Center Blog

by Andy Cataldo

On Friday, October 19, mere hours before Chelsea Clearview’s midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, a coalition of marriage equality activists gathered for the East Coast premiere of Question One, a film about Maine’s road to marriage equality through 2009.

Attendees “shivered with anticipation” of the upcoming election, during which equality would be voted on by the state for a second time. Now knowing the outcome of this month’s pro-marriage equality vote solidifies Question One as an historic account of the personal struggles of marriage supporters including facing fear and intolerance from the opposition.

The event, co-hosted by Gay City News and the Center’s Cultural Programs Department, began with remarks from US Congressman Jerrold Nadler, sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which is designed to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed by Bill Clinton in 1996. He spoke of the national climate with respect to marriage equality, how it has become less an issue of “if” but rather of “when.”

The film’s directors Joe Fox and James Nubile were also in attendance. Joe spoke about the filmmaking process in general, comparing it to the five stages of grief: anger, denial, bargaining, depression and acceptance. This analogy particularly rings true when thinking of the citizens of Maine who experienced the joy and relief of a state legislature passing marriage equality then having to accept the loss of it after the 2009 ballot initiative at the center of Question One. Thankfully we now know that the grief has been replaced with joy and accomplishment, as the state voted on November 6 to pass same sex marriage.

The film began with an overview of how Question One became a ballot initiative in 2009: the state legislature passed marriage equality, followed quickly by the efforts of opposition led by religious groups petitioning for a ballot initiative to overturn the law in November 2009.

Viewers are introduced to key players from the Yes on 1 side working against marriage equality, including Linda Seavy, a campaign volunteer and canvasser who believes that gay marriage is not an issue of civil rights. She declares that she doesn’t hate “their people,” speaking of the other side. The film shows meetings of Yes on 1 in churches where preachers speak of the familiar, specious statistics about Dutch gay marriages that “last an average of 1.5 years and involve up to 8 extra partners per year.” The other recurring argument we hear on Yes on 1’s side is about the exposure of children in schools to curricula describing how gays have sex.

We also meet same-sex families, including Darlene Huntress, Grassroots Director of the No on 1 initiative and her partner, as well as Sarah Dowling, a volunteer who was present at the screening. She and her family – partner Linda and daughter Maya – attended the election night headquarters in 2009 to be together as a family when the results were announced.

The most surprising element of this story comes from Marc Mutty, co-chair of the Yes on 1 campaign. In interviews, it’s clear that he’s deeply conflicted with his position as well as envious of Frank Schubert, a political consultant hired by the campaign for his success in other state campaigns against gay marriage, for stealing the spotlight. Mutty spells out his own internal struggle, claiming to be doing what he’s told only because it is his job (he’s the Director of Public Affairs for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland) as well as his power struggle with handing authority over to Schubert. Mutty represents the first leak in the dam of opposition not just in Maine, but the nation as a whole, as Maryland, Washington and Minnesota also cast votes in favor of equality this month

While the larger story continued beyond the scope of this film on November 6, Question One remains a relevant profile of what each state must face along the country’s path to equality. For more information about Question One visit www.Q1-themovie.com.

by David Webb

I should confess a couple of things. First, until recently, I hadn’t heard of Alan Turing. Second, I vacillate between the notions that nothing is merely coincidence and that everything is random. Right now, I’m more convinced of the former. It was in that mindset that I saw the New York premiere of Codebreaker, a docudrama on the life of Alan Turing.

As I watched Codebreaker, the sense of connection I felt with Turing, his on-screen psychotherapist and the other people in the cinema was strong. We were all together for a purpose. I didn’t know what it was at the time, and more likely will be revealed in days ahead, but purpose did show itself.

If you, like me, also haven’t heard of Alan Turning, you should know that he was a brilliant British mathematician whose thesis laid the groundwork for modern computers. During World War II, he cracked the Germans’ Enigma machine, a device they used to send coded messages; the most difficult to crack were the codes coordinating U-boat attacks on British vessels. Without Turing, the Nazis either would have won or, at the very least, would have fought longer. Oh, another important detail – Turing was gay.

A few years after the war, Turing reported the theft of a family heirloom to the police, along with the name of the man he suspected, the friend of a lover. Instead of investigating the theft, authorities charged Turing with “gross indecency,” the legal term for sodomy laws in the UK. To avoid jail time, he pled guilty and was sentenced to be “treated” for his homosexuality. For two years, he was forced to take synthetic estrogen, effectively causing chemical castration. After his body failed to return to normal, he committed suicide.

