Empire State Pride Agenda
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The Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) was a statewide political advocacy organization in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
that advocated for
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
, gay,
bisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
, and
transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
(
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
) rights, including
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
. ESPA has since disbanded after an executive order was passed by Governor
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
which protects the rights of transgender citizens as long as future governors uphold the law. ESPA was founded in 1990 through the merger of the New York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby and the Friends and Advocates for Individual Rights. ESPA was considered the leading gay political organization in the State of New York before it disbanded. As of 2005, ESPA was the largest statewide lesbian and gay political advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States. ESPA played a leading role in the late 1980s and early 1990s, along with groups representing other minorities, in surveying and consulting on a new districting process for the City Council of New York City; according to some, these efforts resulted in the most diverse City Council since the 1930s. Dick Dadey served as first executive director from 1991–1997. ESPA has been the driving force in negotiating New York City's comprehensive
domestic partnership A domestic partnership is a legal relationship, usually between couples, who live together and share a common domestic life, but are not married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partnerships receive benefits that guarantee r ...
law, passing a statewide
hate crime A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
s law, repealing a 150-year-old consensual
sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...
statute, and enacting local non-discrimination laws and policies in Buffalo, Ithaca, Nassau County, and Westchester County. Each year, ESPA outlines legislative, electoral and organizing priorities for the state. In 2012, ESPA received press attention when, approaching the end of Ross D. Levi's second year as executive director, it assigned his duties to his deputy Lynn Faria pending a long-term replacement.Celeste Katz
"Ross Levi Is Done As ESPA Executive Director"
March 6, 2012, ''New York Daily News''.
"Press Release: Ross Levi named Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda"
May 22, 2010
ESPA was a member of the
Equality Federation Equality Federation is a social justice, advocacy and capacity building organization serving and supporting state-based lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organizations in the United States. History In 1997, a group of stat ...
.


