City & State New York 062920

TORRES, JONES: THE FIRST GAY BLACK MEMBERS OF CONGRESS?

GAY MAN. PURPLE DISTRICT. HOW SEAN PATRICK MALONEY THRIVES IN TRUMPLAND

PRIDE POWER CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

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June 29-July 6, 2020

We are honored to congratulate this year’s We are honored to congratulate this year’s City & State Pride Power 100 honorees City & State Pride Power 100 honorees including our own William Floyd including our own William Floyd

June 29-July 6, 2020

City & State New York

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EDITOR’S NOTE

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

Jabari Brisport is one of the young DSA challengers who have an impressive lead after Election Day.

LARRY KRAMER, the legendary gay rights activist who died last month, became an outspoken advocate in the early years of the HIV/AIDS crisis. He confronted elected officials who failed to act with any urgency and criticized fellow gay men who didn’t take the threat seriously. Kramer was also forward-looking, cautioning against being defined by sexual orientation and encouraging long-term committed relationships – a theme taken up in the successful campaign for same-sex marriage.

Some activists of Kramer’s generation, like fellow ACT UP member Peter Staley, remain active. Many have died, while others, like David Mixner, are retiring. But a younger generation of advocates have taken up the cause, increasingly through elected office. This month, Mondaire Jones and New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres took commanding leads in key House primaries, and could become the first two gay Black men elected to Congress. Another young gay man, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, is an early front-runner in the city’s 2021 mayoral race. And while all five openly gay New York City Council members are term-limited next year, LGBTQ candidates are already campaigning for spots in the legislative body.

This week, we feature these activists, advocates and elected officials in our Pride Power 100, a list of the most influential individuals at the intersection of New York politics and LGBTQ rights.

CONTENTS

PRIMARY ELECTION … 8 A huge night for the DSA PRIDE 100 … 10 The most powerful LGBTQ New Yorkers

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY … 12

New York’s first and – for now – only gay member of Congress

RITCHIE TORRES & MONDAIRE JONES … 22 They could be the first Black gay members of Congress.

TRANS RIGHTS … 30 CELESTE SLOMAN; MEGAN MAGRAY

The bills New York has yet to pass

LEGACY OF AIDS … 36

Survivors saw it all happening again.

WINNERS & LOSERS … 50

Who was up and who was down last week

CityAndStateNY.com

PANDEMIC PRIMARY

Voters headed to the polls on June 23 to cast their ballots with the coronavirus pandemic still lingering in New York.

While a top candidate emerged with a commanding lead in some races, many others won’t be decided for weeks after thousands of absentee ballots are counted from those who wanted to avoid in-person voting due to the coronavirus. Among the election night winners were Jamaal Bowman, who bested longtime Rep. Eliot Engel in the Bronx

June 29-July 6, 2020

and Westchester County.

State Sen. Chris Jacobs won the special election for Western New York seat vacated by former Rep. Chris Collins, besting Democrat Nate McMurray.

Jacobs clinched his party’s nomination for November as well. In Westchester and Rockland counties, Mondaire Jones apparently emerged victorious in the race to replace Rep. Nita Lowey, as did New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres in the South Bronx to succeed Rep. José E. Serrano. In both districts, Democrats are essentially guaranteed

victory in November, so if their leads hold, the pair would become the first openly gay Black members of Congress.

Across New York City, progessive candidates and insurgents, including some backed by the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York City chapter, also performed very well, with many holding early leads over incumbents.

However, Election Day was plagued by numerous voting issues, including long lines, understaffed polling sites and misprinted ballots.

Perhaps most significantly, there were widespread reports of Democratic voters in New York City only receiving one page of the two-page ballot. The presidential primary was on one, while state and congressional primaries were on the other. Issues arose in Westchester and Rockland counties,

PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1 Give New Yorkers some sharpies and a poster of Mayor Bill de Blasio, and they’ll make you a magazine cover. That was New York magazine’s strategy for their story on de Blasio’s free fall out of the last of the city’s good graces. The magazine plastered photos of de Blasio around the city, and let New Yorkers adorn the mayor with art of their choosing – which included phrases like, “You about to lose your job.”

where voters faced long lines, glitchy machines and polling sites that were unable to handle the volume of voters that resulted because of the consolidation of locations.

On top of everything else, some people never received an absentee ballot in the mail despite applying for one in time for the election.

OCCUPY CITY HALL BEGINS

“I told you I was going to beat all of them! No offense, your reporting on this has been one of the most annoying things for me.

So I’m glad that you can stop writing that shit!”

– Mondaire Jones, who has a huge lead in the 17th Congressional District race, in an interview with City & State after we reported state Sen. David Carlucci was the frontrunner

After weeks of protests following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, New York City activists have coalesced around a single goal: defunding the New York City Police Department. They are calling for a cut to the NYPD’s budget by at least $1 billion this year. The City Council said it would meet that number, but just days before the city budget is due, it had not released a detailed proposal on how it would achieve the reduction as of printing.

So protesters have been camped out at City Hall for days in an Occupy Wall Street-style protest to pressure lawmakers to make good on their promise and commit to further reducing the police department’s budget.

OFFICER FACES CHARGES FOR ILLEGAL CHOKEHOLD

About two weeks after Gov. Andrew Cuomo

GUERIN BLASK; MONDAIRE FOR CONGRESS; LEV RADIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

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June 29-July 6, 2020

signed a law criminalizing the use of chokeholds by police officers, and days after the New York City Council passed similar local legislation, an NYPD officer is facing criminal charges for using the move during an arrest, which was caught on camera. Initially, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea announced Officer David Afanador had been suspended after the cellphone video surfaced.

But several days later, Afanador was arrested, making him the first officer in the city to face charges under the new state law.

FIREWORKS ABOUND IN NEW YORK CITY

You know all those fireworks going off across the five boroughs, keeping you awake and inspiring

THE

WEEK AHEAD

City & State New York

conspiracy theories? Well, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has finally said he would crack down on the illegal fireworks … and replace them with legal ones. The mayor established a police task force to target suppliers and distributors of the pyrotechnics, though he added that those actually setting them off were not an enforcement priority.

But anyone hoping for a reprieve, rest assured, there will be none! The same day he announced the crackdown, de Blasio said that instead of one big Macy’s fireworks show on July Fourth, the company would instead put on smaller displays across the city in the three days leading up to the holiday and splice those together for a televised event.

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Who are the Democrats running to take on Lee Zeldin?

Rep. Lee Zeldin, the three-term Republican incumbent from Long Island, will face a Democratic challenger in November hoping to flip his swing district back to blue. But after the primary polls closed, it’s still not clear who that Democrat will be.

Three candidates, Perry Gershon, Nancy Goroff and Bridget Fleming, are neck-and-neck in the Democratic race for New York’s 1st Congressional District in Suffolk County. In this pandemic primary, in which a potentially substantial number of absentee ballots cast have yet to be counted, this race is one of several that is too close to call. Gershon, a businessman who ran and lost against Zeldin in 2018, leads the pack by only one point with 35% of the vote; Goroff, a chemistry professor at Stony Brook University, is just behind with 34% of the vote; and Fleming, a Suffolk County legislator, trails slightly with 27% of the vote. In a race in which only 14,808 ballots were cast in-person, Gershon’s 1% lead translates to only a 164-vote margin.

The closeness of the race has to do with the fact that neither Gershon, Goroff or Fleming stray too far from one another on the political spectrum, and all have some degree of name recognition. “I don’t think there’s a lot of daylight among them in terms of labels like ‘progressive,’ ‘liberal,’ ‘moderate,’” said Lawrence Levy, the executive dean of Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies.

Gershon, the frontrunner when considering all ballots cast in person, is a white businessman who dropped out of medical school to open a sports bar, before going on to run a commercial real estate private equity firm. As he did in his race against Zeldin in 2018 – which he lost by just 4 points – Gershon has drawn

attention to Zeldin’s fervent support of Trump in what is a relatively moderate Republican district. Gershon has touted progressive positions including calls for police reform in the wake of protests against police brutality and systemic racism – an issue he’s highlighted as the most pressing the nation is facing right now.

Goroff, a white Stony Brook resident and chemistry professor at Stony Brook University, doesn’t differ significantly from Gershon on the political spectrum.

If Gershon has positioned himself as the “businessman” candidate, then Goroff has positioned herself as the “scientist” candidate, and climate change has been a key platform issue for her. “Our way of life on Long Island is threatened by extreme weather, coastal erosion, and sea level rise, all due to climate change,” she said in a recent interview with Patch. Her campaign has also noted that she would be the first female PhD scientist in Congress.

Representatives for Goroff’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from City & State.

Fleming, a white Hampton Bays resident, is running as the only candidate with experience in office.

Currently a Suffolk County legislator and a former member of the Southampton Town Board, Fleming notes that she has won against Republicans in five elections. “The candidate who we choose to go up against Lee Zeldin has to appeal not only to the far left but to the center, and even some Republicans,” she said at a recent town hall. “And that is something I have done.” Just like Goroff, Fleming has cited climate change as among the most pressing issues the country is facing, and has promised to fight for gun control reforms in Congress.

-Annie McDonough

WEDNESDAY 7/1

WEDNESDAY 7/1

WEDNESDAY 7/1

MONDAY 7/6

Changes to last year’s criminal justice reforms take effect. New categories of crime are now eligible for cash bail and judges are getting more leeway to jail people before trial.

The New York City budget is due before July 1. With the city’s finances so affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the mayor and City Council are negotiating where to find savings.

Local state boards of elections will begin counting absentee ballots. The results of some races will take longer than others, but look for some races to take unexpected turns before it’s all over.

New York City enters the third phase of reopening. Time to hang with (up to) 24 of your buddies, catch a little league game and then hit the town for some inside dining at 50% capacity.

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SO LONG, CityAndStateNY.com

June 29-July 6, 2020

BY ZACH WILLIAMS

CUOMO SHOW GOV. ANDREW CUOMO had a public platform like no other for nearly four months this year as millions of Americans tuned in to his daily coronavirus briefings. The three-term governor was the undisputed star of the show, who only shared the stage with a select group of people.

Whether they were gubernatorial staff, elected officials, local leaders, celebrities or the governor’s own family, here are the lucky few who popped up more than once during the Cuomo Show’s surprisingly long run.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE STARS OF TV’S UNLIKELIEST HIT.

REGULAR CAST

SECRETARY TO THE GOVERNOR

COMEDIAN

STATE BUDGET DIRECTOR

ROBERT MUJICA

JIM MALATRAS

ACTOR

STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER

CHRIS ROCK

ROSIE PEREZ

ACTOR

BROTHER, CNN HOST

SEAN PENN

SUNY EMPIRE STATE COLLEGE PRESIDENT

CHRIS CUOMO

HOWARD ZUCKER

DAUGHTER

MARIAH CUOMO

MULTIPLE APPEARANCES

CELEBRITY CAMEOS

MELISSA DEROSA

June 29-July 6, 2020

City & State New York

A Q&A with congressional candidate

One thing I will admit is that I learned two years ago, you can’t win an election relying on one group of people.

CELESTE SLOMAN; STATE BUDGET DIVISION; KEVIN P. COUGHLIN, DON POLLARD/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR; DFREE, CUBANKITE, KATHY HUTCHINS, RON ADAR/ SHUTTERSTOCK; FRIENDS OF SURAJ PATEL

SURAJ PATEL

How do you feel about your election night performance? You’re slightly behind, but it’s very close.

I mean, we’re tied, right?

There were 79,000 absentee ballots that were requested in our election (as of a week ago). And the margin currently separating me and the incumbent is less than 1,000 votes. 600 I think, 650 or so. That’s statistically a tie at this point. Our number one priority is focusing on making sure every New Yorker’s voice is heard, every single ballot is open and counted fairly. I know that’s not going to be an easy task with the machine and Maloney, but we are going to fight tooth and nail.

And once that’s done, we are very confident in our program and the demographics of the electorate that we will be victorious come July.

So what changed between this year and 2018?

So much is different, but so little is different, too. Rep. Maloney continued taking millions in corporate PAC money. Rep. Maloney’s anti-vaccine history during a pandemic became much more important.

Rep. Maloney’s abhorrent record on criminal justice reform and Black lives now became center stage in an era when we’re basically in another civil rights

movement. All those things showed, clearly, by the way, resoundingly, that 60% of New Yorkers were looking for change. At the same time, you lose an election and it teaches you a lot of things. Humility obviously is one, but beyond that it teaches you how to get better, what to focus on, what’s important, what’s not. One thing I will admit is that I learned two years ago, you can’t win an election relying on one group of people. You’ve got to build coalitions.

Clearly in this election, we made significant inroads in Maloney’s base on the Upper East Side. We made significant inroads into

45- to 65-year-old voters who are looking for new types of representation that wasn’t a career politician.

We just took a step back and looked at exactly what coalitions we want to build on. And by and large, we ran that race.

How do you think digital campaigning helped this time around with the pandemic? Was there a shift to online methods like social media that young people were more likely to interact with?

We were able to rapidly shift to digital campaigning, in a way that relied a lot on phone calls, check-in calls for neighbors, delivering supplies and things. We

Our Perspective Racial and Economic Justice Forever Intertwined

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By Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, RWDSU, UFCW Twitter: @sappelbaum

n America – and indeed the entire world – an unprecedented and long overdue conversation on racial justice is happening.

We are seeing sweeping changes in the way people from all sorts of different backgrounds view ingrained racial injustices and the consequences that result for people of color.

It’s a societal reckoning the likes of which we have never before seen.

And while the changes being made around the country show that the protest movement is making a significant difference, it’s important that we also focus on the economic issues that contribute to systemic racial injustice in the U.S. It’s clearer than ever that to achieve true racial justice, we need to address the underlying economic conditions under which so many people of color live.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the poultry processing industry, a low-paying,

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dangerous job performed almost exclusively by people of color. The poultry workers who feed everybody from California to here in New York face blinding fast line speeds, extreme temperatures, dangerous, repetitive cutting motions that often lead to debilitating injuries, and for the majority of them, who do not have union representation, no voice to help make their jobs and their lives better.