Before the movie, I told a friend what I was doing, along with the movie’s synopsis. She remarked, “Sometimes people just absolutely disgust me.” I felt her frustration. Here was a man who recorded the theories of mechanical computation, developed binary code and played an integral role in defeating the Nazis. But egad! He loved men. Punish him! Cure him!

What a terrible waste. Everyone in the audience expressed disgust at the film’s end when it was revealed that, in September 2009, the British government finally apologized for Turing’s treatment. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s official statement included this: “Sorry. We should have treated you better.” Seems a bit too little too late, doesn’t it?

Ah, but back to the purpose. During the Q&A with the film’s Executive Producer, Patrick Sammon, a young gentleman behind me shared in a quaking voice that he had been sent to reparative therapy in California to be “cured” of his homosexuality and how grateful he was that Governor Jerry Brown recently signed legislation banning this barbaric treatment in his state. He concluded with the determination that New York must follow suit and that it shouldn’t be allowed anywhere. When he finished, everyone applauded.

Alan Turing solved one enigma and was done in by another. As his story is told, heard and shared by more and more, perhaps his example will solve the enigma of ignorant, mean-spirited homophobia by those who would rather “cure” what’s not broken than break the code of living in harmony.

By William S. Villafranco, Founder, Villafranco Wealth Management and Footprints in the Sand Foundation

Back in the early 90s, AIDS was on everyone’s radar. It had become a crisis of mass proportion, poised to wipe out hundreds of thousands of people. At that time AIDS was the top priority issue, and bike rides, red ribbon sales and dance-a-thons raised millions of dollars with one goal: finding the cure for AIDS. Two decades later, that goal still has not been realized. While significant advances in treatment have been made, there remains an awful lot of work to be done.

A straight, private wealth manager from New Jersey might seem like an unlikely candidate to get involved in a charity bike ride to benefit New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. I have to credit one of my favorite client’s daughters, Kit Opatut, who came to me raving about her internship at the Center and all of the good work that was going on there. She encouraged me to get involved by joining Cycle for the Cause, the Center’s HIV and AIDS ride. I’ve done charity bike rides before, and have always wanted to make the trip from Boston to NYC, so I said sure, sign me up.

The physical demands of the ride were easy to anticipate, but I didn’t expect to make such powerful connections with the other riders. They were people riding for themselves, for family members and for friends, all happy to talk with me about why they do this year after year. I wanted to know what was so special about the Center; why participate in this AIDS ride specifically? Over and over I heard the same answer: the Center literally saves peoples’ lives.

One guy, Frank, who I had breakfast with every morning, shared with me that his father died of AIDS in the early 80s. Frank connected with the Center later in life when he came out, and again when he needed assistance overcoming substance abuse. Between the HIV and AIDS prevention programming and support services that could have helped his dad, and the helping hand that the Center extended to Frank during his darkest hour, he has seen the Center save lives – including his own. Frank opened my eyes to a community I never really knew and hadn’t paid much attention to.

Others on the ride told me about the youth programing at the Center that gives kids a safe space where they can be themselves, and celebrate who they are, instead of hiding it. As the father of four very special daughters, who has also experienced the loss of a son, this hit home with me in a profound way. The Center and I share the commitment to creating a loving, supportive environment for children that allows them to grow surrounded by acceptance and happiness, instead of heartache.

In the space of three days and 275 miles, it gradually sank in that no one on this ride was any different from me. Maybe I wasn’t technically a part of the LGBT community, but for those three days we were all part of something more than just a bike ride. I had joined a group on a mission – a mission to help keep the Center going, to be a part of securing that “home away from home” that the riders confirmed it is.

Frank made me care, so I made it my goal to get others to care. After a bit of legwork, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve helped secure $50,000 to support the Center, which pushes the Cycle for the Cause final tally well over $500,000. It’s not often that a person gets to have a truly eye-opening experience, and this bike ride was one for me. Now I share the passion and vigor that everyone on the ride had for making sure that the Center is around for a long time to fight the good fight.

We are proud to report on the amazing work of Center staff at The 2012 Gay Men’s Health Summit held July 20-21 at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Since 1999, the Gay Men’s Health Summit has worked to lay the groundwork for an expanded activist gay, bisexual, and transgender men’s health movement in the United States.

