New York ? Gays serving openly in the military. Voting rights for more ex-convicts. Paid sick days and family leave for most American workers.

Those are part of a long wish list that liberal advocacy groups hope will become reality as Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats take full control in Washington. Activists concede that political pragmatism – and the economic crisis – may force them to be patient, but they also don’t want to let this opportunity pass without pressing hard for their agenda.

NOW support

“We’ve been waiting a long time, and we’ve got a long list,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. “Since 1994, we’ve been losing over and over on legislation related to equality and fair treatment for women.”

NOW, after backing Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primaries, threw its support behind Obama in his race against John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Feminist leaders now want Obama and the new Congress to address pay inequity for women, require most employers to offer paid sick days and paid family leave, and pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which would overrule many state-level restrictions on access to abortion.

Gay-rights support

The gay-rights movement also campaigned for Obama. It hopes for swift action on two bills – a measure that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation, and a hate-crimes bill that would cover offenses motivated by anti-gay bias.

Beyond that, gay activists hope for some sort of federal recognition of same-sex partnerships and for repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prohibits active-duty service members from openly acknowledging they are gay.

However, the extent of congressional support for those two potentially divisive steps remains in question. Activists are braced for the possibility that Obama won’t tackle them immediately. Regarding “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Obama said he wants to work with military leaders to build a consensus on removing the ban so gays can serve openly.

‘Have to get in line’

A leader of the campaign against the ban, Aubrey Sarvis of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, said such a deliberate approach seemed sensible – as long as it produced an end to “don’t ask, don’t tell” before the next congressional elections in 2010.

“I know we’re going to have to get in line,” Sarvis said. “Hopefully, we see a partnership with the White House, the Defense Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that results in a recommendation for repeal.”

Elaine Donnelly, who as president of the Center for Military Readiness opposes any role for gays in the armed forces, said Congress might not be as eager as Obama to let gays serve openly.

“If the Democrats do push it through, there will be political consequences,” she said.

Now, groups such as NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America want Obama and Congress to move aggressively on several initiatives that were thwarted during the Bush administration. Priorities include expanded access to birth control and family-planning services, and a shift from Bush-supported abstinence-only sex education to comprehensive programs that include teaching about contraception.