Shortly before her appointment to the U.S. Senate was announced, Gillibrand reportedly contacted the Empire State Pride Agenda (an LGBT lobbying organization in New York) to express her full support for same-sex marriage, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding gay and lesbian servicemembers, and the passage of legislation banning discrimination against transgender persons. Gillibrand had supported civil unions for same-sex couples and argued that the same-sex marriage issue should be left to states. Paterson's office had advised her to reach out to Empire State Pride.