State Senate ends the stalemate

Now that the New York State Senate has ended its impasse, the Pride Agenda has released the following statement by Executive Director Alan Van Capelle. Stay tuned for more news as it develops.

"Now that the stalemate is over and the State Senate has resumed its business, we expect that our equality will remain at the top of the chamber’s agenda.

Senators from both sides of the aisle have repeatedly said this past month that reform and doing the people’s business were central to the events that transpired.  Our equality is the people’s business; reform means scheduling votes on our issues so Senators can vote their conscience.

Millions of New Yorkers want this to happen. Hundreds of thousands of LGBT New Yorkers—who continue to wake up each morning and go to bed each night without access to vital rights that protect all other citizens of this state—need this to happen.

In a state with over 19.5 million people, there are only 62 individuals who have been given the extraordinary power to help or hinder our march toward equality. Not one piece of LGBT legislation has ever passed the New York State Senate without strong bipartisan support. We are happy to see the State Senate functioning once again and we’re ready to get back to work with both Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation important to our community.”