Empire State Pride Agenda

Empire State Pride Agenda
Founded1990
DissolvedDecember 13, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-12-13)
Location
Area served
New York
Key people
Nathan M. Schaefer, executive director

The Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) was a statewide political advocacy organization in New York that advocated for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights, including same-sex marriage.[1] ESPA has since disbanded after an executive order was passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo which protects the rights of transgender citizens as long as future governors uphold the law.[2] ESPA was founded in 1990 through the merger of the New York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby and the Friends and Advocates for Individual Rights.[3][4] ESPA was considered the leading gay political organization in the State of New York before it disbanded.[5] As of 2005, ESPA was the largest statewide lesbian and gay political advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States.[6]

ESPA played a leading role in the late 1980s and early 1990s, along with groups representing other minorities, in surveying and consulting on a new districting process for the City Council of New York City; according to some, these efforts resulted in the most diverse City Council since the 1930s.[7] Dick Dadey served as first executive director from 1991 to 1997.[8]

ESPA has been the driving force in negotiating New York City's comprehensive domestic partnership law, passing a statewide hate crimes law, repealing a 150-year-old consensual sodomy statute, and enacting local non-discrimination laws and policies in Buffalo, Ithaca, Nassau County, and Westchester County.[1][9] Each year, ESPA outlines legislative, electoral and organizing priorities for the state.[10]

In 2012, ESPA received press attention when, approaching the end of Ross D. Levi's second year as executive director, it assigned his duties to his deputy Lynn Faria pending a long-term replacement.[11][12]

ESPA was a member of the Equality Federation.[13]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference congress was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ McKinley, Jesse (2015-12-12). "Empire State Pride Agenda to Disband, Citing Fulfillment of Its Mission". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-01-16.
  3. ^ Hellman, Ronald E. and Jack Drescher, Handbook of LGBT Issues in Community Mental Health, Volume 8, Issues 3–4 of Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, Psychology Press, 2005, ISBN 0-7890-2310-5, ISBN 978-0-7890-2310-0, pages 6–7.
  4. ^ "Transitions", page 19, The Advocate, April 2, 1996.
  5. ^ Buchanan, Angela Marie and Bay Buchanan, The extreme makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton, Regnery Publishing, 2007, ISBN 1-59698-507-0, ISBN 978-1-59698-507-0, page 145-6.
  6. ^ Greg Hernandez, "Growing the Grass Roots", page 35-7, The Advocate, July 19, 2005.
  7. ^ Bailey, Robert W., Gay Politics, Urban Politics: Identity and Economics in the Urban Setting, Columbia University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-231-09662-3, ISBN 978-0-231-09662-1, pages 222–241.
  8. ^ "Transitions", page 12, The Advocate, September 30, 1997.
  9. ^ Mucciaroni, pages 206–7.
  10. ^ Stryker et al., page 259-260.
  11. ^ Celeste Katz, "Ross Levi Is Done As ESPA Executive Director", March 6, 2012, New York Daily News.
  12. ^ "Press Release: Ross Levi named Executive Director of the Empire State Pride Agenda" Archived 2012-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, May 22, 2010
  13. ^ Bajko, Matthew S. (2011-01-27). "Political Notebook: Equality Federation welcomes new executive director". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved January 14, 2014.