Stonewall Democrats, also known in some states as LGBT Democrats, is a caucus within the Democratic Party that advocates for issues that are relevant to LGBT Americans. The caucus primarily operates through individual chapters or political clubs supporting LGBTQ rights and affiliated with the Democratic Party.
LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, commonly shortened to Victory Fund, is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ public officials in the United States. Victory Fund is the largest LGBTQ+ political action committee in the United States and one of the nation's largest non-connected PACs.
Heritage of Pride (HOP), doing business as NYC Pride, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that plans and produces the official New York City LGBTQIA+ Pride Week events each June. HOP began working on the events in 1984, taking on the work previously done by the Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee organizers of the first NYC Pride March in 1970. HOP also took over responsibility for the operations of NYC's Pride Festival and Pride Rally. It was that first march that brought national attention to 1969's Stonewall Riots. The late sixties saw numerous protests and riots across the United States on many social injustices and from general political unrest including the war in Vietnam.
The Congressional Equality Caucus, formerly the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus, was formed by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank on June 4, 2008, to advance LGBT+ rights. The caucus is chaired by the most senior member and is co-chaired by nine of the United States House of Representatives' ten current openly LGBT members; during the 118th Congress, the caucus is chaired by Representative Mark Pocan and is co-chaired by Representatives Becca Balint, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Robert Garcia, Chris Pappas, Mark Pocan, Eric Sorensen, Mark Takano, and Ritchie Torres.
Daniel Dromm is an American politician who served on the New York City Council from the 25th district from 2010 to 2021. He is a Democrat. The district includes East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights in Queens.
James G. Van Bramer is an American politician. A Democrat, who served in the New York City Council and represented the 26th district from 2010 to 2021, which includes Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, and Woodside in Queens. Van Bramer is a progressive who was one of the few members of the City Council to endorse Cynthia Nixon's campaign in the 2018 New York gubernatorial election.
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is America's oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older people, focusing on the issue of LGBTQ+ aging. According to its mission statement, "SAGE leads in addressing issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning aging. In partnership with its constituents and allies, SAGE works to achieve a high quality of life for LGBTQ+ older people, supports and advocates for their rights, fosters a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promotes positive images of LGBTQ+ life in later years." SAGE is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses on advocacy on the local and federal levels, as well as activities, groups, and programs that encourage LGBTQ+ older people to stay connected with each other and the community.
Nicole Malliotakis is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 11th congressional district since 2021. Her constituency covers Staten Island and southern Brooklyn.
The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". The advocacy movement for LGBT rights in the state has been dated as far back as 1969 during the Stonewall riots in New York City. Same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults has been legal since the New York v. Onofre case in 1980. Same-sex marriage has been legal statewide since 2011, with some cities recognizing domestic partnerships between same-sex couples since 1998. Discrimination protections in credit, housing, employment, education, and public accommodation have explicitly included sexual orientation since 2003 and gender identity or expression since 2019. Transgender people in the state legally do not have to undergo sex reassignment surgery to change their sex or gender on official documents since 2014. In addition, both conversion therapy on minors and the gay and trans panic defense have been banned since 2019. Since 2021, commercial surrogacy has been legally available within New York State.
The Progressive Caucus of the New York City Council is a bloc of progressive New York City Council members that was formed in 2009. In 2010, the Caucus consisted of 12 members, nearly 25% of the 51-member New York City Council. The caucus grew to 35 members following the 2021 city council elections, before narrowing to 20 members in February 2023 following new bylaws requiring members to sign on to their Statement of Principles. It is co-chaired by Shahana Hanif (D-Brooklyn) and Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn). Jennifer Gutierrez (D-Brooklyn) and Carmen De La Rosa (D-Manhattan) are Vice Co-Chairs.
Joseph Charles Borelli is an American politician and the New York City Council member for the 51st district and Minority Leader of the New York City Council. He is a Republican and a former media surrogate of the Donald Trump campaign. The district encompasses much of Staten Island's South Shore.
Ritchie John Torres is an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, Torres is the U.S. representative for New York's 15th congressional district. The district covers most of the South Bronx and is, by one measure, the poorest congressional district in the United States, as well as one of the smallest districts by area in the country, covering only a few square miles.
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."
Ronald Castorina, Jr. is an American judge, politician and attorney from New York. A Republican, Castorina represented the 62nd District in the New York State Assembly from May 10, 2016 to January 2, 2019. In 2020, he was elected as a judge of the New York City Civil Court, and in 2021, he was elected to a judgeship in the Supreme Court, Richmond County.
Max N. Rose is an American military officer and politician who served as a United States Representative from New York for a single term from 2019 to 2021. A moderate Democrat, he served on the committees for Homeland Security and Veteran's Affairs and played a key role in bringing a stalled bill for a fund for victims of the September 11 attacks to a vote in the United States House of Representatives. Rose served in the Biden administration as senior advisor to the United States Secretary of Defense for COVID-19 from January 2021 to July 2021.
The Queens Pride Parade and Multicultural Festival is the second oldest and second-largest pride parade in New York City. It is held annually in the neighborhood of Jackson Heights, located in the New York City borough of Queens. The parade was founded by Daniel Dromm and Maritza Martinez to raise the visibility of the LGBTQ community in Queens and memorialize Jackson Heights resident Julio Rivera. Queens also serves as the largest transgender hub in the Western hemisphere and is the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.
David Carr is an American politician serving as Council Member for the 50th Council District of the New York City Council. He is a Republican.
Kamillah M. Hanks is an American politician and New York City Council Member for the 49th District on the North Shore of Staten Island.
The Children of the Rainbow Curriculum, created in 1991 by the New York City Board of Education was introduced to first-grade teachers to "assist with teaching about multicultural social issues". Its creation was prompted by a number of hate crime incidents that happened in New York City in the late 1980s through early 1990s, such as the murder of Yusef Kirriem Hawkins, Julio Rivera and Jimmy Zappalorti. The lesson plans offered readings, activities, and other lectures that include diverse minority groups.
