GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING OF WORLDPRIDE WELCOME CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY’S WEST VILLAGE

New Center Will Highlight New York State as a Welcoming Place for the LGBTQ Community and Promote WorldPride Events

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the grand opening of the New York State WorldPride Welcome Center, located at 112 Christopher Street in New York City’s West Village, steps from the Stonewall National Monument. WorldPride, the largest international LGBTQ Pride celebration, is coming to New York this month to coincide with the Stonewall 50 commemorations, marking the first time it has been held in the United States.

“Pride is a special month for the LGBTQ community and for all New Yorkers, and with the Empire State hosting WorldPride this year on the 50th anniversary of Stonewall we have a lot to celebrate and commemorate,” Governor Cuomo said. “From the passage of marriage equality and GENDA to our ongoing fight with the Trump administration over critical protections for transgender individuals, New York has been a national leader in the fight for LGBTQ rights and we will always stand alongside this community that we love so much. As millions of people visit our state this June, the WorldPride Welcome Center will highlight the roots and accomplishments of the LGBTQ rights movement in New York and promote the state as a safe, welcoming destination with no place for hate.”

Created in partnership with NYC Pride/Heritage of Pride and The LGBT Community Center, the New York State WorldPride Welcome Center is located just blocks away from the site of the original Stonewall Inn. On June 28, 1969, LGBTQ community members began spontaneous demonstrations at the Stonewall Inn that lasted for six days and are recognized today as the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ rights movement. The Welcome Center showcases New York’s role in the struggle for equality through a timeline gallery from the Mattachine Society and the Daughters of Bilitis in the 1950s, to the Stonewall uprising in the 1960s, to Governor Cuomo signing the state’s Marriage Equality Act into law in the 2010s.

The rainbow pride colors are featured prominently throughout the Welcome Center. Visitors can take a picture at the selfie wall, featuring the I LOVE NY LGBT logo. Overhead, the center’s ceiling showcases a creative deconstructed interpretation of the pride flag, and the rainbow colors are also incorporated into the center’s shelves and lighting.

Senator Brad Hoylman, the only openly LGBTQ member of the New York Senate, said, “The first brick was thrown at Stonewall a half century ago, igniting the global movement for LGBTQ human rights. Since then, our community has been fighting for equality—including this year, when we finally assured equal rights for transgender New Yorkers thanks to the State Legislature and Governor Cuomo. I’m thrilled to see the New York WorldPride Welcome Center open today to mark the beginning of this international celebration of progress on LGBTQ human rights and thank Governor Cuomo and Empire State Development for their efforts.”

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said, “50 years ago, the Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village sparked a movement for LGBTQ rights that spread throughout the world, so it’s fitting that this year’s WorldPride is in New York. I’m proud that this welcome center, which is located blocks from the Stonewall Inn and in my Council district, will help visitors for WorldPride navigate Greenwich Village and all the wonders of New York.”