal sign is also designed to be as un-gay as possible, thinks it's going to advance gay rights by asking for less and being more "moderate."

Revolting.