Poultry workers have gone so far as to call themselves “modern day slaves,” and say management only cares about corporate profits at the expense of the health and welfare of their workers. The COVID-19 crisis shed a harsh new light on the treatment of workers at these “modern day plantations,” with dozens of workers dying and thousands infected. And while unions like the RWDSU have been able to improve

did 100,000 check-in calls in April to neighbors. Not political calls, not asking them to vote for me, but simply to see if they’re doing OK. We were able to deliver supplies at a moment’s notice – mail, water, toilet paper – to people dozens of times.

We also switched a lot to Zoom just like everybody else. And I’ll tell you what, the number of Zoom house parties, Zoom town halls we had, I think well over 100, is face-to-face contact in its own way. In fact, it was easier to set up and low-cost compared to having in-person events.

So we were able to adapt pretty quickly to those two things.

working conditions in union plants – forcing implementation of better social distancing, more PPE, and policies that encourage sick workers to stay home – the industry as a whole has failed terribly when it comes to prioritizing safety during this pandemic.

And that must change. America needs to start treating all its workers – including people of color – with dignity, not just in poultry, but in all industries across the country.

That’s just one of the many reasons that we support the Black Lives Matter movement. We embrace this movement because it is the morally right thing to do, and long overdue. Unions fight for economic equality and for racial equality. We know that these two things are intertwined, and we can’t have one without the other.

The RWDSU has a proud history of fighting for racial justice. Today, we are proud to be part of the BLM fight. All workers – from poultry workers in the South to car wash workers here in New York – deserve economic and racial justice. We will not stop fighting until they are achieved.

www.rwdsu.org

STRIKING 8

CityAndStateNY.com

June 29-July 6, 2020

The DSA showed it isn’t a one-hit wonder in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries.

by H O L L Y P R E T S K Y & J E F F COLT I N

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T’S TOUGH TO get an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York City chapter. The process is lengthy, involving a detailed candidate interview and questionnaire, and multiple rounds of meetings and votes within the organization. That’s because it’s an endorsement with teeth, the group says.

It comes with volunteers, data, a fundraising network and enviable branding – at least among the left-wing activists who can dominate Democratic primaries.

“The real value of the DSA endorsement isn’t just the name recognition,” Matthew Thomas, a Queens DSA chapter member and communications director for Assembly candidate Zohran Mamdani, told City & State. “A lot of it is the campaign staff and volunteers and people that are able to do the work of a campaign in a really effective way.”

Initial primary election results reveal a lot about the DSA effect: a powerful mobilization of young, progressive, digitally savvy college graduates who live in gentrifying neighborhoods. Of the seven candidates officially endorsed by the New York City socialist organization, state Senate candidate Jabari Brisport, state Sen. Julia Salazar, Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez all had promising leads after polls closed Tuesday night. Assembly candidate Phara Souffrant Forrest trailed close behind incumbent Walter Mosley. Congressional candidate Samelys López and Assembly candidate Marcela Mitaynes appeared likely to lose in crowded fields.

Vote tallies from the ballots cast in person are by no means final, and they likely won’t be until next month. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, between 50% and 75% of the votes in some races will be cast via absentee ballot, according to an estimate from Matthew Rey, a political consultant with Red

Horse Strategies. More than 700,000 New York City residents requested ballots in the mail, compared to 471,000 ballots cast in person for the Democratic presidential primary, which was also held on Tuesday. In individual districts, the proportion of ballots coming by mail might be even greater. In the 36th Assembly District in Western Queens, which Mamdani hopes to represent, 7,884 in-person votes were counted on Tuesday, according to the city Board of Elections, while 15,580 absentee ballots were requested from voters in that district.

Grassroots campaigning, which normally relies on in-person contact with door-knocking and public gatherings, was forced to shift online. And on Election Day, reports of ballot confusion at polling places and missing absentee ballots filled social media.

Despite being unable to canvas, the DSA replicated its feat from 2018 of mobilizing more voters than is typical for a congressional or state legislative primary. The two state Senate races with city DSA-backed candidates had the highest in-person voter turnout of all state Senate Democratic primaries.

The DSA advantage was most apparent in Mamdani’s race against Assembly Member Aravella Simotas, where Mamdani leads the incumbent by more than 7 percentage points with 91% of the in-person votes counted. DSA-backed Brisport also has a big lead in the race to replace retiring state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery in the 25th Senate District in Brooklyn. Brisport, a public school teacher, is leading current Assembly Member Tremaine Wright 52% to 41% with 93% of the in-person votes counted. A third candidate, Jason Salmon, has 7%.

Brisport and Mamdani could still lose, however. Absentee ballots have historically skewed toward older voters who are more likely to vote for establishment candidates,

Zohran Mamdani, top, has a promising lead after Election Day, and Phara Souffrant Forrest is barely trailing her establishment adversary.

TWICE City & State New York

ZOHRAN FOR ASSEMBLY; ANEESH BHOOPATHY

June 29-July 6, 2020

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but Thomas, of the Queens DSA, said that wasn’t the case this year. “Traditionally, progressive campaigns are a little nervous about the absentee vote, but this is a very different year,” he said. “The largest age cohort that requested absentee ballots in our district was 25-34 years old.”

The two 2018 success stories both easily dispatched challenges from the right. Ocasio-Cortez garnered 70% of the vote in the 14th Congressional District in Queens and the Bronx, easily defeating her nearest opponent, former CNBC news anchor and former Republican Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. Salazar, the first Democratic Socialist to serve in the state Legislature after an upset victory in 2018, won more than 80% of the vote in her Brooklyn state Senate district in a decisive victory over Andy Marte, a former legislative aide to the longtime Brooklyn Democratic Party leader Vito Lopez.

In Assembly District 57 in Central Brooklyn, Forrest, a DSA-backed activist and a nurse, trails incumbent Mosley, but by only about 3 points. Mosley, a former district leader and Assembly staffer whose mother, Marilyn Mosley, has also served as district leader, was an ambitious target for the DSA. Forrest’s campaign has refused to concede the election. “While my opponent has declared victory, we are optimistic that the absentee ballots will break in our favor when the paper canvass is conducted next week,” the candidate wrote in a statement.

A Mosley campaign representative said they are confident about the absentee vote outcome, but acknowledged that this year is unusual.

Two DSA-backed candidates, Mitaynes, a tenant advocate, in Brooklyn Assembly District 51, which covers Red Hook and Sunset Park, and López, a housing activist, in the crowded race to replace retiring Rep. José Serrano in the South Bronx, are likely to lose. Mitaynes trails incumbent Félix Ortiz by 8 points, though she has a significant lead among the three progressive challengers in that race. In the closely watched Bronx congressional race, López, a first-time candidate, came in fourth with 13% of the in-person vote.

Though he didn’t receive the city DSA’s endorsement, middle school principal Jamaal Bowman, who seems likely to unseat longtime Rep. Eliot Engel in the 16th Congressional District, touted endorsements from the national DSA and from Ocasio-Cortez. Mondaire Jones, who aims to take over retiring Rep. Nita Lowey’s seat in the Lower Hudson Valley, was also endorsed by AOC, and also looks likely to be heading to the general election in November.

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HIS MONTH, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act’s workplace protections extend to gay and transgender workers. The landmark decision, which bars employers from firing workers for being gay or transgender, was written

by Justice Neil Gorsuch, an appointee of President Donald Trump, surprising advocates on both sides of the issue.

Trump’s other Supreme Court appointee, Brett Kavanaugh, argued that such a change should have been left to Congress, but acknowledged that the LGBTQ community has “advanced powerful policy arguments and can take pride in today’s result.”

Indeed, the victory reflects growing acceptance of the LGBTQ community. In another sign of changing attitudes, two House candidates in New York – Ritchie Torres in the South Bronx and Mondaire Jones in the Hudson Valley – were leading in their Democratic primaries last week and are poised to become the first gay Black members of Congress.

But while the LGBTQ community has won a string of policy battles, others remain hotly contested. On the front lines of these battles are many remarkable individuals who are standing up for their rights. The 2020 Pride Power 100 list recognizes the most influential figures in the LGBTQ community here in New York.

June 29 - July 6, 2020

City & State New York

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of other political players who don’t always get along with the mayor.

COREY JOHNSON

Speaker New York City Council For the second year in a row, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson tops our list of LGBTQ power players. His star has only risen amid New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s perfunctory presidential run, and he’s a top contender in the 2021 mayoral race. He continues his record as a prolific legislator and a foil to de Blasio on mass transit, police reform and the city’s coronavirus response.

2 BRAD HOYLMAN

EMIL COHEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; NEW YORK CITY HEALTH + HOSPITALS

State Senator

Since Democrats won the state Senate in 2018, state Sen. Brad Hoylman has been a prolific legislator. The Manhattanite, who had to travel to California with his husband for the births of his two daughters through gestational surrogacy, was behind the successful push to legalize the practice in New York through this year’s ChildParent Security Act. He also spearheaded an extension of the Child Victims Act due to the coronavirus pandemic.

3 SEAN PATRICK MALONEY U.S. Representative New York’s 18th Congressional District

The first openly gay member of New York’s congressional delegation, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney had a prominent role in the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, who won a narrow majority in Maloney’s

6 MITCHELL KATZ

President and CEO NYC Health + Hospitals

Ritchie Torres is likely to represent the South Bronx in Congress.

Hudson Valley district in 2016.

The Democrat faces what is expected to be an easy reelection campaign this November, having outraised Republican challenger Chele Chiavacci Farley by more than $1 million.

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and a Columbia University alum, the progressive judge is known for ruling against a firefighter attempting to stop the construction of a mosque near ground zero.

5 EMMA WOLFE

PAUL FEINMAN

Chief of Staff to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

The first openly gay judge on New York state’s highest court, Paul Feinman has in the last year weighed in on everything from New York’s recent rent law to the ever-expanding gig economy and disability rights. A native of Long Island

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio isn’t just a lame duck – the second-term incumbent is under attack on all sides, from police unions to protesters – and even his own staff. In this time of tribulation at City Hall, Emma Wolfe remains a valuable and trusted adviser who also enjoys the respect

Associate Judge New York State Court of Appeals

Johnson’s star has only risen amid New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s perfunctory presidential run.

As head of NYC Health + Hospitals, Dr. Mitchell Katz oversees the largest municipal health system in the country.

He became a central figure in New York City’s coronavirus response when Mayor Bill de Blasio tapped him to oversee the city’s contact tracing efforts. He was previously director of the Los Angeles County Health Agency and director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

7 RITCHIE TORRES

New York City Council Member New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres was at the center of perhaps the most closely watched congressional race in New York this month – the South Bronx Democratic primary in which Torres and fellow City Council Member Rubén Díaz Sr., a lawmaker known for his anti-gay comments, were widely seen as the leading candidates. On Election Day, Torres was leading by double digits, although results won’t be final until absentee ballots are counted.

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CityAndStateNY.com

How New York’s first LGBTQ member of Congress holds on to his purple district.

by J E F F C O L T I N portraits by C E L E S T E S L O M A N

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EP. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY may not be New York’s only openly gay member of Congress for long. In fact, as of 2021, he may not even be the only openly gay member of Congress in the Hudson Valley. If the preliminary results from Tuesday’s Democratic primaries hold once absentee ballots are counted, then Mondaire Jones, representing Rockland County and much of neighboring Westchester County, and Ritchie Torres in the South Bronx could be the first openly gay Black members of Congress.

“I have drawn inspiration from the historic nature of (Maloney’s) status as an openly gay member of Congress in New York,” Jones told City & State after Election Day about the man he considers a mentor.

“The fact that he was able to win in Westchester is direct evidence of the fact that I too should have been able to win in Westchester.”

Yes, New York’s first openly gay congressional representative isn’t from Manhattan. Rather, he lives in Cold Spring, in rural Putnam County, and he represents a district that straddles the line between upstate and downstate.

Most remarkably, it’s a district that President Donald Trump won by 2 percentage points in 2016, and it’s a seat that Maloney, a Democrat, had to beat a Republican to win.

Maloney first ran for Congress in 2012. He had a strong résumé – an attorney, entrepreneur and onetime candidate for state attorney general in 2006. He was a former aide to President Bill Clinton, an adviser to Govs. Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson and a family man with three adopted kids. But he was gay in a state that had just legalized same-sex marriage in 2011, and he had just moved into the district the year before. Still, he managed to topple first-term Republican Rep. Nan Hayworth and he has held on

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to the “purple” seat, despite Republican challenges each cycle – and an unsuccessful run in the 2018 Democratic state attorney general primary just months before his most recent reelection to Congress.

He has done that by maintaining one of the more moderate, bipartisan voting records in the House, but also by working closely with Republicans in the district, including Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. “By any definition, we are friends and I appreciate his willingness to listen, especially when we disagree on issues,” Molinaro told City & State.

Registered Democrats do outnumber Republicans in the district 166,000 to 135,000, but neither make up a majority in the district of nearly 450,000 active voters.

Maloney has managed to be both relatively nonpartisan in his approach to governance and an advocate for gay rights, according to Tim Massie, a Maloney ally who lives in the district and works in government relations. “He’s not one to play that political game – ‘You’re not in my party, so I’m not going to help you.’”

Massie doesn’t belong to a political party, but like Maloney, he’s part of the Hudson Valley’s sizeable LGBTQ community. And for Massie, that’s a huge plus. “I like the fact that I have an openly gay congressman fighting for basic human rights for my husband and me and every other member of the LGBTQ+ community,” Massie told City & State. “He’s a vociferous advocate, particularly in this time when, even in cases that we view are settled law, there are attempts to convolute those rulings and turn back the clock on LGBT+ rights.”

City & State interviewed Maloney, 53, during Pride Month, and just one day after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in a landmark case that extended anti-discrimination protections to gay, lesbian and transgender employees in the workplace.

It was a week before the strong electoral showings by Torres and Jones, and Maloney was eager to see what would happen.

He had endorsed Torres for the open South Bronx House seat, calling him a “talented, intelligent young LGBT candidate.”