This year the summit was organized around eight core issues:

• Exploring the longings for intimacy and connection with other men and the social structures, networks, and ideologies that promote or prevent such connections.
• Understanding the meanings of anal sex, penetration, and the exchange of semen and exploring the relationships between various racial, ethnic, and class-based masculinities and anal sex practices.
• Addressing the emotions, pleasures, and wounds emerging from childhood and adolescent experiences with boys and men.
• Tapping into the sources of resilience, creativity, determination, humor and playfulness in diverse gay men’s cultures.
• To support the healing from trauma: violence, abuse, homophobia, racism, poverty, AIDS and addiction.
• Examining the ways transgression, risk, and cultural taboos interact with gay men’s sexual desires, practices, and subcultures.
• Confronting the ways in which privileged youth masculinities present challenges to, and opportunities for, the well-being of men as they grow older.
• Reviving and recreating community rituals, social structures, and networks to replace those lost during the most intense years of the AIDS crisis.

The workshops conducted by our talented Community Services Directors included:

Celebrating Male Diversity: Emotional Support and Community Building for Trans-Men

Andres Hoyos, MS, LCSW, NYC LGBT Center

Making decisions about their bodies and talking about isolation and depression are often difficult topics for trans-men to discuss. For this reason, the space created at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City is vital for trans-men to be able to connect with others. The goal is to increase knowledge and strengthen minds and confidence in the ways trans-men think about health and wellness while sharing experiences and celebrating their manhood.

During the meetings, we discussed identity, sexuality, sexual desires, safety, community and taking control of our lives. There is a real fear within the trans-male culture of talking about mental health. This workshop sought to normalize the conversation by facilitating a discussion around the similarities between cis-gendered gay men and trans-men. The workshop fostered a respect for the diversity of trans-men and focused on building healthy relationships between gay trans-men. The group also confronted trans-phobia among masculine identities and feelings about being gay by celebrating trans-identities as an important part of the continuum of masculine identities.

Magical Transformations: Work done by, for and with Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Immigrants

Andres Hoyos, MS, LCSW, NYC LGBT Center, and Luis Nava-Molero

This interactive workshop explored the unique challenges and strengths of working with GBT immigrants in a community based organization in NYC and the different modalities of work done with them. These include: outreach, assessment, referrals, individual counseling and support groups, support for asylum seekers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, community events, trainings and advocacy using peers, peer-professionals, and professionals. The impact of substance abuse and HIV prevention (primary and secondary) on the population will be discussed, as well as the overall impact of moving people from a place of need to empowerment and finally to becoming agents of change. The presentation was based on knowledge gained after seven years of working with more than 600 immigrants from over 50 different countries, where a considerable amount of the work has been providing support for asylum seekers and fighting isolation through promoting community building.

Not Quite Ready to Quit, Motivating Gay and HIV Positive Men to Quit Smoking/Smoke Free Queer Man: Eliminating health disparities in our communities/Policy & PrideFest: Impacting the Health of Our Queer Communities through Effective Tobacco Prevention & Control Policies

Andres Hoyos, MS, LCSW, NYC LGBT Center

This interactive workshop provided participants with current research on the interaction between tobacco use, cigarette and cigar smoking, general health, and HIV related health risks. In addition, minority stress in gay, bisexual, transgender and other men who have sex with men and the vulnerability to initiate tobacco use or difficulty in quitting, was discussed. The presentation consisted of myths and facts about smoking and health, information about support to quit smoking, and nicotine replacement therapies especially for people living with HIV/AIDS. Participants engaged in the “decisional balance” approach to increase personal motivation and explored challenges and barriers to taking action. Participants viewed and learned how to use social media in smoking cessation and other behavioral change. In addition, information about how the Center has put in place a comprehensive approach to the issue by participating in community organizing, advocacy and public policy around smoking cessation was discussed.

“Getting There from Here” The Ongoing Effects of Crystal Meth on Gay Men and the Use of Harm Reduction and Abstinence-Based Interventions in Treatment

Antonio Ruberto, Jr., LCSW, CASAC, NYC LGBT Center and
Josh Riley, LPC, NCC, Whitman Walker Health

Over the past several years, crystal meth has become entrenched within our community creating a call to action among service providers not seen since the early days of the AIDS epidemic. While this drug continues to be highly visible among gay white men, there is increasing evidence of its use by other members of our community.

Historically there has often been a divide between the recovery community and practitioners of harm reduction. Whether real or imagined, this divide perpetuates the belief that these two approaches are mutually exclusive and in conflict with one another. Can harm reduction and abstinence-based recovery work together in a way that is complementary? Can these two seemingly different approaches support and motivate change in users?

This workshop explored the continued effects crystal meth is having on all gay men, including gay men of color. The importance of examining the use and abuse of crystal meth within a larger framework of gay men’s health (mental health, physical health including HIV and Hepatitis C, trauma history) provided participants with a holistic view on how to more effectively approach treating gay men struggling with this addiction.