History

In June 1994, ESPA, along with the New York City chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, produced a full-page advertisement in ''The New York Times'' to counteract the " religious right" portrayal of us as "a scary specter"; more than 1,000 gay and lesbian New Yorkers came out about their non-heterosexuality. In 1994, ESPA joined a network of liberal and progressive groups to counteract the "right-wing" Christian Right's "stealth strategy" to getting people elected to local school boards by "hiding their opposition to critical thinking, bilingual programs, multicultural education, and ultimately to public schooling itself". In 1996, ESPA joined the
Freedom to Marry Coalition Freedom to Marry was the national bipartisan organization dedicated to winning marriage for same-sex couples in the United States. Freedom to Marry was founded in New York City in 2003 by Evan Wolfson. Wolfson served as president of the organiz ...
(Marriage Project). In 1997, ESPA helped educate advocates on how to push for
hate-crimes A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...
legislation. In 1998, ESPA launched "Pride in the Pulpit", a program to combat the use of religion to advance anti-LGBT amendments and legislation; in 2005, more than 450 non-LGBT religious leaders participated. In 1999, ESPA Co-Chair Jeff Soref was named a part of ''Out'' magazine's "Out 100" for his work with ESPA and his efforts to push for a rule change to provide gays and lesbians more representation at the 2000 convention of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
. In the early 2000s, ESPA, together with a local
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network GLSEN (pronounced ''glisten''; formerly the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) is an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expres ...
, convened the Dignity for All Students Coalition, bringing fifty community groups together to work on anti-bullying and anti-discrimination legislation. ESPA was a strong advocate for a 2000 hate crimes law that provided enhanced criminal penalties for crimes motivated by hatred on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2001 and 2002, ESPA worked to ensure that same-sex partners of
September 11 attack The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...
victims received equal financial assistance, as many same-sex partners of those who perished in the attacks were initially denied any compensation. In October 2002, Governor George Pataki decreed that same-sex partners as well as unmarried partners of survivors would receive benefits equal to married partners, and on a national level, Senator Hillary Clinton called for coverage for those affected by the Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. attacks. Three bills that passed in 2002—each of which was advocated by ESPA—provided various benefits and protections to the surviving same-sex partners of individuals who perished in the September 11 attacks. In December 2001, ESPA executive director Matt Foreman was recognized by U.S. Representative Jerrold Nadler for his work with ESPA since 1997.U.S. Congressional Record, Proceedings and Debates of the 170th Congress, First Session, Volume 147, Part 17, page 24556, November 29, 2001 to December 10, 2001. United States Printing Office. Foreman served as executive director of ESPA from 1997 to 2003, when he departed to become executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. In 2002, the New York State legislature passed
Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) is a New York law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit, and the exercise of civil ...
(SONDA) with ESPA being the "major lobbying muscle".Swan, page 107. SONDA was criticized for not covering transgender individuals, but observers felt that the inclusion of gender identity as a protected category would make it impossible to pass the bill (which had first been introduced in 1971). In April 2004 Alan Van Capelle was named as the new executive director. SONDA was passed in December 2002, not covering transgender people but "laying the foundation for winning full equality" according to Foreman. In October 2003,
Carmen Vázquez Carmen Vázquez (January 13, 1949 – January 27, 2021) was an American activist, writer, and community intellectual. Early life and family The oldest of seven children, Carmen Vázquez was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico and raised in Harlem. She ...
, formerly of LGBT Community Center of NYC, was appointed deputy executive director of ESPA. In June 2004, the annual ''Equality at Work'' awards honoring companies and individuals that work to create an "inclusive workspace that respects, welcomes and supports LGBT professionals" were launched. The 2005 recipients were
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, ''
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'', Michael Fishman, president of 32BJ SEIU, and James Berg, president of the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations. The 2006 recipients were
Merrill Lynch Merrill (officially Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated), previously branded Merrill Lynch, is an American investment management and wealth management division of Bank of America. Along with BofA Securities, the investment bank ...
,
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, and Kym Ward Gaffney at
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. ESPA helped pass an August 2004 law guaranteeing same-sex partners hospital visitation rights identical to those enjoyed by spouses and next-of-kin when caring for loved ones in hospitals and other facilities. In October 2004, ESPA held its 13th Annual Fall Dinner with keynote speaker San Francisco mayor
Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...
; the Fall Dinner benefited the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, which is the non-partisan, 501(c)(3) research, education and advocacy arm of the organization. The ESPA Foundation, in partnership with the New York State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health and Human Services Network, "developed and utilized education, advocacy and community organizing strategies to overcome the barriers of political and cultural opposition, inadequate knowledge about the health care needs of the community, and
heterocentric Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of female–male sexuality and relationships. According to Elizabeth Cramer, it can include the belief that all people are or should be heterosexual and that heterosexu ...
models of healthcare" to obtain governmental health and wellness funds targeted for LGBT health needs. The effort resulted in $10.7 million in state funding for non-
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
/
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
LGBT service needs, including primary care, preventative health needs, crime victim assistance, and support services for the state and for youth, seniors and people of color. In 2005, ESPA helped to pass legislation providing same-sex partners the same authority as spouses when making decisions regarding the burial of a deceased partner. In October 2005, ESPA joined the Lambda Legal Defense Fund and a coalition of anti-censorship groups to oppose a new zoning law that would shut down an estimated 149 adult-oriented bookstores, theaters and clubs including all of the businesses on
Christopher Street Christopher Street is a street in the West Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the continuation of 9th Street west of Sixth Avenue. It is most notable for the Stonewall Inn, which is located on Christopher St ...
. In 2007, same-sex marriage legislation passed the New York State Assembly by a vote of 85–61. ESPA has been a leading supporter of same-sex marriage legislation in New York. In 2008, the ESPA-supported Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act passed the New York State Assembly for the first time. On December 2, 2009, ESPA-supported same-sex marriage legislation failed in the New York State Senate by a vote of 24–38. On May 14, 2010, a ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' blog reported that ESPA was "poised to select"
Brian Ellner Brian Ellner is an LGBT rights activist, media and political strategist. He was formerly the executive vice president for public affairs at Edelman in New York and currently leads BCW's U.S. corporate practice, in addition to his role as US Publi ...
as its next executive director. It was later reported that Ellner's past affiliation with
Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...
had been criticized by some ESPA supporters; for whatever reason, he withdrew his name from consideration, and on the 22nd ESPA instead announced appointing Ross D. Levi, an attorney, to the position. Levi had been a legislative assistant at the
New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...
starting in 1997 and part of ESPA's Albany staff since before 2000, and since 2006 had held its title as Director of Public Policy & Education. On July 2, another reporter reported (on the same NYT blog) Ellner's appointment to head the "Campaign for New York Marriage", financed by
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
. On April 20, 2011, New Yorkers United for Marriage was instituted as an alliance among ESPA, Marriage Equality New York, the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...
, and
Freedom to Marry Freedom to Marry was the national bipartisan organization dedicated to winning marriage for same-sex couples in the United States. Freedom to Marry was founded in New York City in 2003 by Evan Wolfson. Wolfson served as president of the organiz ...
. A March 6, 2012, report stated that Levi had been "fired" the preceding day. The ''Times'' credited that as the first report, and suggested that ESPA board members felt Human Rights Campaign's work under Ellner had caught attention to the detriment of ESPA's role. On December 12, 2015, ESPA announced that it would be disbanding over the course of the first half of the next year, citing the "fulfillment of a 25-year campaign for equality."


