Pride Agenda Condemns Statements by Carl Paladino Calling Lives of LGBT People Not Valid

Ross D. Levi, Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda and Foundation, released the following statement:

“In the wake of the hate crimes sweeping New York State, including the sickening abuse and torture experienced by three young men in the Bronx last weekend, and the rash of LGBT youth taking their own lives all across our country, it is unfathomable that Carl Paladino could espouse the homophobic position that the lives of gay New Yorkers are not as valid as his. Law abiding, tax-paying LGBT New Yorkers, and parents of LGBT children, should not have to worry that their governor will be siding with those who feel we are less than, that we are second class citizens living less valid lives than our neighbors. Apparently, Carl Paladino is fine with schools teaching that sentiment as well, and believes that to teach otherwise is brainwashing. Fortunately, what Carl Paladino calls brainwashing most New Yorkers call getting along.

Will every New Yorker who fails to meet Carl Paladino’s personal morality code have to worry about being deemed invalid? Our extraordinary diversity is part of what makes New York great, and we will all need to work together to address the challenges we face in the coming years. This will be far harder if New Yorkers are divided or distracted by a governor and a government who are making judgments about whether or not some law abiding citizens are leading ‘valid lives.’

Carl Paladino seeks to be governor, but by confirming anti-LGBT sentiments, he shows that he is clearly not cut out to be the leader of our state. New York needs a governor who is committed to equal treatment and equal respect for all its citizens, not one who finds a whole segment of the population he would be representing to be invalid and dysfunctional. The days of elected officials refusing to give LGBT people the dignity and respect we deserve as citizens are long over. We expect and demand better from those who seek to represent and lead our great Empire State.”

Another tragedy

Reports are emerging of the tragic suicide today of a Rutgers freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge, after classmates without his knowledge broadcast on the internet video of him in an encounter with another male (New Jersey Star-Ledger, North Jersey Record).

This is on the heels of similar tragedies in California and Texas.

Our hearts go out to the student and his family. It's our hope that as more states pass protections such as the Dignity for All Students Act, more students and communities will become aware of the life-threatening costs of this kind of bullying and harassment.

2010 Wedding March

Yesterday Pride Agenda volunteers and staff joined the 2010 Wedding March, coordinated by our partners at Marriage Equality New York and a coalition of groups and leaders from across the state.


Here’s a picture of Miss New York, Claire Buffie, with our executive director, Ross Levi. Claire is being honored at our annual Fall Dinner, and is also helping us fundraise by selling t-shirts on her blog.


Check out more coverage from the inspiring demonstration from New York Daily News.

Thank you so much to all our volunteers who gave up their Sunday in support of marriage equality!

"National Organization for Marriage" and "New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms" ramping up efforts in New York State

Two anti-LGBT extremist groups are ramping up their efforts to demonize our community and prevent loving, same-sex couples from ever getting married in our state. Will you help us hold our ground and elect pro-LGBT candidates in November?

"New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms" (NYCF) is back at it. The out-of-touch, right wing Albany lobby that even fought against the widely-supported Dignity for All Students Act to prevent bullying and discrimination in public schools, is organizing a fundraising tour, going around the state spreading lies about LGBT New Yorkers and our families. The DC-based group National Organization for Marriage (NOM) organized their own smear tour last summer, including a poorly-attended rally in Albany.

NOM is now back in our state, and their latest tactic has dire implications that go far beyond our movement. Last week they filed a lawsuit bringing a constitutional challenge to New York's democratically approved campaign finance laws. They are seeking to draw from a network of anonymous anti-marriage donors from across the country to spend vast resources infusing our elections with the politics of division, all without any public accountability whatsoever.

The people of New York deserve to know who is influencing our elections and why. Groups like NOM have no right to come to New York and try to covertly undermine our elections while the Pride Agenda and everyday New Yorkers follow our state's duly-established laws.

This lawsuit — and lawsuits we've seen like it across the nation — have sweeping implications for democracy and election transparency. We've seen the right wing try to hide the identities of people who petitioned to put a domestic partnership ban on the ballot in Washington State, and hide the identities of donors to the marriage bans in California and Maine.