The presentation explored different treatment approaches that operate from both a harm reduction and abstinence-based perspective. Examples from evidence-based treatment interventions, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, contingency management, and others from a variety of settings, were used to illustrate how harm reduction and abstinence-based recovery can work together to support individuals to achieve their substance use and sobriety goals.

Men Becoming Parents

George Fesser, LMSW, NYC LGBT Center, John Weltman, Esq. and Emily Sonier, LICSW, Circle Surrogacy and Dr. Ann Kiessling, Director of Bedford Stem Cell Research Foundation

This workshop was open to all men and focused on the specific needs of gay, bisexual, and transgender men who are HIV positive and interested in learning more about how they can become parents. Information focused on biological methods of reproduction with the use of a surrogate and egg donor, but information was also provided for other parenting alternatives. Participants at this workshop obtained knowledge regarding artificial insemination, sperm washing, surrogacy, parenting partnerships and other methods for becoming a parent.

This Pride season the Center would like to take a moment to fill you in on all the programs, services and events we offer to transgender and gender non-conforming people, through our Gender Identity Project (GIP).

“We’re thrilled about the expanded services we’re able to offer this year,” said Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator, Cristina Herrera. “We have two exciting new groups: ‘Stories’ for trans and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people on the feminine spectrum, and ‘Voices’ for trans and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people on the masculine spectrum. We’ve also added Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services, and this July we’ll begin rapid HIV testing at the Center.”

The Gender Identity Project (GIP) was founded in 1989 and is the first transgender-driven project initiated and fully supported within a Community Center, and focused on the needs of the greater queer community. The GIP works to foster the healthy development of transgender and gender non-conforming people, partners, family and community. Through the delivery of a range of supportive services, advocacy, outreach, education and capacity-building, the GIP creates a safe and productive atmosphere for community-building, wellness and self-care, and leadership development.

The GIP is also the first transgender peer counseling and empowerment program in New York State. This landmark program serves 850 transgender clients yearly:  75% are transgender women, 30% are Black, 3% API, 53% Latino.  Annually, these clients receive individual 230 counseling and referrals visits and made 620 visits to drop-in groups and events.  The GIP offers bilingual services by staff members and peer interns, as well as outreach materials printed in Spanish, which are specifically designed for transgender immigrants. 

As touched on above by Cristina Herrera, in addition its numerous regular offerings, the GIP most recently added several new services to meet the emerging needs of the community. The Trans/Gender-Non-Conforming (GNC) Feminine “Stories” Group is a weekly discussion group on topics including: gender pride, assertiveness skills training, managing relationships and coping skills.  Members of the group are also encouraged to share their personal stories in a safe & supportive environment.  The group meets for 6 week cycles, 3 times a year for a total of 18 meetings a year. The Trans/Gender-Non-Conforming (GNC) Masculine Spectrum “Voices” Group, a weekly discussion group on topics including: community building, emotional health, gender pride, managing relationships, role models and sexual health.

The Center’s (GIP) services have never been more vital. According to a report released earlier this year by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), “transgender people face unrelenting discrimination in virtually all aspects of their lives.”

Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey was published in February and revealed widespread discrimination experienced by transgender and gender non-conforming people across the board.

Here are the key findings:

• Discrimination was pervasive for all respondents who took the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, yet the combination of anti-transgender bias and persistent, structural and individual racism was especially devastating for Latino/a transgender people and other people of color.

• Non-citizen Latino/a respondents were often among those most vulnerable to harassment, abuse and violence in the study; their experiences are noted throughout this report.

• Latino/a transgender people often live in extreme poverty with 28% reporting a household income of less than $10,000/year. This is nearly double the rate for transgender people of all races (15%), over five times the general Latino/a population rate (5%), and seven times the general U.S. population rate (4%).iii The rate for Latino/a non-citizen respondents was 43%.

• Latino/a transgender people were affected by HIV in devastating numbers. One in twelve Latino/a respondents were HIV-positive (8.44%) and an additional 10.23% reported that they did not know their status. This compares to rates of 2.64% for transgender respondents of all races, .50% for the general Latino/a population, and 0.60% of the general U.S. population. The rate for Latino/a non-citizen respondents was 23.08%

• Forty-seven percent (47%) of Latino/a respondents reported having attempted suicide.

• Latino/a respondents who attended school as transgender people reported alarming rates of harassment (77%), physical assault (36%), and sexual assault (13%) in K-12; harassment was so severe that it led 21% to leave school. Nine percent (9%) were also expelled due to bias.

• Respondents who were harassed and abused by teachers in K-12 settings show dramatically worse health and other outcomes compared to those who do not experience such abuse. Peer harassment and abuse also had highly damaging effects.