Same-sex marriage lobbying

At the ESPA Fall Dinner held on October 22, 2009, then-Executive Director Alan Van Capelle publicly expressed great frustration that state senators supported by the group—some of whom Van Capelle mentioned by name—had not yet passed legislation on same-sex marriage. At a "couldn't-be-higher stakes" November 2010 meeting with Governor David Paterson and other elected officials who supported the same-sex marriage bill, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson and Senator Jeff Klein "did not mince words in letting Van Capelle know they were upset by" his critical comments at the Fall Dinner. ESPA was regarded as the driving force behind a failed December 2009 Senate vote on same-sex marriage legislation. In late 2010, Governor
David Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to December 2010. A ...
was asked what would have to occur in order for same-sex marriage to be legalized in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. Paterson responded, "Get rid of the lobbyists," and added that
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...
lobbyists had "literally forced" a Senate vote prematurely in December 2009.


See also

*
LGBT culture in New York City New York City is home to one of the largest LGBTQ populations in the world and the most prominent. 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 power ...
*
LGBT rights in New York The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. LGBT travel guide ''Queer in the World'' states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, ...
*
LGBT history in New York New York state, a state in the northeastern United States, has one of the largest and the most prominent LGBTQ populations in the world. Brian Silverman, the author of ''Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day,'' wrote that New York City has "one o ...
* Same-sex marriage in New York *
List of LGBT rights organizations This is a list of LGBT rights organizations around the world. For social and support groups or organizations affiliated with mainstream religious organizations, please see ''List of LGBT-related organizations and conferences''. For organizations ...


Notes


Bibliography

* Anner, John, ''Beyond Identity Politics: Emerging Social Justice Movements in Communities of Color'', South End Press, 1996, , . * Bailey, Robert W., ''Gay Politics, Urban Politics: Identity and Economics in the Urban Setting'', Columbia University Press, 1999, , . * Buchanan, Angela Marie and Bay Buchanan, ''The extreme makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton'', Regnery Publishing, 2007, , . * Crotty, William J., ''The politics of terror: the U.S. response to 9/11'', UPNE, 2004, , . * During, Simon, ''The Cultural Studies Reader'', Psychology Press, 1999, , . * Healy, Sheila A., "Advocating for Health and Human Services: The New York Experience", ''Handbook of LGBT Issues in Community Mental Health'', Volume 8, Issues 3–4 of Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Psychology Press, 2005, , . * Hellman, Ronald E. and Jack Drescher, ''Handbook of LGBT Issues in Community Mental Health'', Volume 8, Issues 3–4 of Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Psychology Press, 2005, , . * Lewin, Ellen, ''Recognizing Ourselves: Ceremonies of Lesbian and Gay Commitment'', Columbia University Press, 1999, , 9780231103930. * Mucciaroni, Gary, ''Same sex, different politics: success and failure in the struggles over gay rights'', University of Chicago Press, 2008, , . * Muscio, Inga, ''Cunt: a declaration of independence, Live Girls'', Seal Press, 2002, , . * Pinello, Daniel R., "America's Struggle for Same-Sex Marriage", Cambridge University Press, 2006, , . * Perrotti, Jeff, Kim Westheimer, ''When the Drama Club is Not Enough: Lessons from the Safe Schools Program for Gay and Lesbian Students'', Beacon Press, 2002, , . * Stryker, Sheldon, Timothy Joseph Owens, Robert W. White, ''Self, Identity, and Social Movements: Volume 13 of Social movements, protest, and contention'', U of Minnesota Press, 2000, , . * Swan, Wallace, ''Handbook of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender administration and policy'', CRC Press, 2004, , . * Sycamore, Matt Bernstein, ''That's Revolting!: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation'', Soft Skull Press, 2004, , .


External links

* {{Authority control 1990 establishments in New York (state) Equality Federation LGBT law in the United States LGBT political advocacy groups in New York (state) Non-profit organizations based in New York City Organizations established in 1990 1990 in LGBT history