Empire State Pride Agenda

The Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) was a statewide political advocacy and civil-rights organization focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in New York. It was established in 1990 through the merger of the New York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby and Friends and Advocates for Individual Rights. During its existence, ESPA became one of the most influential LGBT political organizations in the state and, by 2005, was described as the largest statewide lesbian and gay political advocacy and civil-rights organization in the United States. The organization combined legislative lobbying, electoral work, coalition building, public education and community organizing. Its annual policy agendas identified legislative and political priorities, while its advocacy addressed discrimination, hate crimes, domestic-partner recognition, health care, education, transgender rights and marriage equality. ESPA also worked with organizations representing other communities during late-1980s and early-1990s New York City Council redistricting discussions. Those efforts were associated by some observers with the emergence of a more diverse City Council. Among ESPA's important policy achievements were its role in negotiating New York City's comprehensive domestic-partnership law, supporting New York's hate-crimes legislation, helping repeal the state's longstanding consensual-sodomy statute, and assisting local nondiscrimination initiatives in Buffalo, Ithaca, Nassau County and Westchester County. It was a major lobbying force behind the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, or SONDA, which became law in 2002. SONDA prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, although it did not initially include gender identity or gender expression. ESPA subsequently supported the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act and other measures intended to extend legal protection to transgender New Yorkers. Marriage equality became one of ESPA's central campaigns. The organization supported repeated efforts to pass a New York same-sex-marriage bill, including a 2007 Assembly vote and a failed Senate vote in December 2009. In 2011, ESPA joined New Yorkers United for Marriage with Marriage Equality New York, the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry. The alliance helped coordinate the successful statewide marriage-equality campaign that culminated in New York's Marriage Equality Act in 2011. ESPA also addressed issues beyond formal legislation. It advocated equal assistance for same-sex partners of people killed in the September 11 attacks, hospital visitation rights, burial decision-making authority, LGBT health and human-services funding, safer schools and protection from bullying. Through its foundation and partnerships with health and human-services groups, it helped secure state funding for LGBT services, including primary care, prevention, crime-victim assistance and programs serving young people, seniors and people of color. The organization operated as a political advocacy body alongside the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) research, education and advocacy arm. Its public profile included the Pride in the Pulpit religious-education program, the Equality at Work awards and newspaper and coalition campaigns responding to opposition from conservative religious and political groups. ESPA announced in December 2015 that it would disband during the first half of 2016, explaining that the organization had fulfilled its 25-year campaign for equality. It is therefore a historical, defunct advocacy organization rather than an active consumer brand.

ESPA originated in 1990 through the merger of two New York LGBT lobbying organizations: the New York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby and Friends and Advocates for Individual Rights. Dick Dadey became its first executive director in 1991. The organization developed a statewide model combining legislative advocacy, election work, public education and local coalition building. It participated in New York City Council redistricting discussions and worked with minority organizations on representation and district design. During the 1990s, ESPA expanded its public-facing work. In 1994 it helped place a full-page New York Times advertisement with the New York City chapter of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation that challenged portrayals of LGBT people as threatening outsiders. It joined progressive coalitions opposing the Christian Right's local political organizing, entered the Freedom to Marry Coalition in 1996, and helped advocates build support for hate-crimes legislation. In 1998 it launched Pride in the Pulpit, a program intended to counter the use of religious arguments against LGBT equality. By 2005, more than 450 religious leaders had participated. Matt Foreman led the organization from 1997 to 2003. During this period ESPA helped build support for a statewide hate-crimes law and convened, with a local Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the Dignity for All Students Coalition. The coalition brought together roughly 50 community groups around anti-bullying and nondiscrimination proposals. ESPA also became a central participant in the campaign for SONDA. The law passed in 2002 after decades of unsuccessful attempts, though its exclusion of gender identity prompted criticism and became part of the rationale for later transgender-rights advocacy. Following the September 11 attacks, ESPA worked in 2001 and 2002 to secure equal financial assistance for same-sex partners of victims. It also supported legislation concerning survivor benefits and related protections. In 2004 the organization supported a law giving same-sex partners hospital-visitation rights comparable to those of spouses and next of kin, and in 2005 it supported legislation granting partners comparable authority in burial decisions. Through the ESPA Foundation and health and human-services partners, it also pursued government funding for LGBT health and social services. Marriage equality increasingly dominated ESPA's agenda in the 2000s. Same-sex-marriage legislation passed the New York Assembly in 2007 but did not become law. The organization supported the Gender Expression Nondiscrimination Act, which first passed the Assembly in 2008, and continued lobbying for a Senate marriage vote. In December 2009 the Senate rejected marriage legislation by 24 votes to 38. ESPA's forceful lobbying produced internal and external criticism; Governor David Paterson later argued that lobbyists had pushed the vote prematurely. Leadership changes followed. Alan Van Capelle served as executive director before Ross D. Levi was appointed in May 2010. In 2012, Levi's duties were assigned to deputy Lynn Faria while the organization considered longer-term leadership arrangements. In April 2011 ESPA joined New Yorkers United for Marriage, a broad alliance that coordinated advocacy for marriage equality. New York subsequently enacted marriage equality in 2011, fulfilling one of ESPA's principal long-term objectives. The organization announced in December 2015 that it would disband during the first half of 2016, stating that its 25-year campaign for equality had been fulfilled. ESPA is consequently remembered as a major institution in New York's LGBT-rights movement, particularly for its role in converting community organizing and lobbying into statewide legal and policy change.