The Center’s GIP program is well aware of those alarming statistics and works tirelessly 365 days a year to help thousands of transgender and gender-non-conforming (GNC) people. Here are just a few recent examples:

- On December 13, 2011, Director of Center Wellness Andres Hoyos, joined Center clients in testifying before New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration as it looked into how NYC immigrants are treated in detention centers. Cecilia Gentili, a Gender Identity Project Peer Educator and transgender immigrant from Argentina told her story of how she faced both sexual assault and verbal abuse in detention centers before she was ultimately granted asylum after being in this country for 10 years.

New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration

 - As a community center, the Center works to ensure adequate resources to address the evolving needs of LGBT people, with a focus on New York City and State. At a hearing held by the City Council Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health on December 16, 2011, Gender Identity Project Community Prevention Coordinator Cristina Herrera, Lesbian Cancer Initiative (LCI) Coordinator Cristina Moldow, and LCI Peer Intern Kaz Mitchell, urged the City Council to bolster efforts by the NYC Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to require trainings that ensure all LGBT people are treated with respect in city hospitals, and develop robust standards to evaluate these endeavors.

New City Council's Committee on Civil Rights and Committee on Health

- 2012 marks the third year of the Gender Identity Project’s (GIP) TransLatina collaborative. TransLatina offers supportive services to Latina transgender women, including support services on self-defense, trauma and stress reduction, and medical services including STI screening. On January 31, over 60-participants gathered at the first TransLatina social event of 2012 which was held in collaboration with Community Health Care Network, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, AIDS Center Queens County, and Make the Road New York and hosted at the Queens Pride House.

- The Gender Identity Project’s (GIP) Trans Hand-on Team (T-HOT) conducted three community needs assessments in March and early April. The meetings were held at the Center, at the AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC) in Woodside and at Make the Road in Bushwick. They addressed a wide array of concern impacting the transgender and gender non-conforming communities focusing on the needs of communities of color. Dr. Paul Weiss presented on chest and breast reconstruction surgery for transgender men and women to over 65 participants at the March 23 GenderTECH 2012 event.

- On April 27, the Center’s Gender Identity Project hosted the Lorena Borjas Community Fund (LBCF) – Ribbon Cutting Event, sponsored by Sylvia Rivera Law Project, the Community Healthcare Network and the TransLatina Network of NYC. Lorena is a transgender Latina activist and facilitates a group for the GIP’s Trans-Latina project. The LBCF is a volunteer-run project to help low-income LGBT immigrants.

Lorena Borjas Event at the Center, April 2012

- The GIP’s peer team lead by Community Prevention Coordinator, Cristina Herrera, participated in the 11^th annual Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference from May 31 to June 2. The GIP presented TransLatina Stories, a workshop that focuses on the GIP’s unique community-driven approach to successfully engaging and empowering transgender women from Latin America and the Caribbean to live healthier lives while promoting overall wellness.

- On June 12 changes were announced to the New York City Police Department Patrol Guide that will help ensure that police officers treat transgender and gender non-conforming people with dignity and respect. The patrol guide changes are the result of nearly 18-months of negotiations between LGBT advocacy groups including the Center, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office and the NYPD. They address an array of unique problems that transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers face when they are arrested, processed and detained in police precincts.

Center's Director of Community Services, Carrie Davis (NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member)

The GIP is honored to do this work every day on behalf of the community—and the testimonials below confirm why it’s so important:

“I am a proud partner of a transwoman for the last 20 years. I was connected by my partner to the counseling services at Center’s Gender Identity Project which also provides services to partners and families of the transgender community.  I was assigned a counselor who has helped me feel much better and was able to understand my concerns as a partner of a transwoman. I am no longer feeling highly stressed because I had someone to talk about things that I have held in for years.  It has helped me improve the condition of my relationship, which was rocky when I started counseling.  My counselor helped me process my difficult history and the Center was a safe space for me to talk about the stressors such as having a HIV positive partner. Today, I feel happy because of the help I received from the Center.  For that, I am very grateful.”

Carlos- Gender Identity Project Client

“The Center helped me tremendously. You gave me a sense of worthiness and the strength to become a productive member of society. That ultimately led to my favorable asylum decision.”

Cecilia Gentili- Gender Identity Project Peer Educator and transgender immigrant from Argentina

For more information GIP’s vast set of resources, please visit us here on our website.

Happy Pride to the entire community!

Centerlink, the Community of LGBT Centers, that serves 200 community centers across the country and a handful around the world, is a finalist in the White House LGBT Pride Month Video Challenge.

