Category Archives: New York City Information
Suspect Sought in Gay Bashing
The suspect was captured on film violently beating a gay couple over the head with a chair inside the restaurant on 8th Avenue and 23rd Street after an altercation in which homophobic slurs were allegedly used.
The incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
See video footage of suspect HERE
Ian Reisner Admits Poor Judgment
Ian Reisner,
one of the two gay hoteliers facing boycott calls for hosting an event for Senator Ted Cruz, who is adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage, apologized to the gay community for showing “poor judgment.”
Mr. Reisner put the apology on Facebook, where a page calling for a boycott of his properties, the gay-friendly Out NYC hotel and his Fire Island Pines holdings, had gotten more than 8,200 “likes” by Sunday evening.
“I am shaken to my bones by the emails, texts, postings and phone calls of the past few days. I made a terrible mistake,” wrote Mr. Reisner.
Will people forgive him?
more at New York Times
Empire State Pride Agenda LGBT Equality & Justice Day
WHO:Empire State Pride Agenda with:
New York State Legislators
Prominent community members
Rally speakers and issue expert workshop instructors
Hundreds of LGBT New Yorkers and allies from across New York State
What: Rally at Equality & Justice Day, the largest statewide annual lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy day
Where: West Capitol Park (backup in case of rain is Convention Center) Albany, NY
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1 – 2 p.m. Rally
Speakers:
- Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer
- Daniella Carter: Rising star and trans activist who was featured in the MTV & Logo TV documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word;” guested on MSNBC’s “Out There on Shift;” initiated a project to bring visibility to trans youth issues; collaborated with Miss Universe and others to share their experiences in overcoming homelessness; and was recently listed as a 2015 Trans100 honoree;
- Angelica Clarke: the Executive Director at the Albany Social Justice Center, working to build movements that center the experiences of Black and Brown women, trans, genderqueer and gender non-conforming individuals;
- Q and Francisca Montaña: a mom and her 9-year-old trans son who live in Brooklyn, and who are both fierce advocates for our community;
- Jane Shurka: mother of conversion therapy survivor Mathew from Long Island, who is now a strong supporter of her proud, gay son and advocate to end conversion therapy in New York and across the country;
- Reverend Dee Lowman: a progressive United Methodist clergyperson who has turned her efforts towards supporting and influencing the rights and respect of trans people and
- Aileen Roman: a 34-year-old mom who navigated New York State’s arcane laws around parenting and surrogacy and will share her story about how she overcome challenges to build her family
Pride Agenda Justice Day
Funding Doubles for Homeless Youth in NY
New York State Budget Doubles Funding for Homeless Youth;
Maintains Funding for LGBT Health and Human Services Network
The New York State Legislature Increases Funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth to $4.48M and Maintains Funding for the LGBT Health and Human Services Network at $4.97M
The Empire State Pride Agenda, New York’s statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, today celebrates the New York State Legislature’s passage of the 2015 State Budget, which nearly doubles the amount of funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth (“RHY”) to $4.48 million. The increase in funding is welcome news to the thousands of young people – 40% of whom identify as LGBT – who are forced to sleep on the streets each night and will help to create up to 1,000 new dedicated youth shelter beds across the state.
The increase in funding for homeless youth shelters is the result of a successful campaign launched by a coalition of partners, including the Pride Agenda, the Coalition for Homeless Youth, the Ali Forney Center, and Covenant House, under the leadership of New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, Senator Tony Avella and Assembly Members Linda Rosenthal and Andrew Hevesi. Even singer Miley Cyrus weighed in by sending a letter to New York State leaders. Since 2008, state funding for homeless youth shelters and services has been cut by $4 million. At the same time, the number of instances of kids being turned away from youth shelters each year due to a lack of beds has increased from 570 to more than 5,000, according to state data. While more is still needed to address this growing crisis, this year’s increase will provide much needed relief to hundreds of New York’s most vulnerable kids.
In addition, the New York State Legislature maintained funding for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Health Initiative through the AIDS Institute at the NYS Department of Health at $4.97 million. One major project of the LGBT Health Initiative is the New York State LGBT Health and Human Services Network (The Network). The Network is a coalition of 53 LGBT-specific and LGBT-supportive nonprofit organizations that provide programming and services to nearly 1.5 million LGBT New Yorkers and our families. Founded in 1994 and administered by the Pride Agenda Foundation, the Network consists of organizations like AIDS Care in Rochester, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center in Manhattan and Long Island’s Pride for Youth, providing services that address the continuum of needs facing our communities. Though more funding is still needed, the funding allocated by the state helps sustain the critical services provided by Network organizations in all 62 counties across New York State.