But Maloney stayed out of the race in the 17th Congressional District, even though the political arm of the Congressional

June 29-July 6, 2020

LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, of which Maloney is a member, had endorsed Jones. The district neighbors his, and Maloney had relationships with a number of the candidates, he explained.

So progress for LGBTQ rights is happening in New York elections and in the federal courts, but Maloney warned that Congress still needs to legislate aggressively and oversee the Trump administration.

After all, civil rights law is only as strong as the executive branch that enforces it.

“It’s great to have the Supreme Court on your side. But we have seen this administration engaged in all kinds of conduct that would be considered beyond the pale in lots of different areas,” he said. “So I think we need to watch him like a hawk.”

I need to talk about the breaking news – the June 15 U.S. Supreme Court decision on LGBTQ workplace protections. Do you think Congress needs to take any further action here? Or is the court’s ruling enough that it’s going to be settled law?

Yeah, of course we do. We need to pass the Equality Act. And here’s why. The decision is historic. And personally, it moved me and surprised me and made me remember why we do this work. Millions of lives changed yesterday. Millions of people who, for the first time in their lives, could have some security in their workplace, where they finally can have recourse if they are fired unfairly or discriminated against.

That’s huge. And in this world where there’s been so much bad news, it was just an awesome thing to behold. But the precedent is very important with respect to the statute it interprets, and I believe it blows out of the water things like the Trump administration’s anti-trans regulation they were pushing just (this month). And it will give us a powerful weapon to combat discrimination in lots of areas where, before, the Equality Act would have been our only weapon. But we shouldn’t have to go around and fight a bunch of cases in court using the recent decision as precedent or as authority. There should be federal statute that makes explicit that discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited.

Maloney married his longtime partner, home designer Randy Florke, in 2014 and they have three children.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi gave a toast at their wedding.

June 29-July 6, 2020

City & State New York

“I HAD A BIG GAY WEDDING IN THE MIDDLE OF MY FIRST REELECTION CAMPAIGN THAT I WON BY LESS THAN 2 POINTS. IF I’M DOWNPLAYING IT, I’VE DONE A CRAP JOB OF IT.”

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And you know who says that? (Supreme Court Justice) Brett Kavanaugh in his dissent. And Brett Kavanaugh, in the midst of voting against LGBT equality, made sure that we all know he thinks it’s a great thing.

And he thinks that Congress ought to do it, not the court. So heads up, (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell, your boy Brett Kavanaugh thinks you should pass the Equality Act, which already passed in the House. And Mitch McConnell should get off his ass and do it.

I’ve been watching “Mrs. America,” the TV show about the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. But that was unsuccessful. Now you have the Equality Act, which passed the House, but now it’s waiting for the Senate – and that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

I don’t know that. This decision caught us all by surprise. And it reminds us that, in the area of LGBTQ equality, everything is possible. And we have already achieved things that were thought to be impossible. And I think it’s getting very hard in this country for Republicans to continue to justify discriminating against LGBTQ people. So I’d like to see a vote in the Senate. I’d like them to stand up and be counted. We did that in the House. I think that’s important. The law is important. And we should keep pressing it. We will pass it into law in the first month of the next administration. And so why not keep pushing as hard as possible?

Are you still concerned about what Trump could do in the next six months, or does this court ruling moot that?

It makes it a lot harder for them to be as hateful as they’re trying to be. So it makes me feel better, but we’re not going to take our eye off the ball. The Trump administration started out as hateful and incompetent. And they’ve remained hateful, but they’ve gotten better at using the federal government in clever ways to do great damage – in the area of immigration, for example. And I am still concerned about the ability of a president using the federal machinery to go after LGBTQ people. They were doing it last week. They’re going to do it as long as they’re in power.

June 29-July 6, 2020

What have you done to make life better for the LGBTQ community during your time in Congress?

We’ve worked on a number of pieces of legislation, particularly to make sure that the transgender community is not invisible and not defenseless. We have fought to include LGBTQ people in the census. If you look at things like the amendments to the defense authorization bill that have come up – first in the form of the Russell Amendment that would have gone after LGBTQ people in the military, and continuing with the Hartzler Amendment a couple years later. It’s been my office that has been on the front lines stopping that process. We passed something called the Maloney Amendment, which simply protected Obama-era executive orders that prevented discrimination in federal contracting. The Republicans wanted to repeal those executive orders by those amendments to the defense bill. We stopped it.

And so I would say we played a lot of defense in the Trump era. Trying to protect transgender service members, trying to protect people’s health care, trying to make sure that people aren’t ignored when it comes to things like the census. And, of course, the Equality Act. I had the honor of sitting in the speaker’s chair and presiding over the historic passage of that vote out of the House, which would be the most important piece of federal legislation ever enacted to protect our community. But I’m looking forward to being on offense instead of being on defense. The fact is, the most important work has happened at the Supreme Court level. When I went to Congress, my family couldn’t have health insurance through my job. The Defense of Marriage Act was struck down in court. It would be nice if Congress was part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

You’ve done all this in a district where President Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton 49% to 47%. Do you feel like you’ve ever had to downplay that part of your identity to win the district?

Well, I had a big gay wedding in the middle of my first reelection campaign that I won by less than 2 points, so you tell me. If I’m downplaying it, I’ve done a crap job of

it. I have a husband and three children I’m very proud of. I don’t intend to run away from that.

I think that when you run in a district like mine, you are mindful of the fact that LGBTQ issues are not top of mind for a lot of my constituents. And so you have to address the priorities of your constituents, not just your own priorities. And that balancing act is how people do this job well.

So I focus a lot on veterans issues and issues affecting my farmers, and transportation and infrastructure issues, and earn my keep with a lot of voters by understanding their priorities. And then, by building that relationship, I have the capacity to lead them on issues they are less familiar with, like LGBTQ equality. And I think it’s working pretty well.

Have things changed in your district in the past four years? Do you expect the 18th Congressional District to go for Trump again in 2020?

I don’t know the answer to that question.

I think it will be very competitive. I don’t kid myself about his enduring popularity among large numbers of voters, even in New York. I think that comes as a shock to people who live in New York City. But I’m telling you, he won Orange County, New York, by 7 points last time. He won Putnam County, where I live, by 20 points. He has real popularity among a certain group of voters. And that hasn’t changed.

You’re running for reelection this year against Republican Chele Farley, who just last week posted a video endorsement from Donald Trump Jr. You’re dominating her in fundraising right now, but do you expect the race will get more national attention?

I don’t think there’s one voter in my district who gives a shit what Donald Trump Jr. thinks about who should represent them in Congress.

Have you joined any protests against police brutality in the past few weeks?

Yes, I have. A couple. And I have to say, I’ve never seen anything like it. We’re talking about hundreds of people in central Orange County, including police offi-

June 29-July 6, 2020

cers and police chiefs who made their own signs, who have been kneeling with the protesters. You see a broad coalition across lines of difference – age groups, races – coming together around this issue. And it makes you believe in your country again.

It’s really great to see.

You bring an interesting perspective.

You’re white, but you have two Black daughters and a Latino son. Have you given them “the talk” about how to act around the police?

Yes, I’ve spoken to my son about that issue.

They’re all old enough to drive. And when they get in the car by themselves or with their friends, and they drive out of my driveway, they aren’t the children of a congressman. They are young people of color in a vehicle. And I worry about that. Just as a parent, I worry about that. And when I see these images on TV of young African Americans who have been hurt or killed? Yes, I think of my own children. That is not to say I understand the struggle that African American families go through. I don’t think any white person really understands the pain that African American families experience. A lot of us want to be allies, and if having children of color, who I love, motivates me to be a better ally, and to work for real change, then I’m glad about that. But I also just worry as a dad.

And it’s as simple as that.

Your district has a heavy military presence, with West Point, and the district voted for Trump. Has it become a part of the culture war to even acknowledge that racism and police brutality are a problem?

First of all, I don’t think people give the United States military enough credit. The superintendent of West Point is an African American man. They marry gay cadets in the chapel at West Point. The military is among the most successfully integrated institutions in our country. And not just West Point, but the larger U.S. military. So no, I don’t worry about being a gay man supporting progressive issues in a district that is 25% military families. In some ways, we should look to the military for how we get it right when we treat people more equally.

That hasn’t always been true. But the mil-

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City & State New York

itary has made enormous progress in many areas, even with all of its challenges.

But if your point is I represent a conservative part of the world, I don’t need any reminders of that. But what I believe is that, in this moment where our challenge is to take progressive issues and create real policy change, you need to know how to build coalitions. You need to know how to get laws passed and signed into meaningful legislation with the force of law. So I think that being in a Trump district, as a gay man with an interracial family, focuses me on building relationships and coalitions so that I can have more capacity than I would by myself. And that allows

“WHEN (MY CHILDREN) GET IN THE CAR BY THEMSELVES, THEY AREN’T THE CHILDREN OF A CONGRESSMAN. THEY ARE YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR IN A VEHICLE.” me to win elections. That allows me to get things done.

That is how the LGBTQ community has made so much progress. We’ve built successful coalitions with lots of straight allies. We welcomed in lots of former adversaries into the movement and treated them with love. And by building out a coalition, we have succeeded in achieving lasting change and progress. I think there’s lessons there for people working on immigration reform or people working for climate change legislation or people working now for criminal justice reform and policing reform. You need to build a coalition to

get things done. … I think that’s how community happens. And I think that’s where lasting change gets done.

As a moderate Democrat, do you feel pressure sometimes from the more radical side of the LGBTQ community, (activists like the late) Larry Kramer?

No, I have enormous respect for people like Larry Kramer. And I would reject the moderate label. I would call myself a progressive who can work across lines of difference and get things done. And a progressive who knows how to beat Republicans. All due respect to my friends who are good at winning arguments and beating Democrats, we also need to beat Republicans if we want to increase our capacity to bring the change we all support. And in addition to being able to beat Republicans, you need to be able to work with people who aren’t your natural allies or voters and build the kind of coalitions that can get real change accomplished.

Here’s the way I look at it: We all have a role to play, but we’re all on the same team. I think that protesters and preachers and people who work outside the system have a different role to play than I do. Their job is to demand change, to not get caught up in nuance, to be always pressing for more, never satisfied. That’s the nature of activism and protest, or even preaching, when you think about it. The job of legislating is to take that energy and to get something done. But I am strengthened by the energy of the progressive movement and the activists in the streets. And people like Larry Kramer provided this space for people like me to succeed.

Guys like me stand on the shoulders of people like Larry Kramer, even though his politics and mine might be considered slightly different. I owe him a great debt. We all do.

It’s Pride Month in the time of the coronavirus. Are you able to celebrate in any way?

No. (Laughs.) For me personally, this won’t be a year where there are parades or parties. But the Supreme Court decision, that’s the gift I wanted under the tree this year.

That’s made it a very happy Pride Month for millions of Americans who don’t have to worry about getting fired anymore.

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18 CityAndStateNY.com Darren Walker has fought inequality as head of the Ford Foundation.

June 29 - July 6, 2020

to boosting civic engagement and voter registration and encouraging transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers to run for elected office.

11 DANIEL DROMM

New York City Council Member

8 DONNA LIEBERMAN

Executive Director New York Civil Liberties Union The New York Civil Liberties Union’s Donna Lieberman is a tireless advocate for criminal justice reform. She pushed successfully for New York to repeal 50-a, which allowed police to conceal misconduct records. She founded NYCLU’s reproductive rights program – the only legal organization in the state dedicated to abortion rights. She helped represent Edie Windsor in her 2013

lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act, paving the way for same-sex marriage.

9 DARREN WALKER President Ford Foundation

Backed by the Ford Foundation’s $13 billion, Darren Walker has tackled inequality and racial justice since becoming the organization’s first openly gay leader in 2013. Walker called for “a more just America”

following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In New York, he has served on the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform and the Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers.

10 KIARA ST. JAMES

Co-founder and Executive Director New York Transgender Advocacy Group One of New York City’s most visible transgender activists, Kiara St. James co-founded the New York Transgender Advocacy Group, or NYTAG, and serves as the trans-led organization’s executive director. Instrumental in passing New York state’s 2019 Gender Expression NonDiscrimination Law, St. James has since turned her attention

12 DANIEL O’DONNELL Assembly Member

Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell’s New York City public advocate bid fell short last year, but the Upper West Side lawmaker is thriving in Albany. He sponsored the law repealing Section 50-a, making police disciplinary records public. “It was a very long haul, and a very long fight,” O’Donnell, the first openly gay male Assembly member, told WAMC. “I must only like hard fights, because it took me five years to pass marriage equality.”

FORD FOUNDATION; NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL

O’Donnell sponsored the law repealing Section 50-a. “It was a very long haul, and a very long fight.”

New York City Council Member Daniel Dromm was a public school teacher when he came out as gay and stood up for a more diverse and tolerant curriculum. When his final term wraps up in 2021, he may return to educational policy work. For now, the Finance Committee chair and ally of Council Speaker Corey Johnson has plenty on his plate as the council negotiates budget cuts – including reduced NYPD funding.

June 29 - July 6, 2020

City & State New York

Carlos Menchaca is NYC’s first Mexican American councilman.

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CARLOS MENCHACA

BRUCE RICHMAN

One of the New York City Council’s five openly LGBTQ members and the city’s first Mexican American elected official, District 38 representative Carlos Menchaca has continued his advocacy on behalf of undocumented New Yorkers, demanding funeral homes stop price-gouging undocumented immigrants during the coronavirus crisis.

In addition to joining protests against the mistreatment of inmates, Menchaca has committed to cutting the NYPD’s budget by $1 billion.

In 2012, the HIV/AIDS activist Bruce Richman learned that his HIV medication had controlled his viral load to the point that he was no longer able to transmit the virus. He took this message worldwide with the “Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)” campaign, which has been endorsed by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York state Health Department, and many other medical and advocacy organizations.

New York City Council Member

Founding Executive Director Prevention Access Campaign

Richman took this message worldwide with the “Undetectable = Untransmittable” campaign.