In April, the White House Office of Public Engagement launched the LGBT Pride Month Champions of Change Video Challenge to explore the stories of unsung heroes and local leaders who are making an impact in their communities. The group of 6 finalists will be featured as Champions of Change at an event at the White House in July.

We here at NYC’s LGBT Center strongly encourage you to watch all the inspiring videos and consider casting your vote for Centerlink, an organization that works tirelessly to support LGBT community centers across the country and around the world. The Centerlink video showcases that vital work, and features information about our own NYC LGBT Center from Executive Director, Glennda Testone. You can learn more about Centerlink here.

Vote here and add your voice to a contest that bolsters LGBT visibility greatly during Pride month.

Happy Pride, and congratulations to Centerlink on this wonderful honor!

Be sure to also read a recent report by Centerlink and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) about the importance of LGBT community centers and their huge impact on LGBT people.

UPDATE: 

More than a dozen people from the Center joined with the LGBT contingent of the march on Sunday, June 17, including the Center’s Executive Director Glennda Testone, the Director of Youth Services, Nicole Avallone, and Center Recovery Counselor, M. Dave Soliven, who volunteered as a safety marshal, was stationed at the front of the march, and took the photo below, which includes key leaders- The Reverend Al Sharpton and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous.

Photo by M. Dave Soliven

–

On Sunday June 17, a coalition of groups, including the Center, will gather for a silent march against racial profiling. The event is set for 3 PM in Manhattan.

Join 1199 SEIU, the NAACP, National Action Network, civil rights, faith, LGBT, labor and community groups in a silent march against NYC’s “Stop and Frisk” policy! On Father’s Day, let’s stand together to show that New Yorkers refuse to let our children be victimized by racial profiling.

Here’s detailed information:

Time: Silent March begins at 3 pm, EST

Assembly Point: LGBT Table Entry Point #3 : 110th Street and Lenox Ave. – also includes RWDSU, Latino/Hispanic table, UAW, Working Families Party

March Route: march south on Fifth Avenue from 110th Street to 78th Street, passing near the Mayor’s mansion on 79th Street.

Posters: organizers will have posters for people to carry, but they also encourage people/groups to make their own signs and banners to carry in the march. It is important to keep the focus on ending the Stop & Frisk policy and ending racial profiling rather than relevant but peripheral issues.

Website: www.silentmarchnyc.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/341929132541010/

You can also read more about the issue in this New York Times article and a blog post from The Task Force, recapping a recent press conference on the topic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Contact:

Cindi Creager

Director of Communications & Marketing  

(646) 358-1704, ccreager@gaycenter.org 

New York, NY, June 13 2012 - The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, the world’s second largest LGBT Center, today praised changes to the New York City Police Department Patrol Guide that will help ensure that police officers treat transgender and gender non-conforming people with dignity and respect.

“These crucial changes to the Patrol Guide are a major step forward in improving conditions for transgender and gender non-conforming people in New York City,” said the Center’s Director of Community Services and NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member Carrie Davis. “The immense efforts from all involved have resulted in a stronger relationship between the NYPD and organizations that advocate on behalf of the LGBT community.”

Center's Director of Community Services, Carrie Davis (NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member)

The patrol guide changes are the result of negotiations between LGBT advocacy groups including the Center, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s office and the NYPD. They address an array of unique problems that transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers face when they are arrested, processed and detained in police precincts. The revisions include:

• Prohibiting the use of discourteous or disrespectful remarks regarding a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
• Instructing police officers refer to transgender New Yorkers by names, honorifics and pronouns that reflect their gender identity (even if it does not match the information on their ID documents) and amending forms so that people’s “preferred name” can be recorded and used while they are in police custody.
• Prohibiting police officers from conducting any search for the purpose of determining a person’s gender. This also applies to school safety officers, NYPD personnel assigned to the city’s public schools.
• Individuals in NYPD custody will be searched by an officer of the gender they request. If their request is not honored, the reasons will be noted in the command log.
• Defining “gender” to include gender identity and expression, consistent with the city’s Human Rights Law. This means that when the NYPD have to take into account someone’s gender, it is their gender identity that matters, if even if one’s gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth.
• Individuals in NYPD custody will be held in sex segregated police facilities according to their gender identity, even if it differs from their sex assigned at birth, unless there is a concern for the person’s safety, in which case they will be considered “special category prisoners” and placed accordingly.
• “Special category prisoners,” including transgender people, will not be cuffed to rails, bars or chairs for unreasonable periods of time.

