A Pro-LGBT Majority is Elected in the NY State Senate

Today, for the first time ever, New York has a pro-LGBT Majority Leadership in the State Senate. We congratulate Senator Malcolm Smith, the new Senate Majority Leader, and look forward to working with him to pass legislation that will bring equality to LGBT New Yorkers and our families.

LGBT New Yorkers and our allies should be proud today. We now not only have a Senate Majority Leader who supports our issues, but one that has stated a number of times that he will help us find the support needed to pass crucial bills like marriage equality, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act and the Dignity for All Students Act. We should also be proud that our community helped to make this happen by working hard during the November 4 elections to replace two anti-LGBT State Senators with two new, pro-LGBT State Senators.

Our community now has more work to do. Today we know that we have supportive leadership, but we also know that we do not yet have the votes that we need to pass some of our most important bills. In the months to come, join us as we work in districts across the state to build the support that will allow us to bring these bills to the Senate floor to be passed. It will take hard work—none of our victories have ever been easy—but together we can do it.