JEFF REED/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; WIN; BOB CIVIL; GOLDMAN SACHS

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14 CHRISTINE QUINN

Former New York City Council Speaker Since losing her bid for New York City mayor in 2013, Christine Quinn has refashioned herself as an advocate for the homeless.

She now runs Win, New York City’s largest provider of shelter for homeless families, which serves 5,000 residents each night. Yet Quinn has stayed active politically, serving as an ally of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and is rumored to be mulling another mayoral run.

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VALERIE BERLIN

MONDAIRE JONES

Co-founder and Principal BerlinRosen Known for her progressive values and ties to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, powerhouse political consultant Valerie Berlin’s influence has only increased since Democrats took full control of Albany by seizing the state Senate. With around 180 staffers and offices in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., BerlinRosen’s clients include Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs and Cornell Tech, real estate developers like Larry Silverstein, labor unions and nonprofits.

Congressional Candidate In the crowded Democratic contest to replace retiring Rep. Nita Lowey, Mondaire Jones emerged as the strong frontrunner on Election Day, with twice the support of any other rival. The Stanford and Harvard graduate and Obama administration veteran has to wait for the absentee ballots to come in, but unless he somehow falls behind, he’ll make history as the first Black gay lawmaker in Congress – possibly along with Ritchie Torres.

18 GLENNDA TESTONE & JOHANN SHUDLICK

Executive Director; Board Member The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center Glennda Testone has spent a decade at the helm of The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Besides renovating The Center’s West Village space and launching the advocacy program RiseOut, Testone helped overturn New York’s paid surrogacy ban and has pledged to combat racism in the LGBTQ community.

Board member Johann Shudlick, a Goldman Sachs alum who turned to advocacy, speaks out about being out in a corporate environment.

The entire Bolton-St. Johns team offers warm congratulations to our friends and colleagues Emily Giske and Julian Kline on the recognition of their continued and invaluable work for the LGBTQ community in City & State’s 2020 Pride Power 100 List. We are especially proud of Emily and team’s historic work to allow all New Yorkers to create a family no matter who they love, through the passage of gestational surrogacy. Similarly, Julian’s leadership on issues of food insecurity and tech have been vital to our clients.

Thank you for your steadfast commitment, tireless efforts and unwavering advocacy for all of New York, our clients and staff.

From the proud partners, and everyone at Bolton-St. Johns: Giorgio DeRosa, Ed Draves, Bill McCarthy, Tom Connolly, Mike Keogh, Juanita Scarlett, Patrick J. McHugh, Teresa Gonzalez, Samara Daly, Anne Marie Anzalone, Justin Berhaupt, John D. McCarthy, Bill McCarthy, Jr., John Albert, Violet Moss and Patricia Reilly, Sara Anne Ritz, Joseph DeRosa, Robin Brown, Keyla Espinal Antigua, Julie Jursik, Philip Bolen, Sarah Bangs, Dave Siracuse, Iris White, Jessica Davos, Paul Santos, Jacob Policano, Ben Garrett, Paul Hypolite, Daniel Muñoz, Tori Newman- Campbell, Hannah Gonzales and Edward Amador.

Bolton-St Johns has been a top ranked government affairs firm in New York for over 20 years, leading many of the most impactful policy campaigns across the state.

For your public affairs and policy needs, contact our talented and diverse team of professionals.

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City & State New York

David told the Daily Beast it’s a “bizarre time to be living, and an opportunity to really effect change.”

19 RANDI WEINGARTEN

President American Federation of Teachers

EXECUTIVE CHAMBER; NYC COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

The first openly gay person to lead a national labor union, Randi Weingarten has thrown the weight of her 1.7 million members – which include educators, education support staff and health care professionals nationwide – into speaking out against racism, economic inequality and the federal government’s coronavirus response. The zealous activist is sure to be a key voice in New York’s debate over the state’s graduation requirements.

20 ALPHONSO DAVID

President Human Rights Campaign Last year, Alphonso David left his post as the influential counsel to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to run the Human Rights Campaign. David is the first Black person to lead the national LGBTQ civil rights

organization, which boasts more than 3 million members and supporters. In the wake of George Floyd’s death, David told the Daily Beast it’s a “bizarre time to be living, and an opportunity to really effect change.”

21 ROBERTA KAPLAN

Founding Partner Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP Representing Edith Windsor in her successful lawsuit to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, Roberta Kaplan

Carmelyn Malalis is the New York City human rights commissioner.

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is credited with laying the groundwork for the U.S. Supreme Court to guarantee same-sex marriage. Kaplan is behind a lawsuit against organizers of the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville and represents author E. Jean Carroll, who is suing President Donald Trump for defamation after she accused him of sexual assault.

Committee’s Labor Council and sits on the New York City Regional Economic Development Council.

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As head of the New York City Commission on Human Rights, Carmelyn Malalis enforces some of the nation’s most far-reaching human rights laws. Under her tenure, the agency has ramped up enforcement efforts to protect LGBTQ New Yorkers. During the coronavirus crisis, Malalis launched a $100,000 education campaign to combat antiAsian bias amid skyrocketing reports of COVID-19-related discrimination – 40% of such incidents have targeted New Yorkers of Asian descent.

STUART APPELBAUM President

Stuart Applebaum has led the progressive Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union since 1998. A staunch foe of Amazon, he spoke out about its treatment of workers during the coronavirus crisis and helped scare away the retail giant from setting up a second headquarters in Long Island City. He is chair of the Democratic National

23 CARMELYN MALALIS

Chairwoman and Commissioner New York City Commission on Human Rights

22 CityAndStateNY.com

June 29-July 6, 2020

HISTORY WITHIN REACH

Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones are poised to become the first openly gay Black members of Congress.

by A N N I E M c D O N O U G H

T

HROUGH THE congressional primary campaign season, New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres and attorney Mondaire Jones were routinely asked the same question: What will it be like to be the first openly gay Black member of Congress? Now, Torres and Jones could be poised to share that honor.

With all in-person votes tallied in New York’s 15th and 17th congressional districts – covering the South Bronx, and Westchester and Rockland counties, respectively – Torres and Jones maintain strong leads over their Democratic primary opponents. If Torres and Jones maintain those leads as absentee ballots are tallied in the two reliably blue districts – the 15th District has historically been the most Democratic district in the nation – they are set up to become the first openly gay Black members of Congress.

“It’s totally transformative,” said Cynthia Dames, project manager for the New Pride Agenda. “It represents LGBTQ (people), it represents people of color, and for any group that has been marginalized, it shows the results and an outcome from movements that are now coalescing.”

To top it off, those early leads come at the tail end of Pride Month – a coincidence that didn’t go unnoticed by some on Twitter.

The primaries have not officially been called for Torres and Jones by The Associated Press. With as many as two-thirds of the total ballots still uncounted across the state – over 1.7 million mail-in ballots were requested because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the process of tabulating them won’t begin until July 1 – many are hesitant to draw conclusions from just the in-person ballots. David Wasserman, the house editor at political analysis site The Cook Political Report, has projected that both Jones and Torres have won their primaries. The state Board of Elections’ unofficial tally has Torres with 30% of the vote in a 12-candidate field and Jones leading with 43% over seven other contenders.

While Jones acknowledged that every absentee ballot still has to be counted, he told City & State that he is confident in a favorable outcome. “My expectation is that we will win,” he said, adding that he expected his margin to actually increase as mail-in ballots are counted.

He delivered an impassioned speech on election night, highlighting the significance of what it would mean to be elected as an openly gay Black member of Congress.

“The historic nature of this campaign is not lost on me,” Jones said. “Growing up poor, Black and gay, I never imagined that somebody like me could run for Congress, let alone be a leading contender for the nomination in the great New York 17th Congressional District.”

In an interview on June 24, Jones repeated those sentiments, adding that his victory didn’t come out of nowhere, mentioning trailblazers who came before him, including Rep. Barbara Jordan, Harvey Milk and Bayard Rustin. “I want to put the historic nature of this campaign in that context,” he said. “This didn’t just happen overnight. There were people who came before me who were doing the hard work and who deserve to be honored.”

Torres was unwilling to declare victory prematurely. “I’m not prepared to declare victory until every vote is counted, but even if I win the election, it’s governing that matters,” he said in an interview with

JOHN MCCARTEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; MONDAIRE FOR CONGRESS

June 29-July 6, 2020

NY1. “It’s delivering results for the everyday people of the South Bronx.” Representatives for Torres directed City & State to those comments on NY1.

In that interview, Torres became emotional, thanking the people who got him to where he is today, including his mother. “The South Bronx is full of mothers like mine who have suffered and struggled and sacrificed so that her baby boy can have a better life than she

City & State New York

did,” he said. “The opportunity to represent the essential workers of this borough, to represent the powerful mothers of this borough – it’s the culmination of a dream. But we have to count every ballot.” If elected, Torres would also be the first out Afro-Latino member of Congress.

Torres and Jones are both running in districts where the longtime incumbent is retiring, leading to many primary candidates in each race. In the 15th Congressional District, longtime Rep. José E. Serrano left a vacuum when he The results announced his plans to aren’t final, but few retire from representexpected Ritchie ing a majority HispanTorres, left, and Mondaire Jones, ic and Latino district. bottom right, to In the 17th Congresemerge with such sional District, which commanding encompasses all of leads.

Rockland County and parts of Westchester County including White Plains, 16-term Rep. Nita Lowey announced last year that she would not seek another term. Eight candidates competed in that Democratic primary, including some very well-funded ones, such as Adam Schleifer, who raised nearly $4.5 million. Jones, by comparison, raised $1.1 million. Schleifer amassed the second-most votes from in-person ballots, but only managed to win 20%, trailing Jones by more than 20 percentage points.

Given the number of candidates in each of these primaries, it’s significant that Torres and Jones have won sizable early leads. Some feared that in the 15th Congressional District, a surfeit of progressive candidates would split the vote and hand the primary to New York City Council Member Rubén Díaz Sr., a conservative Democrat. The progressive vote may have been split, for example, between Samelys Lopéz – who ran with the backing of the Working Families Party, the Democratic Socialists of America and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – and Torres. But that hasn’t happened so far. With all in-person votes tallied, Lopéz won only 12% of the vote, compared to Torres’ 30%. Next after Torres was As-

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sembly Member Michael Blake, with 19%, then Díaz, with 14%.

Torres’ lead over Díaz in particular is especially sweet. Díaz, who is Torres’ colleague in the City Council, a former state senator and a Christian pastor, is perhaps best known as one of the most conservative Democrats in New York City. Díaz has a history of anti-gay remarks, and last year he was removed as chair of the City Council Committee on For-Hire Vehicles because of his homophobic comments. “The 800-pound gorilla is Rubén Díaz Sr., the most prominent homophobe in New York City politics,” Torres said in an interview with Advocate, an LGBTQ-focused publication, this week.

Jones, too, spoke to Advocate about the ways in which his identity as an openly gay Black man influences his political positions. “For me, policy is personal,” Jones said, noting that Black men are disproportionately policed, arrested and prosecuted.

He has called for an independent body to investigate and prosecute killings by police.

Though Jones’ district is reliably Democratic, it is also a majority-white district.

Both Jones and Torres will face Republican opponents in the fall, though those opponents are long-shot candidates, given the heavy Democratic lean of those districts. In the 2018 general election, Serrano won against a Republican challenger in his South Bronx district with 96% of the vote, while Lowey won in the 17th District with 88% of the vote. As of Wednesday afternoon, Maureen McArdle Schulman led Yehudis Gottesfeld in the Republican primary for the 17th District. In the 15th District, the Democratic nominee will face Republican Orlando Molina in November.

But before Torres and Jones turn to those opponents, they have to keep their eyes on the absentee ballots as they are tabulated beginning July 1. It’s still unclear who – and how many people – voted absentee in each district.

For now, things are looking good for both Jones and Torres – and their chances of making history in Congress. “If I had been able to look to someone like myself in Congress, it would have been direct evidence to me – growing up, questioning whether there was a place for me in a world filled with so much injustice – it would have been direct evidence of the fact that things really do get better,” Jones told City & State. “I’m really happy to be providing that inspiration to people.”

That idea resonated with Dames, the project manager at the New Pride Agenda, as well. “I think it should be a message to other young LGBTQ members and people of color, to say, ‘Take a chance. Organize.

Jump in the pool,’” Dames said of the significance of the leads by Torres and Jones.

“The time is now.”

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24 CityAndStateNY.com

June 29 - July 6, 2020

28 DEMETRE DASKALAKIS

Deputy Commissioner Division of Disease Control of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

24 DEBORAH GLICK

Assembly Member Assembly Member Deborah Glick is the first openly gay member of the state Legislature, having represented her Lower Manhattan district since 1991.

This past year, the veteran lawmaker from Greenwich Village sided against allies like state Sen. Brad Hoylman in opposing gestational surrogacy, arguing that the state legislation, which later passed, would amount to “pregnancy for a fee, and I find that commodification of women troubling.”

25 JIMMY VAN BRAMER

New York City Council Member A year ago, New York City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer was one of the early front-runners in the race to be the next Queens borough president. But the term-limited Western Queens lawmaker, who raised his profile by pressuring Amazon

to scrap plans for a second headquarters in his district, dropped out early this year, citing his mother’s declining health – but added that he’s not exiting politics just yet.

veteran politico who has been with the company since 2012.

27 RONAN FARROW

Contributing Writer The New Yorker

26 WILLIAM FLOYD

Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy Google One of the lessons of Amazon’s embarrassing failure to follow through on its plans for a second headquarters in Queens last year was that it simply didn’t understand New York’s political system.

Another tech giant that has been expanding in New York City is Google, and the lack of negative headlines is thanks in part to William Floyd, a

Ronan Farrow is best known for his reporting on sexual assault, which helped launch the #MeToo movement and bring down Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. He has since released a book about his reporting on Weinstein, “Catch and Kill,” which has garnered both praise and criticism. He made his mark on New York politics with an exposé on former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s mistreatment of women, causing him to resign.