“We’re grateful to Senator Hoylman, Senator Tony Avella, Assembly Member Rosenthal and Assembly Member Hevesi for leading the efforts in the legislature to make our kids a priority in this year’s budget. We also commend Governor Cuomo Speaker Heastie, and Senate Leaders Skelos and Klein for defending the funding increase during budget negotiations,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Nathan M. Schaefer. “This is the first appreciable increase in funding for runaway and homeless youth since 2008 and represents years of advocacy. As a result, fewer kids will be forced to fend for themselves on New York’s streets or to resort to survival sex just to find a warm place to sleep at night.”
Now that the budget has passed, the Pride Agenda looks forward to working with the legislature to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which would extend civil rights protections to transgender New Yorkers, and the bill to protect LGBT youth from conversion therapy.
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About the Empire State Pride Agenda
Founded in 1990, the Empire State Pride Agenda is New York’s statewide civil rights and advocacy group committed to achieving full equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers and our families. The Pride Agenda fights for these priorities by: educating policymakers, elected officials and the public; building coalitions and mobilizing allies; lobbying government officials; administering a Political Action Committee; and organizing and empowering the LGBT community. prideagenda.org
New Yorks LGBT Center Big Remodel
After undergoing a dramatic $9.2 million dollar renovation, the city and Board of Directors proudly presented the new and improved Center to the community.
Speakers including Executive Director Glennda Testone, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, New York State Assembly member Deborah Glick, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer and more sang the praises of The Center and lauded the great work it has done and will continue to do for future generations.
The final speech of the evening was delivered by LGBT icon, Edie Windsor, whose history-making lawsuit forced the Federal Government to recognize same-sex marriage. The octogenarian received a rousing standing ovation and proudly stated that The Center’s new coffee shop bears her name and that of her late wife, Thea Spyer.
Other notable guests, including jewelry designer Alexis Bittar, sipped on celebratory St-Germain cocktails while admiring The Center’s art exhibition, Once Upon a Time and Now, which showcases artworks preserved in the renovation from 1989’s historic The Center Show – a series of site-specific installations commissioned by The Center to mark the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – along with new works. The exhibit features art from Keith Haring, David LaChapelle, Kenny Scharf among others. Cocktails served included the signature St-Germain Cocktail (St-Germain, Prosecco and Sparkling Water over ice with a lemon twist) and St-Germain and Champagne. The artisanal French liqueur is a proud supporter of the LGBT community and was thrilled to take part in this momentous occasion.
Signature St-Germain Cocktails:
The St. Germain Cocktail
2 parts MARTINI Prosecco
1½ parts St-Germain
2 parts Sparkling water
Stir ingredients in a tall ice-filled Collins glass, mixing completely. Think of Paris circa 1947. Garnish with a lemon twist.
also try….
St-Germain and Champagne
½ part St-Germain
Top with Brut Champagne
Serve in a flute glass and garnish with a strawberry.
About the Center:
Established in 1983, New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center empowers people to lead healthy, successful lives. The Center celebrates our diversity and advocates for justice and opportunity. Each year, The Center welcomes more than 300,000 visits to our building in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan from people who engage in our life-changing and lifesaving activities. We are proud to be your community Center. To learn more about our work, please visit gaycenter.org.
New Yorks Phrosties Being Attacked By Senator Schumer
Phrosties showed up sometime in the past year, but didn’t start getting widespread attention until mid-May. The unregulated alcoholic drink could only be purchased through a private Instagram account (which has now been pretty much wiped clean and made public). At the time, Grub Street noted they were $10 each (including delivery), and came in flavors like Blue Hawaiian, Dragonberry Colada, La Phiesta, and Hero. Each one tasting like “frozen Kool-Aid, mixed with Red Bull and spiked with 150-proof Everclear.”
At a press conference on Monday, Senator Chuck Schumer announced that he wants to crack down on the alcoholic slushies (which he misidentified as “sloshies”). Schumer specifically cited the ease with which a teenager could order a dangerously alcoholic concoction.
Schumer says they’ll “have to prove [they’re] not selling to kids if [they] want to stay in business,” according to the Post. Schumer explained, “A 12-year-old can probably buy these ‘sloshies’ online, get it and enjoy it because it’s filled with fruit juice and fruit punch and all the things that taste sweet and nice.” The Phrostie-makers are “already are under investigation by the State Liquor Authority because they are unregulated and unlicensed,” an SLA spokesperson told the paper.