The Center and advocates from the LGBT community will continue to work with the NYPD on training and enforcement to ensure that the Patrol Guide changes are effectively implemented. The Center’s Gender Identity Project (GIP) was founded in 1989 and is the first transgender-driven project initiated and fully supported within a Community Center, and focused on the needs of the greater queer community. The GIP works to foster the healthy development of transgender and gender non-conforming people, partners, family and community. Through the delivery of a range of supportive services, advocacy, outreach, education and capacity-building, the GIP creates a safe and productive atmosphere for community-building, wellness and self-care, and leadership development.

The Center and the GIP will also continue advocating for the Community Safety Act, civil rights legislation pending before the New York City Council that would broaden the communities protected against police profiling by including a prohibition on discrimination based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation among several other categories.

 ###

Learn more in the press release below from City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s Office, which includes reaction from all participants of the NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel

 THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

 **For Immediate Release**                                                                       

June 12, 2012

Contact: 212-788-7116

Release # 097-2012

Speaker Christine C. Quinn, NYPD Commissioner Kelly, Council Members and Advocates Celebrate Patrol Guide Reforms to Protect Transgender New Yorkers 

NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel to ensure gender non-conforming New Yorkers are treated with dignity and respect

City Hall, NY— Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Council Members and the NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel will today announce reforms to the New York City Police Department’s (NYPD) Patrol Guide to ensure respectful treatment of gender non-conforming New Yorkers by the police.

 The NYPD’s Patrol Guide is the procedural rule book issued to officers and outlines regulations for addressing the public.

The changes to the NYPD Patrol Guide were announced at the New York City Council’s LGBT Pride Event at the Great Hall at Cooper Union.

The new Patrol Guide formally outlines that discrimination or harassment based on actual or perceived gender is prohibited by City law.

“The NYPD’s new Patrol Guide makes it clear that all people must be treated with respect,” said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “I applaud Commissioner Kelly for working closely with the City Council and the LGBT community to create respectful, inclusive guidelines that are appropriate for transgender New Yorkers, and I thank the NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel for their work to make these changes.” 

“The changes to the Patrol Guide are significant, affecting more than 12 separate Patrol Guide provisions,” said New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly.  “The changes range from establishing search procedures for transgender arrestees to requiring officers to address arrestees by their preferred name.  Senior members of my staff worked closely with representatives from the LGBT community to draft these changes, and I applaud their work.”

The Patrol Guide updates create a written policy for the NYPD to follow when addressing, processing, searching and housing gender non-conforming people.

“Advocates from the LGBT community who were involved in drafting and negotiating these proposed changes to the Patrol Guide look forward to working with the NYPD on training and enforcement that will ensure that the Patrol Guidelines are implemented,” said New York City Anti-Violence Project and NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member Sharon Stapel.

‘The NYPD’s new Patrol Guide provisions make clear that discrimination, harassment or disparaging comments based on actual or perceived gender is defined and prohibited as required by Local Law 3,” said  Civil Rights Attorney and Coordinator of Streetwise and Safe Andrea Ritchie. “The new policies in the Patrol Guide now mandate that New York City Police officers must respect transgender & gender nonconforming (TGNC) people’s gender identity and expression and explicitly prohibits NYPD officers from conducting any search for the purpose of determining a person’s gender.  The revisions also address the LGBT community’s concerns regarding the hand cuffing of individuals to benches and rails while in police custody.”

“These crucial changes to the Patrol Guide are a major step forward in improving conditions for transgender and gender non-conforming people in New York City,” said New York City LGBT Center Director of Community Services and NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member Carrie Davis. “The immense efforts from all involved have resulted in a stronger relationship between the NYPD and organizations that advocate on behalf of the LGBT community.”

“I am proud and happy of the work to change the culture between the NYPD and trans women,” said NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel Member Melissa Sklarz. “These patrol guide modifications are a testament to our community perseverance and the ability of the NYPD to compromise.  I am grateful to Mayor Bloomberg, Commissioner Kelly and Speaker Christine C. Quinn for creating an environment to allow trans women, trans advocates and the NYPD to get together, meet regularly and try to reevaluate a police process that will make life for transgender women safer in New York.”

“These patrol guide changes will help ensure that NYPD officers treat transgender and gender-nonconforming New Yorkers with courtesy, professionalism and respect,” said Melissa Goodman, Senior Litigation and Policy Counsel for LGBT Rights at New York Civil Liberties Union. “Now NYPD officers must respect a person’s gender identity when they make an arrest or detain people.  This protects basic civil liberties and strengthens trust between police officers and the public they serve.” 

“These new guidelines go a long way toward changing the relationship between transgender New Yorkers and the NYPD.  Finally, there are procedures and protocols in place to guide police interactions with the transgender community — it’s a new day.” Dru Levasseur, Lambda Legal’s Transgender Rights Attorney.  