29 ANA OLIVEIRA

President and CEO The New York Women’s Foundation Since taking the lead role at the New York Women’s Foundation, Ana Oliveira has more than quadrupled the group’s grantmaking. Under her leadership, the foundation recently pledged $1 million to help women, transgender, gender nonconforming and nonbinary New Yorkers who have been affected by the coronavirus. “Women are the major hubs,” she told amNewYork. A native of São Paulo, Oliveira was previously executive director of Gay Men’s Health Crisis.

Daskalakis curbed the spread of HIV. He has now become central to New York City’s efforts to combat COVID-19.

NEW YORK WOMEN’S FOUNDATION; JOSHUA ZUCKERMAN

Ana Oliveira leads the New York Women’s Foundation.

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis has won plaudits for curbing the spread of HIV. He has now become central to New York City’s efforts to combat COVID-19. Besides pushing social-distancing guidelines and advising the public on preventing COVID-19’s spread, Daskalakis has helped coordinate efforts of the city agencies in fighting the virus.

He also was among the senior health officials calling to close schools and businesses in a standoff with the mayor.

Spectrum is proud to support City & State’s Pride Power 100.

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With all five council LGBT incumbents term-limited, it’s up to candidates to keep the community represented.

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to Marry. Solomon has written a book on his experience fighting for same-sex marriage, “Winning Marriage.”

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HARRY BRONSON Assembly Member

Assembly Member Harry Bronson, the first openly gay lawmaker in upstate New York and a longtime LGBTQ advocate, had a scare this year when he lost the official Democratic Party backing to a political newcomer, forcing a primary contest. Yet Bronson, who had burned bridges by opposing Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren’s push for the state to take over the struggling local school district, was leading in his primary and may still win reelection.

for Erik Bottcher, a top aide to Council Speaker Corey Johnson. And with all five of the council’s LGBT incumbents term-limited in 2021, it’s up to candidates like Bottcher – who’s already running for Johnson’s seat – to keep the community represented.

MARC SOLOMON & KATHERINE GRAINGER

31 ERIK BOTTCHER

Chief of Staff to New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s popularity erodes, the New York City Council has gained strength – and that means more responsibility

Principal and National Director; Partner Civitas Public Affairs Group Before joining progressive political consulting firm Civitas, Katherine Grainger and Marc Solomon helped bring samesex marriage to New York – one from inside and the other from outside the government.

Grainger helped draft the state’s Marriage Equality Act under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while Solomon served as national campaign director for Freedom

33 EMILY GISKE & JULIAN KLINE Partner; Senior Vice President Bolton-St. Johns

After helping secure same-sex marriage in New York, BoltonSt. Johns veteran Emily Giske lobbied for the recent law allowing paid surrogacy – the state was criticized by some for discriminating against LGBTQ couples trying to have children – as well as landmark climate-change legislation.

Influential in both city and state politics, the firm recently added veteran Juanita Scarlett to its team, which also has Julian Kline, a rising star in the LGBTQ community, on board.

34 JON STRYKER

Harry Bronson lost Democratic backing but may win his primary.

With an estimated $3.8 billion net worth, Jon Stryker – he runs Stryker Corp., a medical supply company – is an influential LGBTQ donor. In 2000, he founded the nonprofit Arcus Foundation, which serves the LGBT community, and has invested more than $500 million in it. He recently was among a handful of donors behind a $75 million fund earmarked to support social-service and nonprofit organizations affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

WILLIAM ALATRISTE; ASSEMBLY; BOLTON-ST. JOHNS

Board President and Founder Arcus Foundation

June 29 - July 6, 2020

City & State New York

Lambda Legal isn’t letting up, with an ongoing battle against the “Walking While Trans” ban.

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KEVIN JENNINGS

ETHAN GETO

Founding Member Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno

Ethan Geto started working on political campaigns as a teenager before serving as assistant commissioner for the Department of Buildings under New York City Mayor John Lindsay and in various roles for Robert Abrams, the former state attorney general and Bronx borough president. While Geto focuses his lobbying efforts

A top New York City lobbyist with deep connections to Staten Island, Jon Del Giorno has enjoyed strong ties with the New York City Council – his firm was responsible for Christine Quinn and Melissa Mark-Viverito’s successful bids for council speaker. Among its marquee accomplishments last year, del Giorno lists the redevelopment of Richmond University Medical Center and securing funding for women’s

CEO Lambda Legal

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this month that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protections cover sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBTQ advocacy organizations like Lambda Legal applauded.

“Our nation’s highest court confirmed what Lambda Legal has argued for years: that discrimination against LGBTQ workers is illegal,” CEO Kevin Jennings said. Yet the nationwide organization isn’t letting up, with an ongoing battle against New York’s “Walking While Trans” ban.

36 DAVID RICH

Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, Communications, and Public Policy Greater New York Hospital Association

PITTA BISHOP

on social services and real estate, the firm he founded advises a wide array of major corporations, nonprofits and industry associations.

The face of the Greater New York Hospital Association, an influential interest group in Albany, is its president, Kenneth Raske. But much of the organization’s success in effectively advocating for hospitals in Albany – which were overwhelmed during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and are now confronting major budget cuts – is also due to David Rich, a behind-the-scenes operator who handles GNYHA’s advocacy and communications.

Principal Geto & de Milly

JON DEL GIORNO

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facilities at the Department of Sanitation.

39 CHARLES JOHN O’BYRNE

Executive Vice President for Policy Related Cos. Charles John O’Byrne isn’t a typical real estate executive; he was previously a human rights lawyer, a Jesuit chaplain, a speechwriter and a top aide to Gov. David Paterson. “I have always been attracted toward organizations and institutions that are mission-driven and support a set of values that resonate with my own values,” he said this year. O’Byrne is also the secretary and chair emeritus of the board of the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Speakers Christine Quinn and MMV can thank Jon Del Giorno.

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preschool, summer camps and after-school programs.

He previously led the Empire State Pride Agenda, helping pave the way for same-sex marriage in New York. The Long Island native remains politically engaged after serving as deputy comptroller, advising Mayor Bill de Blasio as a member of the Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board.

44 “TJ” Chernick stands up for LGBTQ-owned businesses.

MATTHEW MCMORROW & PRIYA NAIR Statewide Director of LGBTQ Affairs; Diversity and Inclusion Fellow Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office

Earlier this year Gov. Andrew Cuomo hired one of the top LGBTQ advocates in New York government: Matthew McMorrow, a former top adviser to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. The Cuomo administration, which boasts a string of LGBTQ policy victories, from same-sex marriage in 2011 to the passage of the Gender Expression NonDiscrimination Act last year, also relies on Priya Nair, an inclusivity fellow since 2018.

41 BRIAN ELLNER

Executive Vice President, Global Corporate Solutions BCW Since leaving communications giant Edelman to expand Burson Cohn & Wolfe’s corporate practice, Brian Ellner has continued his involvement in LGBTQ civil-

rights causes, advocating in his new role for the Equality Act, which would guarantee nondiscrimination protections for queer people in housing, public accommodations and employment. He was instrumental in the effort to bring same-sex marriage to New York in 2011 as a senior strategist at the Human Rights Campaign.

for women has gone up: in particular, women of color, in particular, trans women of color.”

42 KELSEY LOUIE

CEO Gay Men’s Health Crisis Kelsey Louie’s venerable organization has helped reduce HIV infections in recent years. But while some herald the end of New York’s HIV/AIDS crisis by 2020, Louie warns against complacency.

“While rates of infections are going down in some populations, they are rising in others,” he told NBC News.

“In New York state, the rate

Director National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, New York As director of the National LGBT of Commerce’s New York branch, Thomas “TJ” Chernick represents the interests of the state’s LGBTQowned businesses while also coordinating with the national office in Washington, D.C. In New York, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce not only certifies LGBT businesses – it’s pushing legislation to make New York City recognize such businesses and encourage the city to partner with them.

45 43 ALAN VAN CAPELLE

President and CEO Educational Alliance Alan van Capelle in 2014 became CEO of the Educational Alliance – a nonprofit whose downtown Manhattan services include

While some herald the end of New York’s HIV/AIDS crisis, Louie warns against complacency.

SALLY SUSMAN

Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Pfizer As chief corporate affairs officer at Pfizer, Sally Susman handles the pharmaceutical company’s communications and public affairs. A leading fundraiser for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Kirsten Gillibrand, Susman has dedicated herself to inclusivity at the company and has been outspoken about the importance of being out at work. “Coming out – being fully out, both personally and professionally – has been the most productive thing I’ve ever done,” she wrote recently.

TOPHER SCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY; JAMES MAHER PHOTOGRAPHY

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THOMAS “TJ” CHERNICK

The East Midtown Partnership Congratulates City and State’s LGBT Power 100 We’re proud to be part of the movement for equal rights and justice.

East Midtown Partnership • 875 Third Avenue • New York, NY 10022 • 212-813-0030 • EastMidtown.org

30 CityAndStateNY.com

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THE FIGHT FOR TRANS RIGHTS 5 bills the state still hasn’t passed

by R E B E C C A C . L E W I S

O

N JUNE 14, thousands of people, all dressed in white, gathered in Brooklyn for a rally and silent march in support of Black trans lives. Organizers estimated 15,000 people attended, making it one of the largest demonstrations in New York City in recent weeks.

Then, just a day later, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling for gay and trans people: employers cannot fire anyone because of their sexual identity, gender identity or gender expression. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices wrote that Title IV of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, covers sexual orientation and gender identity, meaning that it protects gay and trans Americans. The decision was a major victory for members of the LGBTQ community, affirming their civil rights and providing them legal protection across the country.

The ruling came amid nationwide Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality and racism. Trans people of color, in particular Black trans women, are disproportionately the victims of violent crime and they are often the subjects of police brutality. Last year, the American Medical Association declared the murder of trans people an epidemic. A 2013 report from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that trans people of color were six times more likely to face police violence than white cisgender people.

Two days before the rally, President Donald Trump rolled back health care protections for trans people put in place by President Barack Obama, eliminating guidance that prohibited health care providers from discriminating against trangender patients. It’s unclear how the subsequent Supreme Court ruling on workplace discrimination will impact this decision.

In New York, lawmakers have taken measures to protect the rights of trans people.

After years of it stalling in the formerly Republican-controlled state Senate, the Legislature passed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, in 2019. The law amended the state’s Human Rights Law to include gender identity as a protected class, making discrimination on the basis of gender identity illegal. The state also enacted a law prohibiting the so-called gay and trans panic defense, limiting a defendant’s ability to use someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity as a defense for violent crime. Both laws codified previous executive orders from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The state also enacted a law requiring competency training for public employees who work with LGBTQ homeless youth. And in 2020, the state began allowing minors to change their sex on their birth certificates after the LGBTQ legal organization filed a lawsuit.

June 29-July 6, 2020

City & State New York

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be difficult and burdensome. This bill, sponsored Hoylman and Assembly Member Felix Ortiz, would streamline and destigmatize the process, while offering more privacy for those seeking the changes.

For example, under current law, someone seeking a name change must publish their birth name, place of birth and date of birth in a newspaper after a court approves the change. The Gender Recognition Act would remove this requirement. It would also add a third gender designation of “x” on drivers licenses for those who don’t identify as male or female.

The Brooklyn march in support of Black trans lives was one of the largest protests in recent weeks.

LGBT LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS’ BILL OF RIGHTS The LGBTQ rights movement is not just one waged for and by young people. Older trans and gay people continue to face discrimination, which often gets less attention. This bill, sponsored by Hoylman and Assembly Member Aravella Simotas – who trails challenger Zohran Mamdani in her reelection bid – would update the state’s Elder Law to explicitly prohibit long-term care facilities to discriminate against residents on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status.

KEVIN RC WILSON/SHUTTERSTOCK

But despite recent action, trans New Yorkers, especially Black trans New Yorkers and other trans people of color, still face discrimination in other arenas. Even though they helped ignite the LGBTQ rights movement that is celebrated every June, for a long time they often were erased from it.

Here are some of the many bills to expand LGBTQ rights that trans advocates are still pushing for the state Legislature to pass.

WALKING WHILE TRANS BAN This bill would repeal the state’s Loitering for the Purpose of Prostitution Law, which effectively allows police to arrest anyone they suspect of prostitution who is just standing outside. The law has disproportionately impacted Black and Latina women, especially trans women, leading to unlawful arrests, police harassment and criminalization of being trans, advocates say. According to the Human Rights Campaign, arrests under the

law increased by 120% in 2018, with 47% of those happening in Queens alone. The bill is co-sponsored by a majority of members in the state Senate and 54 members of the Assembly, but has never been voted on. Repeal of this law, which is sponsored by State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Amy Paulin, goes hand-in-hand with the repeal of another law that allows police to use someone’s possession of just one condom as probable cause to arrest someone on the grounds of suspected prostitution. Both pieces of legislation are part of the platform to decriminalize sex work in the state being promoted

by DecrimNY, a coalition of groups working to destigmatize sex work.

GENDER RECOGNITION ACT Although the state offers avenues for trans, gender nonconforming and nonbinary people to change their sex, gender or name on identifying documents, the process can

EXPANSION OF GENDERNEUTRAL BATHROOMS The issue of gendered bathrooms is well known in the fight for trans rights, both for trans people trying simply to use restrooms that align with their identity, and opponents who sow completely unfounded tales of men using female restrooms to prey on women and young girls. In New York, there is legislation – sponsored by Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell – that would mandate that all single-occupancy bathrooms in public spaces, including restaurants and schools, be gender neutral. This way, trans and nonbinary people are not placed in a situation where they are forced to make a choice that may be triggering or potentially dangerous.

BETTER SCHOOL GENDER POLICIES The state passed the New York’s Dignity for All Students Act in 2010, which went into effect in 2012, to help prevent discrimination in schools based on a number of different protected classes, including gender identity, race and gender. A newer bill, introduced by Hoylman and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, would explicitly codify a requirement for schools to have policies and procedures that make sure trans and gender nonconforming kids are treated in a way that affirms their identity and are afforded privacy regarding their gender status.

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Reserve – he penned a piece earlier this month about living past 50 and coming to terms with a coronavirus diagnosis as an HIV-positive person.