• 2015

  Disbandment announced

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  ESPA announced plans to wind down in the first half of 2016.

• 2011

  New Yorkers United for Marriage formed

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  ESPA joined a major statewide marriage-equality alliance.

• 2007

  Marriage bill passes the Assembly

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  A same-sex-marriage bill supported by ESPA passed the New York State Assembly.

• 2002

  SONDA passes

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  New York enacted the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act after a major ESPA lobbying campaign.

• 1998

  Pride in the Pulpit launches

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  ESPA introduced a religious-education and organizing program addressing anti-LGBT political messaging.

• 1991

  First executive director begins service

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  Dick Dadey became ESPA's first executive director.

• 1990

  Organization founded through merger

  [1]Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org

  The New York State Gay and Lesbian Lobby merged with Friends and Advocates for Individual Rights to form ESPA.

Statewide LGBT political advocacy and civil-rights organization serving New York.

• 2011New Yorkers United for Marriage

  New York State

  ESPA joined Marriage Equality New York, the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry in a coordinated campaign for marriage equality.

  Outcome. New York enacted marriage equality in 2011.

  Source
• 2004LGBT health and human-services funding campaign

  New York State

  The ESPA Foundation and health and human-services partners used education, advocacy and community organizing to seek government support for LGBT health and social services.

  Outcome. The effort produced $10.7 million in state funding for non-HIV/AIDS LGBT services, according to the cited reference material.

  Source
• 2002SONDA lobbying campaign

  New York State

  ESPA served as a leading lobbying organization for the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, which had been introduced repeatedly since 1971.

  Outcome. SONDA passed in December 2002, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation but not initially covering gender identity.

  Source
• 2001September 11 partner-equality advocacy

  New York State · United States

  ESPA advocated equal financial assistance and survivor protections for same-sex partners of people killed in the September 11 attacks.

  Outcome. New York adopted measures providing benefits and protections for surviving same-sex partners.

  Source
• 1998Pride in the Pulpit

  New York State

  A program that organized and educated religious leaders in response to the use of religion to support anti-LGBT legislation and constitutional proposals.

  Outcome. By 2005, more than 450 non-LGBT religious leaders had participated.

  Source
• 1994Visibility and media response campaign

  New York City · New York State

  ESPA and GLAAD's New York City chapter placed a full-page New York Times advertisement encouraging more than 1,000 gay and lesbian New Yorkers to publicly identify themselves and challenging hostile portrayals of LGBT people.

  Outcome. The advertisement generated public attention and a large response from LGBT New Yorkers.

  Source

• 2015

  Decision to wind down the organizationStrategy

  Background

  ESPA stated that its long campaign for equality had reached its principal objective.

  Action taken

  The organization announced that it would disband during the first half of 2016.

  Aftermath

  ESPA ceased operating as an active statewide advocacy organization.

  Source

• 2011

  Join a broad marriage-equality allianceStrategy

  Background

  Marriage legislation had failed in 2009, creating a need for coordinated statewide advocacy.

  Action taken

  ESPA joined New Yorkers United for Marriage alongside major national and New York-based equality organizations.

  Aftermath

  The coalition supported the successful campaign that preceded New York's 2011 marriage-equality law.

  Source

• 2009

  Push for a New York Senate marriage voteOther

  Background

  ESPA strongly supported same-sex-marriage legislation and pressed Senate Democrats and other elected officials to act.

  Action taken

  The organization publicly criticized legislators who supported the issue but had not advanced a vote, including at its 2009 Fall Dinner.

  Aftermath

  The bill failed in the Senate on December 2, 2009, by a vote of 24–38. The pressure campaign was criticized by some political leaders as having contributed to a premature vote.

  Source

1. 1Empire State Pride Agendaen.wikipedia.org