“This is a watershed moment when all New Yorkers can be proud.  Our nation’s largest police force, serving our nation’s most diverse citizenry, listened to the voices of transgender New Yorkers and took steps to address their concerns about policing practices.  The result will be a stronger police force that can protect and serve all New Yorkers fairly and equally,” said Michael Silverman, Executive Director, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.

“We are very proud of the work that the Advisory Panel has done to make revisions to the Patrol Guide. We hope that the NYPD effectively implements these new guidelines with respect and dignity for TGNC people. As a member of the NYPD LGBT Advisory Panel, we will work to inform LGBTQ Youth of Color of their rights when interacting with the NYPD and continue to take action to ensure that NYPD officers are accountable to the new guidelines,” said John Blasco, Lead Organizer at FIERCE.

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On Thursday, May 24 the Center and several other agencies co-sponsored a community forum on HIV criminalization featuring a screening of a short film, HIV is Not a Crime followed by a panel discussion.

Panelists included Robert Suttle, Assistant Director of The Sero Project, who was convicted and incarcerated in Louisiana for HIV non-disclosure, Attorney Beirne Roose-Snyder from The Positive Justice Project, and Sean Strub of Poz Magazine and Executive Director of The Sero Project.

Partner organizations included the Positive Justice Project, ACT UP, SERO, Queerocracy and the Center.

Here are several points covered during the May 24 discussion:

-HIV criminalization penalties are vastly disproportionate to any potential risk or actual harm.

-HIV criminalization undercuts most basic message about sexual health, which is that each person must ultimately be responsible for him or herself.

-HIV criminalization is inherently discriminatory, and singles HIV out in an exceptional manner, treating it differently from other sexually transmitted infections which, if left untreated, can also cause serious harm.

-HIV criminalization creates a “viral underclass” in the law, creating different criminal law for people with HIV than for everyone else.

-Prosecutions have little or nothing to do with contemporary science or whether or not there is an actual risk present; they are about whether or not the person with HIV can prove disclosure.

-HIV criminalization leads to poor public health policy because it discourages testing (ignorance of one’s HIV status is the best defense)

- HIV criminalization discourages disclosure, for fear of someone from one’s past coming forward; every person with HIV is now one disgruntled ex-partner away from being in a courtroom.

-Mounting evidence shows these laws don’t achieve their intended purpose (to reduce HIV transmission); a growing body of evidence shows they actually contribute to the spread of HIV by driving stigma and discouraging testing.

To learn more about this issue, watch HIV is Not a Crime here.

Guest Post by Simeon Mishev

Queens Pride & Multicultural Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary last Sunday, June 3rd, 2012. This year the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center was honored to participate, share its support for the community and commemorate this special occasion in Queens. A number of participants and over 40,000 spectators gathered in Jackson Heights, Queens, between the hours of 11 AM and 6 PM to “promote awareness and education among and of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning community of Queens, New York.”  Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, Inc. has been in charge of organizing the festivities since the very first Pride march in the early 90s.

The weather was in sync with the overall joyous feel of the event, the warm summer sun made the colorful costumes even more vibrant and, at some point, a real rainbow formed over the marching participators (if one believes in signs from Mother Nature, God and/or the Universe, well, here you go).

Newlywed City Council speaker Christine Quinn joined the Pride march alongside Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, New York Assembly Members Francisco Moya, Aravella Simotas and Costa Constantinides, SAGE Queens, Renaissance Charter School, American Veterans for Equal Rights, Metropolitan Community Church of New York, Queens Pride Lions Club, Transsexuals New York, and many, many more.

As rainbow flags, music and free condoms flooded the streets, people of various colors, ethnicities, races, religions and faiths mingled, hugged, kissed, and greeted each other; the feeling of happiness and joy was overwhelming. One could hear discussions about President Obama’s recent statement endorsing same-sex marriage and how that might help eventually end the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); there were a number of bi-national couples full of hope that once married they will be able to stay together in the US legally.

While walking around and enjoying this judgment-free, accepting and tolerant environment, I couldn’t help but wonder when every day would feel just like Pride day. When will same-sex couples be able to walk hand-in-hand without fear?

It is of utmost importance to actively participate in advocacy efforts concerning the LGBT community; every effort counts. We must be patient, yet persistent, relentlessly seeking equal rights. There are a number of organizations one can join, such as The LGBT Center, It Gets Better Project, Empire State Pride Agenda, Marriage Equality New York, etc.,  or why not start one yourself?

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much…” – Helen Keller