STAN SLOAN

CEO Family Equality

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Stan Sloan heads Family Equality, which seeks to advance “legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families.”

Sloan joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s successful push to repeal New York state’s ban on paid surrogacy this year. With 63% of LGBTQ millennials considering starting families, Sloan’s voice will only become more prominent. An Episcopal priest, he also backs the federal Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which bans discrimination against LGBTQ foster kids and parents.

BRADFORD SHELLHAMMER General Manager eBay New York City

Bradford Shellhammer came to prominence as the cofounder of Fab.com, an online marketplace once valued at $1 billion. He went on to found and sell another e-commerce site, Bezar, and create the gay and lesbian news outlet Queerty. In 2016, he came to eBay, where he rose from running its merchandising and curation team to general manager of the company’s New York office.

Actor and Activist

Actress Cynthia Nixon has remained a political force after losing the race for governor.

boards of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Central Park Conservancy, and was on the New York City host committee for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

50 ORIOL GUTIERREZ JR. Editor-in-chief POZ magazine

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CHARLES MYERS

MICHAEL ADAMS

With more than 20 years of experience in electoral politics, Charles Myers supported President Barack Obama’s reelection campaigns, did the same for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 run, and is now backing Joe Biden. He has served on the

It’s been a challenging and a breakthrough year for Michael Adams, who runs the nation’s largest organization advocating for the growing LGBTQ senior population.

SAGE helped amend the federal Older Americans Act

Chairman Signum Global Advisors

to benefit LGBTQ seniors and boosted advocacy efforts amid the pandemic, which, Adam notes, has threatened LGBTQ seniors, who smoke at higher rates and have pre-existing conditions like HIV/AIDS that make them especially susceptible to the virus.

CEO SAGE

POZ magazine’s Oriol Gutierrez Jr. runs the largest publication dedicated to those affected by HIV/AIDS, with 450,000 visitors to its website each month. A longterm survivor – Gutierrez discovered he had HIV while serving in the Marine Corps

Since losing to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018, Cynthia Nixon has remained active, endorsing U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders for president and a slate of Democratic Socialists of America candidates for state Legislature this cycle.

She recently spoke about acknowledging white privilege.

“It’s really important for white people and other people to listen to people of color – that’s the most important thing we can do,” she said on the Homo Sapiens podcast.

52 SARAH KATE ELLIS President and CEO GLAAD

A former media executive who specialized in launches and turnarounds of publications, Sarah Kate Ellis became CEO of media watchdog GLAAD in 2014. In the last year, the organization has spoken out forcefully against Tennessee’s HB 836, which sanctions discrimination against LGBTQ adoptive parents and was signed into law in January.

Before entering advocacy, Ellis helped grow Real Simple magazine into one of Time Inc.’s largest brands.

“It’s really important for white people to listen to people of color,” Nixon said.

RON ADAR/SHUTTERSTOCK; SAGE

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CYNTHIA NIXON

June 29 - July 6, 2020

53 CHRIS COFFEY

Head of New York Practice Tusk Strategies Chris Coffey has worked closely with several successful politicians in New York City, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. He heads up Tusk Strategies’ New York operation, representing New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Affordable Streets and tech firms like Uber and Bird. He is a board member of The Trevor Project, which seeks to prevent suicides in LGBTQ teens.

City & State New York

serves more than 16,000 HIVpositive New Yorkers, including members of the African American community, which has been disproportionately ravaged by the disease – amid increased demand and scarce resources. Forced to lay off 15 of its 325 staff because of funding shortages, the organization has continued its work through the coronavirus crisis, offering many of its services online.

Chanel Lopez is a human rights liaison to the trans community.

Talusan’s “Fairest,” has been credited with “reinvigorating the trans memoir tradition.”

54 CHANEL LOPEZ

Transgender Communities Liaison New York City Commission on Human Rights

MOUNT SINAI; CHANEL LOPEZ

With more than 15 years of activism under her belt, Chanel Lopez currently serves on the New York City Commission on Human Rights, which enforces the city’s extensive civil rights laws, as a liaison to the transgender community. In that role, she has focused her efforts on employment discrimination and harassment in New York City businesses.

Lopez was previously with the New York Anti-Violence Project and the Bronx Community Pride Center.

56 ERICK EITING

Vice Chair of Operations for Emergency Medicine Mount Sinai Downtown As vice chair of operations for emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Downtown, which includes the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and the Urgent Care Center at Mount Sinai Union Square, Dr. Erick Eiting has been a key figure in New York City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was previously the vice-chair of the American Medical Association’s advisory committee on LGBTQ issues.

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JACQUELYN KILMER

CECILIA GENTILI & CYNTHIA DAMES

CEO Harlem United

Jacquelyn Kilmer has continued the tireless work of Harlem United – which

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Co-Chair; Project Manager The New Pride Agenda

After same-sex marriage was legalized in New York 2011 and

nationwide in 2015, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an executive order protecting transgender New Yorkers later in 2015, the Empire State Pride Agenda shut down. But work remained to be done – so The New Pride Agenda was launched to secure further protections. Cecilia Gentili is a leading advocate for decriminalizing sex work, while Cynthia Dames brings valuable government affairs experience to the organization.

Kleinbaum helped found the New York Jewish Agenda, a liberal counterweight to the conservative Orthodox community. She told the New York Jewish Week the organization will have a “voice that is politically Jewish.”

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A well-known activist and journalist in New York’s LGBTQ community, Meredith Talusan recently released a memoir, “Fairest,” which The Boston Globe has credited with “reinvigorating the trans memoir tradition.” BuzzFeed’s first transgender journalist, Talusan won plaudits for an investigative reporting project documenting violence against transgender women of color. The Filipino-American reporter was also the founding executive editor of them, Condé Nast’s first queer publication.

SHARON KLEINBAUM

Senior Rabbi Congregation Beit Simchat Torah A social-justice warrior, Sharon Kleinbaum has led Congregation Beth Simchat Torah since 1992, when she became a central figure in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In addition to committing her congregation to addressing racial injustice, last year

59 MEREDITH TALUSAN Journalist/Activist

STANDING STRONG

with you and for you.

As we celebrate Pride, let’s stand together and fight for social justice and equity!

Thank you to Amida Care President and CEO Doug Wirth and the other 2020 Pride Power 100 honorees for your leadership and contributions to New York’s LGBTQ community.

Health.

Advocacy.

Care.

1-800-GO-AMIDA www.amidacareny.org Amida Care complies with Federal civil rights laws. Amida Care does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-556-0689, TTY 711. 注意：如果您使用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-800-556-0689, TTY 711.

Stock photo with model.

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63 WENDY STARK

Executive Director Callen-Lorde Community Health Center

Joel Spolsky is a major voice in New York’s tech scene.

Bumgardner helped evict an anti-LGBTQ COVID-19 “relief” effort from Central Park.

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JOEL SPOLSKY

PAT BUMGARDNER

Brian Romero is the president of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, which supports queer candidates and causes, and the policy and census manager at Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Besides supporting LGBTQ candidates, the Stonewall Democratic Club under Romero’s tenure has campaigned to decriminalize sex work and the repeal of New York’s Loitering for the Purpose of Prostitution law, which critics say has been weaponized against transgender people.

STACK OVERFLOW; BRIAN ROMERO; CELESTE SLOMAN

Co-founder and Chairman Stack Overflow The founder and former CEO of the online developer community Stack Overflow, Joel Spolsky remains a prominent voice in New York’s tech scene even after stepping down from the top post last year. (He has remained involved as chairman of the board of directors.) Spolsky is a veteran of Microsoft’s Excel team and helped create work management software Trello.

He blogs at Joel on Software.

Senior Pastor Metropolitan Community Church of New York From her post at Hell’s Kitchen’s Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Pat Bumgardner has long been a vocal LGBTQ advocate of faith.

She was among the chorus of LGBTQ faith leaders who helped evict Samaritan’s Purse – an anti-LGBTQ “Christian disaster relief” organization accused of proselytizing COVID-19 patients – from Central Park. Bumgardner is founder of The Sylvia Rivera Memorial Food Pantry and Sylvia’s Place, a homeless shelter for LGBTQ youth.

As head of the CallenLorde Community Health Center – which was the first community-based HIV clinic and now serves around 17,000 LGBTQ New Yorkers annually – Wendy Stark has played a lead role in addressing the needs of the queer community during the coronavirus crisis.

“We are shapeshifters,” she told NBC News. “We have lived through traumas and pandemics. We know how to take care of ourselves and each other.”

BRIAN ROMERO

President Stonewall Democrats of New York City

64 WILHELMINA PERRY

Co-founder and Administrative Coordinator LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent After Wilhelmina Perry’s longtime partner died in 2002, she turned to her religious faith for solace. Finding that many black churches did not welcome LGBT people, she co-founded LGBT Faith Leaders of African Descent, a group composed of clergy, divinity students, and faith leaders who represent diverse interdenominational religious institutions and seeks to combat homophobia in African American communities of faith.

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ECHOES T OF THE PAST Survivors of the HIV/AIDS crisis saw it all happening again in New York City

by K A Y D E R V I S H I

HIS YEAR WAS meant to mark the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in New York, which has killed tens of thousands of residents since the 1980s. But 2020 has been overwhelmed with a new epidemic where – just like the HIV/AIDS crisis – New York again found itself at the center of the outbreak.

There are major differences between how AIDS initially emerged compared with the coronavirus. But to health experts and those who survived the worst of the HIV/AIDS crisis, a faltering government response, disparate health outcomes for people of color and heightened stigma during the coronavirus pandemic harken back to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The viruses themselves manifest quite differently. HIV transmits through bodily fluids, such as blood or semen, while the coronavirus spreads mainly through respiratory droplets from coughs or sneezes.

“This is like HIV fast forward,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, deputy commissioner of the Division of Disease Control at the New York City Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene. “It’s high speed because of the way this transmits. It feels like we’ve been through 10 years in four months.”

LGBTQ people, in particular gay and bisexual men, and people with substance abuse disorders were disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. AIDS also proved to be consistently deadly, unlike the coronavirus, and was even more poorly understood at the outset of the outbreak. Whereas the coronavirus was identified early on, it took two years after HIV/AIDS was declared an epidemic for scientists to discover the human immunodeficiency virus that caused acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Data and information on the spread of the coronavirus has also been significantly more accessible.

Still, ongoing uncertainty about the coronavirus, the large numbers of deaths and no access to a cure reminded some of how the HIV/AIDS outbreak initially erupted.

“The early days of the COVID pandemic were really – I think I and others who have been doing HIV work for decades were really struck,” said Sharen Duke, founding executive director and CEO of the Alliance

OSEPH SOHM/SHUTTERSTOCK

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for Positive Change, a community-based organization created in response to the AIDS crisis. “A lot of us almost felt like PTSD – the early days of the AIDS epidemic where people were getting sick and dying and there was nothing we could do.”

Much of the failure to conduct sufficient research and support on HIV/AIDS back then came from stigma against the gay community and a weak government response.

Then-President Ronald Reagan notoriously mostly ignored AIDS until his second term in office, four years after the first cases in America, and the media largely failed to press officials on their inaction. New York City’s mayor at the time, Ed Koch, also was widely lambasted by gay activists for also failing to promote risk reduction and education early on. The failed government response to the coronavirus crisis evoked similar feelings, though their causes may be dissimilar. The federal government is mostly at fault for failing to boost the testing capacity needed to identify the disease and provide enough supplies to protect frontline workers. Though the response has been comparatively robust in New York on a state and local level, there has been plenty of criticism that delays in shelter-in-place policies and rules regarding nursing homes exacerbated the severity of the outbreak.

“The three months of neglect that we saw at all levels of government here in New York, where you have a much more virulent virus, had the same impact in terms of leaving folks woefully unprepared to address this, leaving a lot more death than needed to have happened,” said Charles King, CEO of the nonprofit Housing Works and a former member of ACT UP, an early AIDS activist group.

For Kelsey Louie, CEO of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the current approach still represents a major difference between both epidemics.

“Whether you like the government response or not with COVID, at least it’s happening and it is being paid attention to,” he said.

Survivors of the AIDS crisis said that in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, they felt “almost felt like PTSD ... where people were getting sick and dying and there was nothing we could do.”

City & State New York

Many people familiar with the HIV/ AIDS epidemic have suspected that the more robust response from government officials likely ties into the fact that the coronavirus can affect anyone, where HIV was largely seen as specific to the marginalized gay community.

“If this were a disease of Black, Latino, LGBTQ people and people who inject drugs only, would the federal response have been as robust?” Daskalakis said.

“Absolutely not.”

Among the other major differences between both health crises has been the reaction from health care workers. Many attempted to eschew their responsibilities to treat HIV-positive patients throughout the 1980s because of fears that they would contract the disease, though research has since proven that there was minimal risk

“THIS IS LIKE HIV FAST FORWARD. ... IT FEELS LIKE WE’VE BEEN THROUGH 10 YEARS IN FOUR MONTHS.” – Demetre Daskalakis, deputy commissioner of the New York City health department’s Division of Disease Control

of transmission. Health care workers who did help people with HIV or AIDS were often shunned.

“It was a very hostile atmosphere towards the disease and towards the practitioners who worked with patients with the disease,” said Gerald Oppenheimer, a historian with expertise in the HIV/ AIDS epidemic at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

“The patients were very unpopular and greatly feared.”

Some discussion has occurred among doctors who fear treating coronavirus patients, given the high transmission risk and shortages of personal protective equipment that marked the worst of the pandemic. But for the most part, it hasn’t stopped health care workers from doing their jobs, and the public has celebrated them as heroes for continuing to work throughout the crisis.

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What also made the HIV/AIDS outbreak particularly pernicious was the fact that it heightened existing homophobia and stigma against people using illegal drugs. Physicians designated four groups stigmatized as high-risk at the time, condensed in the term “the Four H’s,” which stood for “homosexuals, hemophiliacs, heroin addicts, and Haitians.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention erroneously included Haitians, who many at the time accused of carrying HIV to the United States, and as a result faced widespread discrimination not entirely dissimilar to that faced by Asians and Asian Americans during the coronavirus crisis. Also incorrectly targeted for bringing the coronavirus from China, Asian Americans have increasingly been the victims of hate crimes in New York City. Asian-owned businesses were among the first to experience financial hardships in the coronavirus outbreak.