The anti-LGBT industry is trying to cast themselves as the victim again, but LGBT people have been demonized by these people for too long to let our neighbors be fooled. We carry out our campaign in the light of day, while they work in the shadows, hiding their donors and spreading misinformation. In the end, we can prevail on election day, but only with your help.

Please make a donation to our Political Action Committee, to help our allies who voted for marriage and support transgender non-discrimination. We need to make sure these pro-fairness candidates have the resources they need to counter the misinformation used against them by groups who have no interest in playing by the rules.

Moving On, and Moving Forward

Reflections from outgoing Transgender Rights Program Organizer Ejay Carter

Any time one makes the decision to leave a current job and move on, it’s an opportunity to reflect. Over the past two weeks, I’ve thought a great deal about the work that I’ve participated in at the Pride Agenda, and how it’s part of the continuum pushing for equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers.

Over the last two years alone we have accomplished an incredible amount of work to further the GENDA Campaign to secure basic civil rights for transgender New Yorkers. We have hosted statewide GENDA strategy meetings, countless conference calls, collected and hand delivered well over 3,000 letters, hosted 3 call-in days with national participation, lead or participated in at least a dozen panels, had a well attended GENDA Advocacy Day, partnered with organizations such as Housing Works to continue lobbying efforts, created new advocacy materials such as the Mythbuster and Trans Experiences and recruited hundreds of new individuals to the campaign. And those are just some of the highlights. There have been in-district meetings, person-to-person conversations in labor and faith communities, and in a myriad of other places. This doesn’t even cover our push within state agencies to further transgender inclusion and equality.

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling across the state to meet advocates, both professional and volunteer, who have dedicated their lives and time to working for equality in various legislative campaigns, including for the Dignity for All Students Act and marriage equality. Many of these advocates taught me, along with the rest of the Pride Agenda, invaluable lessons about sustainable community building--and resilience.

So what now? The work moves forward. The campaign to win transgender civil rights will undoubtedly be strong, and will need the help of every advocate. One of the most inspiring and challenging parts of advocating for justice to all New Yorkers is the fact that there is no clear beginning - or end - to the work we do together.

There are set-backs, challenges and victories. But the movement is rich with talented advocates, many of whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with during my tenure at the Pride Agenda. I am strongly looking forward to acting as a volunteer advocate moving forward. Of course, I’m personally invested in equality, but I’m also intimately familiar with how far we have come, and how much more there still is to do. I look forward to pushing for the transgender civil rights bill, and to aiding with its implementation when it finally passes. I see a broad, inclusive, statewide movement for LGBT equality developing, with Pride Agenda assistance, and I’m honored to have been a part of the work as a staff member.

As I move from a professional, full time role, I know that I want to be there for the next steps in the struggle for transgender rights, and in the community building efforts on all of our goals. I’m grateful to have worked and learned from both staff and volunteers with the Pride Agenda. Those lessons will serve me well personally, and I know will serve this organization well, too.

Butchie, the GENDA puppy is the beloved pet of Sheilah Sable, the Pride Agenda’s Upstate Director of Pride in Action.

Will you promise to vote in the November 2 General Election?

If you voted in last week's Primary Election, you know in some of our endorsed races that it was a bit of a nail-biter until the last minute. However, thanks to your votes and your contributions of time and money, our community came out victorious in the vast majority of Pride Agenda's endorsed races. We held ground for our proven allies and helped new champions win their primaries. You also helped defeat a Senator who voted against both marriage for same-sex couples and the most basic civil rights for lesbian and gay New Yorkers.

We need you again. The Pride Agenda is pushing hard to the finish line, but in order to win in the General Election on November 2, every LGBT and allied New Yorker who is eligible must vote.

Make a promise to yourself and to the LGBT community today: Pledge to vote on Tuesday, November 2. This commitment is important not only for LGBT people. To secure our rights, we need our allies to stand up and stand with us, and no time more than on Election Day. Sign our pledge:

"I pledge to turn out and vote on November 2 in support of LGBT equality and justice."