Information Sought on Gay Bashing
Last week, a couple was coming home after celebrating their tenth anniversary when a man approached them and started to beat J.P. Masterson in the face. “I fucking hate faggots” the assailant told Masterson and his partner, Peter Moore as they waited on the platform for a subway in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The couple says there were about 50 people at the busy subway station, but not one bothered to help.
The police are investigating the incident as a bias crime. The suspect, according to the New York Times, had first asked the couple if they were gay.
Masterson, whose nose ands eye socket were broken and eye badly bruised, is 39 and reportedly lives in Clifton, New Jersey, but says he grew and came out in the Village.
“Police describe the suspect as a white male, 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs around 170 pounds and is in his late 20s. He may also have a thick Polish accent,” NJ.com reports:
Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, visit the Crime Stoppers website or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
The New York City Anti-Violence Project announced they “will be doing outreach next Wednesday, March 12th in the West Village and in and around the West 4th Street subway station, where we will talk with community members to increase awareness about this incident and provide people with safety information.” You can contact RJ Mendoza, AVP’s Hate Violence Community Organizer, at rmendoza@avp.org.
Fundraiser for Victim of High Rise Fire
A house fire is so awful. It’s devastating. It’s an awful thing to go through.
Concept Design Photo for New York Citys High Line
the Rail Yards includes an immersive bowl-shaped structure on the Spur, a
wide section of the High Line that extends over 10th Avenue at West
30th Street. Image by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio +
Renfro, courtesy of the City of New York
Neighbors, supporters, members, and friends gathered for a presentation this week of renderings of the Spur by the High Line Design Team’s James Corner of
James Corner Field Operations and Ric Scofidio of Diller Scofidio +
Renfro, as well as an update on the progress on construction and the
project timeline by Friends of the High Line Co-Founder Robert Hammond.
Keep up to date at The High Line
Exergamers NYC: Senior Centers connect online for first-ever Xbox Bowling Competition
Many of New
York’s innovative senior centers have begun exergaming by offering Zumba
dancing and bowling with Microsoft Kinect for Xbox. Classes and friendly competitions have taken
place within the senior centers and between them.
·
Participating
senior centers reflected some of New York City’s most innovative and diverse
senior centers. In fact, the sites that competed in the virtual bowling league
included the Services
& Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) Center,
Selfhelp Benjamin Rosenthal Senior Center, and the VISIONS/Services
for the Blind and Visually Impaired center.
o
SAGE: Services
& Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) is the country’s largest and oldest
organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) older adults.
o
SelfHelp
Community Services Inc.: For the past 70-plus years, Selfhelp Community Services, Inc., a
non-profit organization, has been dedicated to enabling seniors and at-risk
families to live in their own homes, independently and with dignity. Selfhelp serves seniors in Flushing, Queens, which
is one of the most ethnically diverse areas of New York.
o
VISIONS: Celebrating
its 87th year of service, VISIONS assists people of all ages who are blind or
visually impaired to lead independent and active lives in their homes and
communities; and educate the public to understand the capabilities and needs of
people who are blind or visually impaired
Third Party Research
·
According
to a study by the American Journal of Preventive
medicine in February 2012, exercise may prevent or delay dementia. However, only 14 percent of adults aged 65
to 74 years and 7 percent of those over 75 years exercise regularly.
In
a public/private partnership that builds upon the past success of New York
City’s first Virtual Senior Center, created in 2010, the Department for the
Aging (DFTA) and the Department of Information Technology &
Telecommunications (DoITT) teamed up again with Microsoft to launch the very
first Kinect for Xbox virtual bowling match. The interactive competition will
take place between two of DFTA’s Innovative Senior Centers (ISC) – The SAGE
Center, the first LGBT senior center in the city, and
Selfhelp, the city’s first virtual senior center. A third ISC – VISIONS, the
City’s first Innovative Senior Center for blind and visually-impaired seniors,
will also host an exhibition of its Kinect program.
“Technology
is rapidly changing the way we perform even the most routine activities and it
is important that we promote digital inclusion,” said NYC Department for the
Aging Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli. “We must make sure our seniors are
actively engaged with technology, whether it is social media, a discussion with
family over Skype, or through an email with a loved one. When we can have our
seniors not only embrace technology, but also have it benefit their physical
wellbeing, it’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
“‘Exergamers
NYC’ is a shining example of how the City can use its public-private technology
partnerships to help New Yorkers – in this case our seniors – connect with
innovative solutions to improve their quality of life,” said DoITT Citywide Chief
Information and Innovation Officer Rahul N. Merchant. “The Bloomberg
Administration is committed to using technology to better serve New Yorkers.
