Boroughwide ‘Pride in Policy’ Tour Charts Community Concerns

The New York City Council LGBTQIA+ Caucus

Hosts a Pride in Policy Community Roundtable

Monday, October 26, 5pm to 9pm

At The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (aka The Center)

208 West 13th Street (btw. 7th & 8th Aves.)

BY SCOTT STIFFLER | The New York City Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus hosts this Pride in Policy gathering, whose goal is to bring together LGBTQIA+ community members, advocates, service providers, and local stakeholders to share their experiences, identify pressing challenges, and, ultimately, ensure the Caucus’s legislative and budget priorities “reflect the needs and priorities of LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers,” according to press materials.

This series of community roundtables is the continuation of a mandate established by The Marsha & Sylvia Plan, a June 2023 report generated by the Caucus. Name for Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera (“who championed the needs of Black and brown TGNCNBI folks”),  it outlined “tangible steps we can take to fulfill our mission and provide our allies in the Council with a road map to support our communities.” Health, Public Safety, Sex Work, and Education were among nine identified issue areas. “This plan is a living document, one this caucus hopes to amend and update periodically over the next few sessions,” said the introductory text. Pride in Policy is a realization of those hopes. 

This October 26 Manhattan event at The Center will be the borough-wide series’ second installment, after October 16’s launch at Destination Tomorrow, an LGBTQ Center in The Bronx. Other dates on the tour include October 29 at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center and November 18, 3pm to 7pm at the Pride Center of Staten Island. Caucus Member Carl Wilson, the Council’s District 3 rep, is expected to be out in front, so to speak, at the Manhattan iteration—fittingly, as the Council Member’s coverage area includes the host venue’s West Village location as well as Chelsea (whose border begins on West 14th Street, just one block from The Center).

To review the current Pride in Policy Plan draft, click here. Attendees are encouraged to review the draft in advance, and bring feedback that suggests changes to current content, or the addition of new material. Can’t make it in person, or have further thoughts after attending? “A community feedback form will be made available on the day of each roundtable and will remain open following the events,” notes the series’ promotional material, “so community members can continue submitting recommendations beyond the in-person discussions.”

For more information on the October 26 Manhattan roundtable, click here to visit the event’s calendar page on The Center’s website.

About The New York City Council LGBTQIA+ Caucus: The New York City Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus shapes the City’s legislative and budget priorities, ensuring LGBTQIA+ voices are central to decision-making at City Hall. Co-Chaired by Council Members Chi Ossé and Justin Sanchez, the Caucus includes former Co-Chairs Tiffany Cabán and Crystal Hudson, along with Council Members David Carr, Lynn Schulman, and Carl Wilson. Earlier this year, the Caucus appointed Yanery Cruz as its first-ever Executive Director, a historic investment in supporting LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers as communities nationwide face escalating attacks from the Trump Administration.

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