If you or anyone you know isn't registered, the deadline is October 8. We simply can't afford for any pro-LGBT New Yorker who is eligible to vote to miss an election, especially this one. We need to stand with our allies in office who have stood with us, and we need to send a strong message to politicians who have opposed us that there will be accountability for their actions. Sign our pledge, and ask your friends to make the promise, too.

PS -- Once you sign our pledge to vote, please consider taking the next step. "Like" us on Facebook for important election updates, contribute to our Election PAC or volunteer on a key race.

Pride Agenda endorsements win -- You made the difference!

Today our movement took an important step forward. In some of the most hotly contested and closely watched races in the state, pro-LGBT candidates endorsed by the Pride Agenda claimed victory. This includes a flip from a Senator who voted against marriage equality to a candidate who has pledged support. Your tireless support helped us both defend the seats of our allies and bring new champions to office.

Some highlights from tonight include the following Pride Agenda-endorsed candidates who won their primary:

Statewide Race
Attorney General – Sen. Eric Schneiderman (D), Open

New York State Senate
SD 16 (Queens) – Toby Ann Stavisky (D), Incumbent
SD 18 (Brooklyn) – Velmanette Montgomery (D), Incumbent
SD 21 (Brooklyn) – Kevin S. Parker (D), Incumbent
SD 30 (Harlem) – Bill Perkins (D), Incumbent
SD 31 (Upper Manhattan and Bronx) -- Adriano Espaillat (D), Open
SD 46 (Albany) – Neil Breslin (D), Incumbent
SD 58 (Buffalo) – Tim Kennedy (D), Challenger
SD 60 (Buffalo) – Antoine Thompson (D), Incumbent

New York State Assembly
AD 28 – (Queens) Andrew Hevesi (D), Incumbent
AD 35 (Queens) – Jeffrion Aubry (D), Incumbent
AD 39 (Queens) – Francisco Moya (D), Open
AD 42 (Brooklyn) – Rhoda Jacobs (D), Incumbent
AD 73 (Manhattan) – Jonathan Bing (D), Incumbent
AD 76 (Bronx) – Peter M. Rivera (D), Incumbent
AD 80 (Bronx) – Naomi Rivera (D), Incumbent
AD 82 (Bronx) – Michael Benedetto (D), Incumbent
AD 131 (Rochester) – Harry Bronson (D), Open
AD 144 (Buffalo) – Sam Hoyt (D), Incumbent

In a state where incumbents win their elections 98 percent of the time, we know we face an uphill battle when we challenge those who vote against measures like marriage equality and transgender civil rights. But we also know it is important to send the message to candidates of all political stripes that working toward equality for LGBT New Yorkers is the just and politically prudent thing to do. Even when our preferred candidate does not win outright, we bring accountability to those elected officials who fail to stand up for fairness by showing them that it will not be a cakewalk to their next reelection.

We've gotten this far thanks to you. You spread the word about our endorsements to friends and family, phone banked and walked districts in support of candidates, donated to the Pride Agenda's PAC and to candidates themselves. Thanks to your contributions, the Pride Agenda Political Action Committee made close to $50,000 of direct campaign contributions to Primary campaigns. And already this year, staff and volunteers of the Pride Agenda Foundation have knocked on over ten thousand doors and visited transportation hubs, farmers markets and other locations to identify supporters of marriage equality and transgender civil rights in strategic areas across the state.

We are grateful that you have added our community's strength to the campaigns of so many champions for LGBT equality and justice. We also appreciate the important efforts of our partner organizations, like Fight Back New York, the Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality New York and many others, who have brought significant resources to the fight for marriage equality here in New York.

And it's not over yet. Please renew your commitment to winning equality and justice in the 2010 General Election on November 2. Contribute to the Pride Agenda PAC or contribute your time and volunteer on a key race. Stay tuned to our 2010 Election Center for new endorsements and important information as we approach the November elections.