Through this program we are collectively providing more opportunities for
seniors to engage with readily available technology to boost activity, social
interaction, and overall wellbeing.”
READ MORE at the Department of Aging
New York.com – Get connected to Everything NEW YORK
Deals discounts and bargains!
NewYork.com knows New York better than anyone! Find the best New York
Hotels, the hottest Broadway Tickets, must-see New York attractions or a
New York City Sightseeing Tour! NewYork.com is the best place to go to
find everything in New York!
SEX AND THE CITY hotspots tour! Whether you’re a fashion-forward “Carrie” with a big heart, a sexy and
scandalous “Samantha” with a take-no-prisoners attitude, a
prim-and-proper romantic “Charlotte” or a self-assured “Miranda”
juggling success and a family, you’ll want to grab your BFF’s and
get on the bus — the Sex and the City Hotspots tour bus! One part
sight-seeing trip, one part trivia game and one part hands-on shopping
experience, Sex and the City Hotspots Tour brings fans of the iconic Sex and the City
franchise directly to the real-life sights, sounds and tastes featured
in the TV series and subsequent films, immersing them in the sexy and
fun world of famous female best friends Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and
Charlotte.
FASHION ON FIFTH! Attention Fashionistas! Shopaholics, look no further than Uncle Sam’s Fashion on Fifth Avenue
Tour for your chance to hit the town like Manhattan’s shopping elite.
Fifth Avenue is home to some of the most glamorous boutiques in the
world, so live like a Kardashian for a day and let style experts guide
your way through some of the best fashion real estate in the world.
On the Fashion on Fifth Avenue tour, you and a group of fellow
fashionistas will set out to find the perfect look, with an expert
professional stylist as your guide to the latest trends and fashion
secrets. Fifth Avenue between 49th and 60th streets is home to some of
the most prestigious stores and expensive shopping opportunities in the
world. Luxury department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue are on the
itinerary, as well as Juicy Couture, Armani Exchange, Zara and more.
How about Dinner on a Yacht?! World Yacht Dining Dinner Cruises offers an elegant experience on the
Hudson River, accompanied by stunning views of New York City and the
Statue of Liberty at night. Guests enjoy a leisurely four-course meal
that allows time for viewing the city from the rooftop lounge, taking
photos, sipping drinks and slow-dancing to tunes from a live jazz band
or DJ.
Dinner is a four-course meal that includes an amuse bouche (a
bite-sized hors d’oeuvre), appetizer, entrée and dessert with coffee or
tea. Menus change regularly, but you can expect dishes like jumbo lump
crab cakes and Long Island duck breast served with saffron risotto.
Guests can order a variety of wines, cocktails, beer, soda and specialty
coffees for a fee that’s paid at the table at the end of the cruise.
(Passengers are expected to tip based on the dinner cruise ticket
prices, plus any extra drinks.)
What queen doesn’t want get backstage at Radio City Music Hall??
During the Radio City Stage Door Tour, guests go behind the scenes of
New York City’s iconic Radio City Music Hall to learn about its history,
exquisite Art Deco architecture and the secrets of the “Great Stage.”
Plus, visitors can take advantage of a fun photo opportunity to
high-kick in step with a Radio City Rockette.
A friendly, knowledgeable tour guide welcomes visitors into the
venue’s art deco lobby adorned with enormous jeweled chandeliers, golden
doors and a majestic staircase. The tour takes guests back to 1932 when
Radio City, the first building in the Rockefeller Center complex,
opened as the world’s largest indoor theater (at the time) and daily
presented the Rockettes and other live acts in between movies. Guests
hear fascinating stories about the building’s stunning murals, nude
aluminum statues (that were once taboo) as well as the intriguing
justification for how the ladies’ and gentlemen’s bathrooms and lounges
were decorated.
Inside the theater, visitors view the massive stage that stretches
an entire city block (from 50th to 51st Streets) and learn how it gets
raised and lowered by its original hydraulic system. On the top floor,
guests view a short film inside the former private apartment of Radio
City Music Hall’s innovator and theatrical impresario, the late S.L.
“Roxy” Rothafel. Framed posters of famed Radio City acts line the
corridors, including Prince, Elton John, Justin Timberlake and Bette
Midler, who broke a Radio City record in 1993 by selling out 30 shows.
All this and more at NEW YORK.com!
The Future of New York City
This week the Huffington Post ran an awesome series of photos showing what New York City may look like in the coming 20 years!
