Tag Archives: Empire State Pride Agenda

In an unanticipated announcement, New York state’s leading LGBT rights organization has revealed its plan to shut down. Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News: Citing its success in winning new state regulations protecting transgender New Yorkers from discrimination, the Empire State Pride Agenda has announced it will close down major operations in early 2016. In a press release issued …

The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act has passed in the New York Assembly SEVEN times, but shamefully it has never been allowed to come to a vote in the state Senate. Today openly gay Sen. Brad Hoylman (above right) and Sen. Daniel Squadron will attend a rally at the state capitol building. Via press release from the Empire State Pride Agenda: …

Via press release: The news that the organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will allow one LGBT group – OUT at NBC Universal – to march under its own banner for the first time strikes us as disappointing and self-serving. While this development is long overdue, inviting one group to march at the exclusion of all others and continuing …

Yesterday New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio unveiled his first budget in a $73.5B expenditure plan that includes new funding to aid the city’s large population of homeless LGBT youth. “This is a progressive administration. Our budget will be a progressive budget,” de Blasio said. The budget includes restoring $8.3 million in 2014 for homeless services that was slashed …

Via press release from Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Nathan Schaefer: I could not be more enthusiastic about sharing the following announcement with you: the Empire State Pride Agenda’s Political Action Committee has just announced our endorsement of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for Mayor of New York City. This is an amazing moment for us and …

The Empire State Pride Agenda has named former Gay Men’s Health Crisis public policy director Nathan Schaefer as their new executive director. Schaefer says his first goal is the passage of GENDA, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act.

The Empire State Pride Agenda has let go its executive director, Ross Levi. Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News: Barely eight months after New York State’s gay rights movement won its biggest victory ever, with the enactment of marriage equality, the Empire State Pride Agenda, the state’s LGBT lobby, has fired its executive director, Ross Levi. The action came …

As last night’s annual fall gala for the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for all states to legalize same-sex marriage. Shifting his sights beyond New York in a way he has not done before, Mr. Cuomo demanded that the federal Defense of Marriage Act be repealed. His voice rising in intensity as he spoke, he …

Empire State Pride Agenda “Love and fairness wins the day for all New Yorkers and our families. Today is a historic day and a victory for equality and justice – it is the culmination of many years of work by the Pride Agenda and others across the state,” said Ross D. Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. …

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A coalition of LGBT rights group has formed to make a concentrated push for marriage equality in New York state. Via press release: New Yorkers United for Marriage, an unprecedented alliance that includes Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to M arry, Human Rights Campaign and Marriage Equality New York will build on the growing momentum for marriage and groundwork already …

Today the Empire State Pride Agenda endorsed 2010 NY Senate candidate Charlie Ramos in his bid to unseat the state’s most vile homophobe, Sen. Ruben Diaz. Via press release: As you probably know, Senator Diaz is our most vocal foe on marriage equality and transgender non-discrimination in the State Senate. He led rallies against marriage equality, spoke and voted against …

The Empire State Pride Agenda has named Ross Levi as its new executive director. Levi has been with ESPA for ten years and since 2006 had been its director of public policy and education. Levi replaces Alan Van Capelle, who departed in February to be chief of staff for NYC Comptroller John Liu. Some have pointed to the failure of …

The Empire State Pride Agenda is looking for volunteers for a phone-banking push to get the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) passed in the New York Senate. The phone banking schedule is as follows: Tuesday, March 2ndThursday, March 4th Tuesday, March 9thThursday, March 11th Phone banks take place at our NYC office at 16 West 22nd St. 2nd floor, between …

Seventeen years after its approval by the state Assembly, the New York Senate has finally approved the Family Health Care Decisions Act. Domestic partners will now have priority over biological family members when it comes to the medical needs of an incapacitated partner. Via press release from the Empire State Pride Agenda (my bolding): New York has been one of …

Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle is stepping down for a position in the office of NYC Comptroller John Liu. The departure comes shortly after ESPA’s years-long attempt to bring marriage equality to New York failed in the state Senate. Van Capelle is breaking the news this morning to the staff at ESPA, where his seven-year tenure …

New from the Empire State Pride Agenda: On December 2, 2009 the New York State Senate rejected a bill that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. New Yorkers responded to the vote with sadness and anger, but mostly with renewed determination to win. Join the Pride Agenda as we continue fighting for equal rights for all LGBT New Yorkers …

Yesterday the Empire State Pride Agenda announced their endorsement of NY Assemblyman Jose Peralta in his bid to unseat NY Sen. Hiram Monserrate, who stunned activists with his betrayal on marriage last week. But today we learn that Peralta may not be a squeaky-clean choice. Via NY Daily News: Queens Assemblyman Jose Peralta landed more than $500,000 in taxpayer money …

The Empire State Pride Agenda is fast out of the gate, today making its first endorsement of an opponent to one of the eight Senate Democrats who voted against marriage equality. Via press release. The Empire State Pride Agenda announced today its endorsement of Assemblymember José Peralta in the 2010 Democratic Primary Election for State Senate District 13 in Queens. …

NY Sen. Thomas Duane, via press release: Today’s vote against Marriage Equality makes me very angry. Promises made were not honored. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, and all fair-minded New Yorkers have been betrayed. I am enraged, deeply disappointed and profoundly saddened by the vote today. In 2006, when the New York State Court of Appeals shamefully …