Long Island Update: elections, a new video, our community forum and more

Post by Long Island Program Organizer Joanna Solmonsohn

Long Islanders have been playing, and will continue to play, a major role in the fight for the passage of marriage equality and the Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act. Here’s a rundown of recent past events and upcoming ways to get involved!

This month is LGBT History Month. Help celebrate it by working to achieve LGBT equality and justice on Long Island. There is much work to be done in anticipation of the General Election on November 2 and many ways to get involved.

Re-elect Brian Foley

Join the Pride Agenda, Marriage Equality New York , HRC and the GLBT Democrats of Suffolk County as we work to re-elect Senator Brian Foley. Senator Foley voted “yes” on the marriage bill and has expressed public support for the Gender Expression Non-discrimination Act. His vote in support of marriage is being used against him. Our community must not allow attacks based on pro-LGBT votes to hurt fair-minded candidates in the 2010 elections. Senator Foley was willing to stand up and do the right thing for our community, and now our community needs to stand behind him to ensure he remains in office and continues fighting for our community.

Let’s show Long Islanders that LGBT people and our allies are a strong, united force that is willing and able to make a difference.

When: Sunday, October 24 and on election day, Tuesday, November 2
Beginning at 11am

Where: Senator Brian Foley’s Campaign Office
81 Carleton Avenue, Central Islip

RSVP: Joanna Solmonsohn, 516.993.4623, jsolmonsohn AT prideagenda DOT org

While you’re at it, check out this video about Sen. Foley, made by our friends at Marriage Equality New York.



Long Island marriage education program

In addition to our electoral work on Long Island, the Pride Agenda is engaged in identifying marriage equality and transgender civil rights supporters and a marriage equality education program.

The marriage education program, entitled Marriage Equality and Families, was created and developed in conjunction with our Pride in the Pulpit Program. The goal of the program is to connect with Long Islanders especially those who are skeptical about marriage equality or who think that same –sex marriage has little to do with them. The program is in the form of a panel discussion. Same sex couples share stories about their lives and families in order to bring a personal perspective to this issue, help people explore their own thoughts about marriage equality, and provide a venue for them to ask questions about a topic that they may not know a lot about.

If you would like to invite the panel to speak at your congregation, club meeting, or university, please contact Joanna Solmonsohn at 516.993.4623 or jsolmonsohn AT prideagenda DOT org.

Report from Community Forum

On September 23, the Pride Agenda hosted a community forum in Hauppauge. Joining our new executive director Ross Levi for a dialogue about the work being done to achieve LGBT equality and justice on Long Island were Cathy Marino-Thomas from Marriage Equality New York and James Fallarino from Equality Long Island. Members of our community had the chance to share their ideas about the work being done on Long Island and the best ways we can work together going forward. Much discussion centered on the importance of the upcoming election and engaging allies in our fight. Watch a recording of the webcast.

Pride Agenda at Long Island Pride

This past Sunday, the 19th annual Long Island Pride Parade took place in Huntington. This year’s theme was “Proud, Strong, United,” and hundreds of people representing dozens of LGBT organizations, places of worship and clubs marched along Main Street. The parade was followed by a festival in Heckscher Park, where the Pride Agenda and 14 volunteers handed out hundreds of placards and collected close to 1,000 letters in support of marriage equality and GENDA.

Pride Agenda staff and volunteers.

Pride Agenda Board Director Juli Owens (with sign) and friends.

Pride Agenda volunteer Kendra Clark looks at letters collected in support of marriag equality and GENDA.

Organizing for marriage equality on Long Island

Last night more than 200 Long Islanders crowded into Central Synagogue in Rockville Centre to hear about where the marriage equality bill stood in the state legislature and how they could get involved in making marriage for same-sex couples a reality in New York.

The event, organized by the Pride Agenda, HRC, NYCLU and Marriage Equality New York was also co-sponsored by about two dozen local Long Island LGBT groups and supportive religious congregations.



LGBT people and straight allies began filing in at 7:00 PM and listened to a four-speaker panel (one from each of the sponsoring organizations) discuss the marriage equality movement and how we’ve gotten to where we are today--nationally and in New York State. They learned about actions they could take on the spot to help move the needle on Long Island, and ways that they could get involved in this crucial election year.


Panelists emphasized that the New York State Senate was the only remaining roadblock to marriage equality in New York. The crowd was eager to know where their State Senators were on marriage equality and Pride Agenda Program Director Desma Holcomb, using the Pride Agenda Legislative Scorecard, pointed out that many Long Island Senators have yet to publicly declare where they are on the issue. Holcomb said the next step is for Long Islanders to move these "undecided" Senators to support marriage equality and, if unsuccessful, then seriously think about replacing those who are opposed.

Panelists also stated that the 2008 electoral strategy for LGBT New Yorkers is to elect a pro-LGBT majority -- consisting of both Democrat and Republican Senators-- that is willing to take up marriage equality and other bills important to the LGBT community. Because the current Senate Republican leadership continues to say very publicly that it has no intention of letting the bill come up for a vote, this means making a significant change in the State Senate to move the bill, something almost every political pundit agrees can happen this November.

After the discussion, attendees signed letters and made phone calls to their State Senators stating their support for marriage equality. And each person provided the names and contact information of at least five more supportive Long Islanders who can actively participate in organizing support for marriage equality.