Monday, April 30, 2007

Bringing the movement to Albany

Tomorrow is LGBT Equality & Justice Day. More than 1100 LGBT and straight New Yorkers will be at the state capitol to lobby their representatives to act on gay issues. It's an amazing event for many reasons, but made even more special because of Eliot Spitzer's marriage bill introduction last Friday and the fact that there has not been this large of a community presence in Albany since the 1971 March on Albany (see photo below) to demand the most basic of rights after the Stonewall riots.


(photo courtesy of Richard C. Wandell)


The day is packed with events and speakers, meetings with elected officials, a rally at lunchtime and the chance to meet other LGBT New Yorkers from all across New York State.



We'll be live-blogging throughout the day tomorrow, posting up-to-the-minute information on what's going on during the various sessions and results of the lobby meetings. If you are not going to E&J Day, you can write your State Senator and Assemblymember at the Pride Agenda's Action Center and ask them to support the marriage bill, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and the Dignity for All Students Act (starting tomorrow). If you are going, we'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning!

1 comment:

Brooklyn Ron said...

It was a wonderful day and experience in Albany on May 1st, 2007. We met with Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries (AD57), Senator Velmanette Montgomery (SD18), Senator Kevin Parker and Senator John Samuels' assistant and they all gave us warm welcome. They all advised that they were on the three Bills and if they weren't they would add their names. The only person who had to still read the Dignity Bill was Assemblyman Jeffries. He assured us that after he read the Bill he would add his name if he didn't have any problems with the contents.
I would like to thank ESPA for giving me this opportunity to lobby for these very important Bills.
Brooklyn Ron.