The new Penn Station – above. This summer a multibillion dollar plan will finally get underway to
brighten up the dank rail station and better accommodate the 600,000
people that pass through it each day. But it’ll be a while before the
much-maligned space looks fresh and tidy. Madison Square Garden, which
sits on top of the transit hub, was given 10 years to relocate.
.
The world’s largest ferris wheel will come to Staten Island in 2016. At 625 feet, the New York Wheel is predicted to draw millions of visitors to the borough.
After more than a decade of controversy — including scrapped Olympic
and Jets stadium plans — developers have crafted an ambitious plan to
convert 26 acres of rail facilities into the largest private real estate
development in city history. Hudson Yards is “a $15 billion
15-structure mini-city on Manhattan’s West Side that will create more office space than exists in Portland, Ore.,” according to the New York Daily News.
SEE THE REST AT HUFFINGTON POST!
Hudson Yards : A City Within New York City
Best Gay New York.com Supports QUINN
Maloney, Senators Brad Hoylman, Tom Duane, Assembly Members Deborah
Glick, Danny O’Donnell, Matthew Titone, Council Members Rosie Mendez,
and Jimmy Van Bramer
invite you to a
LGBT FOR QUINN GET OUT THE VOTE KICK OFF
Friday, September 6th, 7:00-8:00pm
Location: Christopher Park at 7th Avenue and Christopher Street (across from the historic Stonewall Inn)
with Nick Adams, Durell Arthur, Gilbert Baker, Titus Burgess, Gilbert
Baker, Eliza Byard, Bruce Cohen, Kevin Graves, Judy Gold, Cheyenne
Jackson, David Mixner, Rory O’Malley, Neil Lowe, Richard E. Pelzer II,
Billy Porter, Anthony Rapp, Omar Sharif, Jr., Pastor Joseph Tolton,
Ulysses Williams, Evan Wolfson and Chely Wright
RSVP NOW at www.quinnfornewyork.com/
It’s Unanimous! The New York Times, the Daily News, New York
Post and BestGayNewYork.com all say Christine Quinn is the Democratic Choice for Mayor!
Googles Guide to Lesbian & Gay New York Historical Landmarks
Lesbian + Gay Architects and Designers (OLGAD) and was originally
developed by its Preservation + History Committee. A note regarding
format: where evidence indicates an individual’s being lesbian or gay,
the name is in boldface (it is necessary to take into account cultural
and historical context—for instance, a number of these people were
married, even though research points to their involvement in same-sex
relationships.)
highlighted here are privately owned and are not open to the
public—please respect people’s privacy. Project Coordinators: James P.
Colgate and Jane Greenwood. Research and Text: Joan Berkowitz, Don
Dinkel, Jr., Andrew Dolkart, Gale Harris, Mary Jablonski, Ken Lustbader,
Tom Reynolds, and R. Jay Shockley. GVSHP is grateful to OLGAD for
allowing the use of their detailed and thorough research.
+ Pool Will Become a Reality in New York’s Hudson River
It’s going to happen! A pool in the Hudson River! It started with a vision – not it’s going to become a reality!
for everybody to swim in clean river water right here in NYC.
river, what if you started by just cleaning a small piece of it?
what if you could change how New Yorkers see their rivers, just by
giving them a chance to swim in it?
A Kickstarter fund drive was launched with goal of $250,000, “we’ll be able to build the 35′ x
35′ Float Lab off the Brooklyn shore this August, giving everybody a
chance to see and learn about how + POOL will clean the rivers.” – As of July 20th, $273,000 has been raised!
+ POOL is driven by the supporters, backers and collaborators that want
to see the pool in the water as much as we do. So we thought, what if
we broke the pool into bite-size chunks and gave everybody a way to
claim a piece of the pool for themselves?”
Find out how to own your own piece of the pool at Kickstarter!
Gay Walking Tour: New Yorks Grand Central July 29th
..
Did you know
that the current Grand Central building is actually the 3rd incarnation
of the historic building on that site? The current building was also
inches away from the wrecking ball not too long ago! Learn about secret
platforms, top secret rooms and interesting facts and surprises during
this adventure filled with exploring, socializing and learning.
Your professional tour guide
will also share photos from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s that
will amaze you and change your perspective on the building and the
neighborhood surrounding it. Sign up today and meet other
dynamic people in our group while really getting a different
perspective on one of New York’s most famous landmarks. Following the tour the group is invited to stay together for food and drink at a local tavern.
6pm check-in, 6:30pm tour
$15 GET TICKETS