Racism has also manifested in poor health outcomes for people suffering from either disease. Although Black people made up 13% of the country’s population in 2018, they represented 42% of new HIV diagnoses, according to the CDC. The majority of transgender women who have tested positive for HIV are either Black or Latino. Black and Latino people have died from the coronavirus at twice the rate of white people in New York City.

Some valuable lessons have transferred over to the recent pandemic. For example, New York City’s health department issued a guide for how to safely have sex during the coronavirus pandemic. “That is very directly from the HIV experience and looking at public health and government and how it failed in that era to be leading on giving people clear advice rather than waiting for community members to feel around in the dark to come up with a strategy,” Daskalakis said. These harm-reduction strategies also led to the agency producing another guide for how to safely gather in groups with the understanding that – while not gathering would be safer – many will still do so despite the risk.

Even with the great medical strides that have transformed HIV into a manageable chronic disease and slowed the virus’s spread, some of that progress may be at risk because of the coronavirus. As health care transitioned to tackling the coronavirus, regular treatment of chronic health conditions became deprioritized, Daskalakis said. And organizations on the front lines of helping people with HIV are also concerned that funding for their initiatives could dissipate amid the immense fiscal crisis. They are now expressing concerns that New York state may not reach its goal of ending the AIDS epidemic this year.

“I’m only half kidding – I think we need an extension in terms of getting our 2020 target,” Daskalakis said.

■

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FREDDY MOLANO

MARTI GOULD CUMMINGS

JAYSON LITTMAN & ASHE MCGOVERN

MITCHELL DRAIZIN

Dr. Luis Freddy Molano practiced family medicine in South and Central America before joining Community Healthcare Network – which provides more than 85,000 New Yorkers primary health care – in 1989. Previously at CHN, he implemented a successful HIV testing/ counseling program directed at women. He lectures and publishes in scholarly journals about HIV/AIDS. Over time the organization has its expanded its scope to cover teen pregnancy, poverty and homelessness.

Founder Hell’s Kitchen Democrats

If elected to the New York City Council, Marti Gould Cummings would become New York’s first nonbinary elected official.

The professional drag queen was inspired by the election of President Donald Trump to start the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats. “If we don’t get queer people into the council, our voices won’t be at the table,” Cummings told the Advocate. Cummings serves on the city’s Nightlife Advisory Council and on The Ali Forney Center board.

RICHARD SOCARIDES

Chief Communications Officer Gerson Lehrman Group A former adviser on gay and lesbian rights to President Bill Clinton, Richard Socarides now serves as chief communications officer of Gerson Lehrman Group Inc., where he has helped double the consulting firm’s staff to more than 2,000. In addition to planning LGBTQ-related events – and sponsoring Out Leadership and the Open For Business coalition – Socarides heads the company’s diversity and inclusion council.

Since Matthew McMorrow departed New York City government to work for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Jayson Littman has filled in as his interim replacement while continuing his role as the mayor’s director of event management. Another key LGBTQ City Hall staffer is Ashe McGovern, who runs the NYC Unity Project, which is aimed at supporting young LGBTQ people.

Political Donor

Mitchell Draizin used to run a real estate financial services firm, but he is better known for his philanthropic and political work. A member of the New York City Economic Development Corporation board, he founded and now runs the Concordia Philanthropic Fund, which supports LGBTQ and progressive youth leadership initiatives. The political donor has supported LGBTQ officials like state Sen. Brad Hoylman, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres.

If elected to the New York City Council, Marti Gould Cummings would become New York’s first nonbinary elected official.

Marti Gould Cummings is running for New York City Council.

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Interim Senior Adviser for LGBTQ Community Affairs; Executive Director of the NYC Unity Project and Senior LGBTQ Policy Adviser New York City Mayor’s Office

RYAN DUFFIN; MICHAEL KUSHNER

Vice President of Infectious Diseases and LGBTQ Programs and Services Community Healthcare Network

June 29 - July 6, 2020

City & State New York

39

70 DOUG WIRTH

President and CEO Amida Care Doug Wirth is a major player in New York’s efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, having served on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s task force to end the AIDS epidemic by 2020.

At Amida Care, he oversees the largest Medicaid specialneeds health plan in New York, which serves those suffering from homelessness and chronic conditions. He served in the Giuliani and Dinkins administrations as a health policy adviser and is co-chair of The New Pride Agenda.

74 CARL SICILIANO & ALEX ROQUE

Founder; President and Executive Director Ali Forney Center

Ronald Richter has been an advocate for kids at ACS and JCCA.

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RONALD RICHTER

CHARLES KING

An advocate for LGBTQ foster and adoptive parental rights – and an adoptive parent himself – Ronald Richter has spent decades advocating on behalf of children. As commissioner of New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services, he created a program for juvenile offenders. In five years heading up JCCA – among New York’s largest child and family services organizations – he has led initiatives on LGBTQ foster youth and juvenile justice.

Born of a previous pandemic, Housing Works provides housing and other services to homeless and poor New Yorkers living with HIV/ AIDS. Under Charles King’s leadership, the organization has been a crucial player in the city’s coronavirus response: Housing Works set up two shelters to serve homeless COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals – a welcome change of focus from the unionization efforts roiling the organization earlier this year.

CEO JCCA

71 JOSH MELTZER

JOSH MELTZER; EDUARDO PATINO; GREGORY KRAMER

New York Public Policy Director Airbnb Josh Meltzer is a battle-tested political operative in Albany, having run communications at Empire State Pride Agenda as it lobbied to legalize samesex marriage in New York.

So he was well-qualified to spearhead Airbnb’s efforts to expand in New York and negotiate regulations on short-term vacation rentals in the state Legislature, given the ardent opposition from key elected officials and the influential New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council.

CEO Housing Works

Born of a previous pandemic, Housing Works was a crucial player in the COVID-19 response.

Carl Siciliano (pictured) launched the Ali Forney Center with six beds in a church basement in 2002. It now reaches more than 1,400 homeless LGBTQ youth every year, providing not only housing but medical services. President Barack Obama named Siciliano a White House Champion of Change in 2012. Siciliano handed the reins to Alex Roque, then the organization’s director of development, this year, but continues to share successful models.

75 KEN MEHLMAN

Partner, Global Head of Public Affairs & Co-Head of KKR Global Impact KKR A former chairman of the Republican National Committee and head of George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, Ken Mehlman has become a major proponent of LGBTQ causes since coming out in 2010.

Currently the global head of public affairs at KKR, Mehlman last year called for the U.S. Supreme Court to find that federal law protects queer people from employment discrimination – a right the court affirmed this month.

40 CityAndStateNY.com

PETER STALEY Activist

A former member of HIV/ AIDS group ACT UP, Peter Staley has long been a fixture in LGBTQ advocacy. Besides helping Gov. Andrew Cuomo draft his 2015 plan for ending the AIDS epidemic, Staley founded the Treatment Action Group and co-founded Prep4All Collaboration.

Last year, Staley said he hopes for an “end to our own community’s racism and misogyny,” “cementing our commitment to our transgender comrades” and “ending AIDS.”

77 LOUIS BRADBURY

Board President The Calamus Foundation Louis Bradbury serves on the board of The Calamus Foundation, a group that has given millions of dollars in grants to fund LGBTQ causes over the past decade. He was previously president of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, where he created an HIV testing center in the midst of the AIDS crisis, and board co-chairman of the Empire State Pride Agenda, which helped legalize same-sex marriage in New York in 2011.

78 DAVID MANSUR

Partner Culver Place Strategies A prolific fundraiser, David Mansur has been behind the campaigns of such New York politicos as state Attorney General Letitia James, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Hakeem Jeffries.

When his former business

partner moved to Oregon, he hired Allegra Scheinblum and renamed his firm Culver Place Strategies. He recently raised nearly $100,000 for a PAC that pushes for transgender rights.

79 PAUL SCHINDLER

Founding Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Gay City News As the founding editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Gay City News, Paul Schindler continues to be one of the leading journalists covering LGBTQ issues in New York City. A former investment banker, Schindler has this year overseen the paper’s coverage of the fight against New York state’s ban on paid gestational surrogacy, which was overturned in Albany this past April, and of various LGBTQ candidates running for elected office.

80 JARED ARADER

President Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn As president of one of the largest and most influential LGBTQ political organizations in New York, Jared Arader has sought to rebrand the group as a grassroots organization that hopes to influence the party apparatus and elect LGBTQ officeholders in 2021 – rather than an extension of the party itself. Arader also works for the New York City Department of Education.

Mario Palumbo Jr. is a major funder of progressive campaigns.

81 MARIO PALUMBO JR. Partner Millennium Partners

The son of a former West Virginia state senator and state attorney general, Mario Palumbo Jr. has become a major funder of progressive campaigns, including those of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former mayoral hopeful Christine Quinn and presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

The managing partner of real estate firm Millennium Partners is a former board

Humm and Northrop brought attention to Christian Cooper, the Central Park bird watcher.

president of The LGBT Community Center and the current board chairman of Friends of the High Line.

82 ANN NORTHROP & ANDY HUMM Co-hosts and Co-executive Producers “Gay USA”

Co-hosts of weekly news show “Gay USA,” Andy Humm and Ann Northrop bring activist sensibilities to the week’s news, recently bringing attention to the case of Christian Cooper, a gay black bird-watcher who was racially profiled in Central Park in a viral video. Northrop was formerly a CBS producer and activist with group ACT UP in the 1980s. Humm was formerly spokesperson for the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights.

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June 29 - July 6, 2020

THANK YOU Richard Socarides!

Congratulations to GLG’s Richard Socarides for once again being named to City & State’s Pride Power 100.

Richard, your advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community and your lifelong work to advance inclusion, respect, and equality are a constant inspiration.

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Under Amit Paley, The Trevor Project is reaching out to Black LGBTQ youth.

June 29 - July 6, 2020

83 NORMAN SIMON & JEFFREY TRACHTMAN Partners Kramer Levin

Jeffrey Trachtman has spent years representing LGBTQ clients pro bono, including Gay Men’s Health Crisis and The LGBT Community Center.

He has been involved in notable litigation, including the fight for same-sex marriage and for equal rights for trans students. His colleague Norman Simon served as treasurer of the Empire State Pride Agenda and taken on similar cases pro bono, including representing samesex couples seeking the right to marry in New York.

JOHN GALLAGHER Partner Mercury

John Gallagher learned his way around New York City politics while working at Lower Manhattan Development Corp. in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and he went on to work in key roles in the Bloomberg administration and with Tishman Construction Co. before joining Mercury in 2012. The strategic and crisis communications consultant served on the board of the now-defunct Empire State Pride Agenda.

on suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. Paley said the organization is reaching out to Black LGBTQ youth – who are statistically less likely to have received professional care for mental health issues – to help them deal with stress brought on by police brutality and the coronavirus pandemic.

87 ALLEN ROSKOFF

President Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club

85 AMIT PALEY

CEO and Executive Director The Trevor Project Amit Paley joined The Trevor Project in 2017, bringing experience in health care and nonprofit management to the national organization focusing

when the network launched its vertical covering LGBTQ life and culture. Having served as its managing editor prior to her current role, Sopelsa has been busy in recent months reporting on issues ranging from adoption to education to gender identity discrimination in health care – which comes amid a nationwide uptick in COVID-19 infections.

86 BROOKE SOPELSA Editorial Director NBC Out

Brooke Sopelsa has been a part of NBC Out since 2016,

Dubbed a “progressive power broker,” Allen Roskoff began his career as an activist in the 1970s, inspired by the Stonewall Riots.

He worked under numerous pro-LGBTQ politicians, including Mario Cuomo and David Dinkins. He is now the president of the club named for his late partner and fellow activist. The organization’s endorsements are sought after by progressive candidates in New York City.

88 KAREN FRANZ CEO AKRF

As head of a consulting firm responsible for bringing sustainable infrastructure to New York City, Karen Franz has been involved in the development of major projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park, Governors Island, New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Infrastructure Program, and the Cornell Tech Applied Sciences Campus. Franz, who has been at AKRF since 2000, previously served as director of the firm’s engineering department.

89 DONALD CAPOCCIA Principal BFC Partners

Donald Capoccia is a cofounder of BFC Partners, which is known for its affordable housing

THE TREVOR PROJECT; NBC NEWS

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June 29 - July 6, 2020

construction, and is also a founding member of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing.

With New York City’s economy struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic, Capoccia is actively seeking ways to help tenants cover their rent. He has also served on the board of amfAR, which seeks a cure for HIV/AIDS.

90 JOHN BLASCO

LGBTQ Liaison New York City Council Speaker’s office John Blasco joined the New York City Council’s Community Engagement Division as its liaison to the LGBTQ community.

Blasco, who’s also a district leader and a member of the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, started out as an organizer with Fierce, a grassroots advocacy organization representing LGBTQ youth of color – and that part of his advocacy hasn’t waned, as he’s an outspoken proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement.

91 MILA MADISON

Executive Director The Transgender Resource Center of Long Island As executive director of the Transgender Resource Center of Long Island, Mila Madison oversees programming that includes support groups for transgender and nonbinary youth, and provides assistance in changing legal documents to reflect one’s true gender.

Previously, Madison was an executive-level liaison with the FCC, the Better Business Bureau and the Public Service Commission. A longtime activist, she has helped raise money for HIV/AIDS.

Kim Forte left Legal Aid Society to launch a consulting firm.

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KIM FORTE

THOMAS KREVER

DAVID KILMNICK

Kim Forte launched her own consulting firm after nearly two decades at the Legal Aid Society, where she oversaw the organization’s LGBT law and policy initiative and helped secure Medicaid coverage for transition-related health care needs. In addition to her consulting practice, she is director of corporate development and training for The Phluid Project, a “genderfree shopping experience” and community center in New York City.

