On September 25th at 8pm at the The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City | SDNYC will hold our monthly meeting.
We'll be joined by:
- Queens Borough President Melinda Katz will speak about the November election for Queens DA.
- Assemblymembers Nily Rozic 李羅莎 and Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas will speak about two bills they have individually sponsored.
- Lynn Schulman will speak about LGBTQ In 2021 and LGBTQ Victory Fund.
We'll also have brief community updates, including a look at the coming political/legislative calendar, and more.
This meeting is free and open to members of the public so please share this invite with anyone who might be interested!
September dates!
On September 16, LGBTQ in 2021 is hosting a free seminar by the NYC Campaign Finance Board, geared towards first-time candidates and campaign staff. This seminar provides an overview of some of the expectations and demands of running for city office.
RSVP today, and click here to learn more about LGBTQ in 2021.
Presidential Debate Watch Party
DATE: Thursday, Septemeber 12
TIME: 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
WHERE: Macri Park, 462 Union Ave, New York, New York 11211
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/639326686588783/
Join us in Williamsburg for the third Democratic presidential primary debate with our friends from Lambda Independent Democrats!
The following candidates will appear on stage together:
Former Vice President Joe Biden
Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro
Sen. Kamala Harris of California
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke of Texas
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts
Andrew Yang, entrepreneur
SDNYC September Meeting
DATE: Wednesday, September 25
TIME: 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
On September 25th at 8pm at the The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City | SDNYC will hold our monthly meeting. Details to come!
We'll have brief community updates, including a look at the coming political/legislative calendar, and more. This meeting is free and open to members of the public so please share this invite with anyone who might be interested!
National Trans Visibility March!
DATE: Saturday, September 28
More Information: https://transmarchondc.org/home-2/
Donate: https://transmarchondc.org/sponsorship/
Call to Action from the Organizaers:
Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Communities experience marginalization, stigma, discrimination, and structural discrimination more than any other minority community in the world. Until recently, our existence was not counted, and our visibility was suppressed. Although the current administration has intentionally rolled back efforts to prevent inclusion our communities in the US census, individuals from the trans and gender non-conforming communities have mobilized and issued a call to action to dismantle the social structures that have oppressed us and disenfranchised our communities. Today, we stand together in solidarity, determined now, more than ever, to fight for equal rights to employment, education, housing and financial security, physical safety and security, and health parity.
Together we will deconstruct the policies, laws, and systems that have jeopardized the health and safety of our families and ourselves. Together we will call out and stand against anyone who discriminates, or initiates acts of violence against one of us. Because when they discriminate against one of us, it affects all of us. Today, recognizing our diversity, we speak out and demand our rights with one voice. The time has come for us to ignite and initiate change at every turn. The time has come for us to amplify our voices in the Nation’s capital, our local communities, and other cities across the globe. The time has come for us to march on the streets of Washington, DC and other metropolitan areas.
Join us on Saturday, September 28, 2019 as we march in solidarity in support of equal rights and inclusion for our community. Family, March With Us…to demand justice for the lives that were taken through senseless murders. Family, March With Us…and demand financial equity and employment opportunities for. Family, March With Us…to fight for health equity. Family, March With US…and demand OUR inclusion in the US Census. Family, March With Us…to show the World that our lives matter, that our health matters, that our present and future matters, that our voices matter, that our minds matter, that our feelings matter. Family, March With Us….to show the world that NO DECISIONS ARE MADE ABOUT US, WITHOUT US!!!
2020 is approaching!
The road to the White House leads straight through New York. As candidates come to NYC, we hope you'll help spread the word about meet-ups, rallies, or public events via our Facebook Group. (Senator Warren is having a rally in Washington Square Park Monday 9/16!) We'll also make sure to share news, like the LGBTQ-focussed issues forum in October. SDNYC will not have an endorsement vote until January, but we encourage you to start talking about your candidates now!
On Tuesday, July 30th and Wednesday, July 31 we’re holding our first debate watch party of the 2020 Presidential Election Season! Come to our watch parties and watch as your 2020 Democratic contenders face off and share their visions for the Democratic Party and the country.
We'll also have time to to socialize and network before the debate actually starts, so that we can get to know more of our fellow politically active LGBTQ community members. At the Wednesday event, we’ll roll in our usual monthly meeting items, brief community updates, a look at the coming political calendar, and more before the debate starts.
Both nights are free and open to members of the public so please share this invite with anyone who might be interested!
Democratic Debates Tonight and Tomorrow Night!
Tonight ten candidates will make their case to voters as they hit the debate stage in Miami. According to NBC, they will have 60 seconds to answer questions and 30 seconds to respond to follow-ups. There will be no opening statements, but they will have a chance to deliver closing remarks. The debates will air at 9 p.m. on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. The second debate, between ten more candidates, is Thursday.
Are you watching tonight and tomorrow?
Here are some locations to watch with other Dems: https://www.facebook.com/pg/sdnyc/events/
2019 Primary: Vote Melinda Katz
For the Tuesday, June 25 Democratic Primary SDNYC members voted to endorse Melinda Katz to be the Democratic Nominee for Queens District Attorney. SDNYC has endorsed Katz in previous races, beginning when she ran for Assembly against the establishment party candidate. In every race since, Katz has asked for our support, and showed through her actions why we should support her. We have endorsed her successful runs for Assembly, City Council and Queens Borough President, and she has always come through for our community.
From her first term in the Assembly, Melinda proudly sponsored and voted in favor of the Sexual Orientation Non Discrimination Act (SONDA), which made sexual orientation a protected class in the state of New York. She also voted in favor of making HIV status a protected disability, and was one of the deciding votes and a cosponsor of hate crimes legislation that included sexual orientation as one of the protected groups. As Borough President, Melinda secured funding for numerous LGBTQ+ organizations and allies in Queens, including the Queens LGBT Center, Ali Forney Center, Planned Parenthood of Queens, Queens LGBT Network, and AIDS Center of Queens County. This of course is a fraction of her overall record as a progressive legislator and Borough President.
Melinda has detailed plans for how she plans to reform the office after nearly three-decades with the same D.A. (all of which can be read at her website www.katz4da.com). She has pledged specifically for our community to:
Ensure LGBTQ+ victims and defendants alike are treated with respect and have their rights protected by her office and law enforcement.
Convene a LGBTQ+ Rights Advisory Board to address specific concerns of the LGBTQ community, including bullying, threats, and employment or housing discrimination.
Make hate crime prevention and prosecution a top priority.
Decline to prosecute sex workers and protect victims of human trafficking, while prosecuting human trafficking and sexual assault.
Ensure all defendants are identified by the pronouns they choose in court documents.
Advocate at the local, state, and federal level for the rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
Diversify the District Attorney’s office so that it truly represents Queens and hire an LGBTQ+ liaison.
The District Attorney’s Office is one of the most important government institutions in our system. As an Assembly Member, Council Member and the Borough President, Melinda has built coalitions borough-wide, and has best the experience to run and belatedly bring a complex organization into the 21st Century.
Based on her record and policy proposals for our community, SDNYC members endorsed Melinda Katz for Queens D.A. this Tuesday.