As head of the Hetrick-Martin Institute – the nation’s largest organization serving LGBTQ youth – Thomas Krever has been a sought-after adviser on issues related to queer youth.

He recently advised Mayor Bill de Blasio on plans to reopen New York City schools amid the coronavirus crisis and sat on the mayor’s Nonprofit Resiliency Committee. Krever is stepping down at the end of June after 13 years leading the institute.

David Kilmnick has led the Long Island-based LGBT Network for more than a quarter century, standing up for the rights of gay and transgender New Yorkers, partnering with corporations to promote tolerance and speaking out in the media.

His nonprofit has expanded into Queens in recent years, while partnering with the Mets on Pride Night. However, the nonprofit has recently come under scrutiny by state agencies for questionable spending and funding issues.

Owner Kim Forte Consulting

CEO Hetrick-Martin Institute

President and CEO The LGBT Network

Krever recently advised Mayor Bill de Blasio on plans to reopen New York City schools.

June 29 - July 6, 2020

City & State New York

Tiffany Cabán is now an organizer with the Working Families Party.

thin margin – she’s now an organizer with the Working Families Party and has continued to speak out against mass incarceration. “The pandemic is the ideal time for a paradigm shift from a focus on punishment to public health outcomes,” she recently wrote for The Nation. “Local prosecutors can and should lead the way.”

97 STEVEN GARIBELL

Vice President Business Development LGBTQ2+ TD Bank

TINA LUONGO; MEGAN MAGRAY; OFFICE OF THE BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT

As vice president of business development for TD Bank’s initiative to hire and serve LGBTQ individuals, Steven Garibell crafted banking services tailored to the needs of the individuals and small businesses within the community. In addition to his outreach work, Garibell also leads the bank’s effort to hire more LGBTQ professionals.

His work makes him a soughtafter voice at small-business conferences across the city.

“The pandemic is the ideal time for a paradigm shift,” Cabán wrote.

95 JOSEPH MCMILLAN JR. Chairman and CEO DDG

Joseph McMillan Jr. has developed a $2.5 billion portfolio at DDG, a Tribecabased real estate company that was founded in 2009. A veteran of the U.S. Army who had a career in private equity with Och-Ziff Capital Management Group and Greenhill & Co.,

McMillan also sits on the boards of The Municipal Art Society of New York and the influential Real Estate Board of New York.

96 TIFFANY CABÁN

National Political Organizer Working Families Party While the public defender lost her bid for Queens district attorney – by a razor-

45

98 DAVID MIXNER Activist

After 60 years of activism, David Mixner marked his retirement in December with “You Make Me Sick,” a oneman show at Florence Gould Hall, with former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn among the attendees.

Mixner’s accomplishments during six decades of advocacy include protesting the Vietnam War, helping defeat the Briggs Initiative in California and opposing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He cofounded the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which helps elect LGBTQ candidates.

99 PAUL DEL DUCA

Chief of Staff and Senior Strategic Adviser Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Paul Del Duca has been at Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s side since the politician’s days in the state Assembly. Diaz has credited del Duca, who is gay, with changing his mind about same-sex marriage, leading the borough president to announce his support for it in 2013. Diaz recently decided against running for mayor in 2021, so Del Duca may finally have to part ways with his longtime boss.

100 ELLYN CANFIELD

Executive Director New York City Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management Ellyn Canfield has been with New York City Mayor de Blasio since serving as an intern during his time on the New York City Council.

She now runs the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management, where she coordinates the Street Activity Permit Office, the city’s permit system for street activities, block parties, fairs, and film shoots. She is an alumna of the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

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Notice of Formation of Too High Records, LLC filed with SSNY on March 26, 2020. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 24 Monument Walk, Apt 2B, Brooklyn, NY 11205. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of formation of Gabby Produce LLC, a domestic LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY on February 12, 2020. Office: Bronx County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 4316 Boyd Avenue, Bronx, NY 10466. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1329018 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 1050 44TH DRIVE LIC , NY 11101 QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. ARELO LLC ZNK, LLC Art. of Org filed with the SSNY on 4/17/20.

Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 47 E 30th St., Apt. 5, New York, NY 10016. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1322195, FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 7526 37TH AVE JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY 11372.

QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. TIBETAN JAPANESE RESTAURANT NY LLC

48

CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323670, FOR LIQUOR, CIDER, WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, CIDER, WINE & BEER AT RETAIL AT A BAR/RESTAURANT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 360 BEDFORD AVE. BROOKLYN, NY 112495514. KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. NOLA BROOKLYN DBA PROPAGANDA NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1323026, FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 96-30 QUEENS BLVD. REGO PARK, NY 11374.

QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION.

Notice of Formation 98th Ave Realty LLC Arts of Org filed by the Department of State of New York on: 03/04/2020 Office loc: Kings County Purpose: Any and all lawful activities SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: c/o Chaim Schweid 1440 55th Street Brooklyn, NY 11219 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1329098, FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 412 DOUGLASS ST. BROOKLYN, NY 11217.

KINGS COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. THE BEER GARAGE LLC

CHEBURECK INC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1328481, FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 92-01 ROOSEVELT AVE. FLUSHING, NY 11372.

QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON-PREMISE CONSUMPTION. VEYTAS BAKERY CAFÉ II CORP NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 4/14/2020. Office location: Westchester County.

SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 23 Chase Ave White Plains NY 10606.

Notice of Formation of J.S.Cambareri, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM

BRINDICATE CAPITAL, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/09/2010. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, P.O. Box 131, Bronx, NY 10453-0131.

Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

Notice of Formation of JOB Special, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/18/19. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, 163 W. 74th St., NY, NY 10023.

Purpose: any lawful activities.

Notice of Formation of BENLAB Realty, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/18/19. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, 163 W. 74th St., NY, NY 10023. Purpose: any lawful activities.

June 29-July 6, 2020

Notice is hereby given that a license number 1325068 for a beer and wine, license has been applied for by 230 Varick Taco Bell LLC. to sell beer and wine at retail in a restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control law at 230 Varick Street, New York NY 10014 for on premises consumption PUBLIC NOTICE AT&T proposes to collocate antennas (tip heights 23.5’) on the building at 26 Lewis Street, New York, NY (20200842).

Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-8091202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

PUBLIC NOTICE Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at a top height of 66 feet on a 60-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 121 Milford Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, NY 11208.

Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Morgan Rasmussen, m.rasmussen@trileaf.com, 1395 S. Marietta Pkwy, Building 400, Suite 209, Marietta, GA 30067; 678-653-8673 ext. 657 NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1324118 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 83-38 WOODHAVEN BLVD. GLENDALE, NY 11385 QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. 8338 WOODHAVEN REST INC

Notice of formation of UPLIFT DENTAL, PLLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of N Y (SSNY) on 4/30/20. Office location: NY County.

SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against PLLC to 77 W. 24th St., Apt 22B, New York, NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful act.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE ANNUAL RETURN OF THE FARBMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION for the year ended December 31, 2019 is available at its principal office located at 27 WEST 72ND STREET APT. NO. 1102, NEW YORK, NY 10023 for inspection during regular business hours by any citizen who requests it within 180 days hereof.

Principal Manager of the Foundation is EILEEN & STEVEN FARBMAN.

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas at a top height of 73 feet on a 79-foot building at the approx. vicinity of 17 Park Place, New York, New York County, NY 10007.

Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Morgan Rasmussen, m.rasmussen@trileaf.com, 1395 S. Marietta Pkwy, Building 400, Suite 209, Marietta, GA 30067; 678-653-8673 ext. 657 Notice of Formation of THE REV OPS SHOP, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 6/1/2020.

Office location: RICHMOND County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC at: Mikhail Grinberg, 226 Slater Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10305.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose or activity.

Notice of Formation of D & D Jones Enterprises LLC filed with NYSDOS on February, 4, 2020 Office: Westchester County. D & D Jones Enterprises LLC designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. D & D Jones Enterprises LLC shall mail copy of process to LLC: 140 Bellamy Loop, 11D, Bronx, NY 10475. Purpose: Same name usage.

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June 29-July 6, 2020

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Comptroller David Pirozzi, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson, Administrative Assistant Lauren Mauro

Who was up and who was down last week

CREATIVE Art Director Andrew Horton, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton

LOSERS

DIGITAL Project Manager Michael Filippi, Digital Content Manager Amanda Luz Henning Santiago, Digital Marketing Strategist Caitlin Dorman, Web/Email Strategist Isabel Beebe

NATE MCMURRAY If at first you don’t succeed, fail, fail again. After a narrow loss to thenRep. Chris Collins in 2018, Democrat Nate McMurray decided he would try again after Collins resigned in disgrace upon pleading guilty to federal insider trading charges. To win the reddest district in the state, McMurray would have needed some luck – and he didn’t seem to have any. Although thousands of absentee ballots remain uncounted, he’s so far behind that it looks like it’ll be three strikes, Nate’s out.

THE BEST OF THE REST

THE REST OF THE WORST

MONDAIRE JONES & RITCHIE TORRES

LAURA MCQUADE

Out with the old, in with the new. With 76-year-old Rep. José E. Serrano and 82-year-old Rep. Nita Lowey retiring, these two young gay Black millennials are poised to replace them.

Just because an organization is progressive doesn’t mean its leadership is. Planned Parenthood of Greater New York CEO Laura McQuade was let go for being verbally abusive to staff and not addressing unequal pay for Black employees.

JENIFER RAJKUMAR

GEOFFREY BERMAN

There were a few hiccups along the way, but the civil rights attorney could become the first person of South Asian descent to be elected to the state Legislature from New York City. If Assemblyman Michael Miller starts asking around in the district, he might even figure out how he lost.

In other countries, a president sacking a top prosecutor who’s digging into his allies might not surprise anyone. But in the U.S., political factors aren’t supposed to tip the scales of justice – especially when it comes to the U.S. attorney of the Southern District of New York.

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email.

Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Vice President, Advertising and Client Relations Danielle Koza dkoza@cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillan-Grace cydney@cityandstateny.com, Legal Advertising Executive Shakirah Gittens legalnotices@ cityandstateny.com, Sales Assistant Zimam Alemenew EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Sales Director Lissa Blake, Events Manager Alexis Arsenault, Event Coordinator Amanda Cortez

Vol. 9 Issue 25 June 29-July 6, 2020 TORRES, JONES: THE FIRST GAY BLACK MEMBERS OF CONGRESS?

GAY MAN. PURPLE DISTRICT. HOW SEAN PATRICK MALONEY THRIVES IN TRUMPLAND

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Cover photography Celeste Sloman

CITY & STATE NEW YORK (ISSN 2474-4107) is published weekly, 48 times a year except for the four weeks containing New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices.

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GUERIN BLASK; NATE MCMURRAY FOR CONGRESS

JAMAAL BOWMAN New York City political candidates should know not to declare victory prematurely, but for Jamaal Bowman – the progressive, Black candidate leading by 16 points against Rep. Eliot Engel – it might be safe to start choreographing a victory dance. Bowman – hyped throughout the Democratic primary as the next AOC – declared victory even though the race hasn’t been called yet. But with a large lead, and a strong gust of Bowmentum behind him, things are looking good for the former principal.

OUR PICK

OUR PICK

WINNERS

Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, New York is awaiting an influx of absentee ballots to determine the final primary election tallies. But one thing is already clear: The Democratic Socialists of America came out on top. Four DSA picks – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, state Sen. Julia Salazar, state Senate candidate Jabari Brisport and Assembly hopeful Zohran Mamdani – all had strong leads. But you don’t always need an election to tell you who’s on top – sometimes you just need Winners & Losers.

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Senior Editor Ben Adler badler@cityandstateny.com, Special Projects Editor Alice Popovici, Deputy Editor Eric Holmberg, Senior Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Zach Williams zwilliams@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Rebecca C. Lewis rlewis@cityandstateny.com, Tech & Policy Reporter Annie McDonough amcdonough@ cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Kay Dervishi, Associate Copy Editor Holly Pretsky

JULY 23, 2020 1:00PM-4:00PM

City & State’s 2020 Virtual Digital New York event will take what we have done for years with our in-person event and transform the program with new situations that have come out of COVID 19. It will continue to gather New York’s information leaders from government and industry, for a dynamic program of candid discussion and thought-provoking presentations on the innovative ideas being used to improve the delivery of services to both citizens and government agencies.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

JESSICA TISCH Commissioner, NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT)

CLYDE VANEL Assemblyman, Chairman, Internet and Technology Committee

GALE BREWER, BREWER Manhattan Borough President

TARIQ HABIB Chief Information Security Officer, MTA

RICHARD T. JACOBS Assistant Special Agentin-Charge, Cyber Branch, FBI’s New York Office

DESHARD STEVENS, STEVENS Chief Information Officer, NYC Commission on Human Rights

RSVP at CityAndStateNY.com/Events For more information on programming and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Lissa Blake at lblake@cityandstateny.com THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

RealPossibilities Possibilities a trademark AARP. Real is is a trademark of of AARP.

NYCCOUNCIL: COUNCIL: NYC TAKEAASTAND STAND FOR FOR TAKE OLDERNEW NEWYORKERS YORKERS OLDER INTHE THECITY CITYBUDGET! BUDGET! IN

N TA O IN

As New New York City heads As heads toward toward recovery, recovery,we weneed needtoto protect services for the protect the most most vulnerable vulnerableNew NewYorkers Yorkers and communities of color.

We urge the City Council and communities color. We urge the City Counciltoto make senior senior services aa priority make priority in in the the City Citybudget. budget.

Even as as the the older older adult Even adult population populationbooms, booms,funding fundingfor for aging services services remains remains around aging around 1% 1%of ofthe thetotal totalbudget. budget.

Urge the NYC Council to Stand Up for Older New Yorkers Urge the NYC Council to Stand Up for Older New Yorkers inthe the City City Budget!

Budget! in #Hungry4Equity #Hungry4Equity

To take take action action visit visit https://bit.ly/AARPNY-Hungry4Equity To https://bit.ly/AARPNY-Hungry4Equity /AARPNY /AARPNY @AARPNY @AARPNY