The Stonewall Democratic Membership of New York Metropolis — a citywide LGBTQ political membership — endorsed candidates in a number of statewide and congressional major races on Might 1 after internet hosting a candidate discussion board on April 29 at Civic Corridor at Union Sq..
The membership’s two-plus-hour endorsement assembly featured some extra well-known candidates, together with Brad Lander and Daniel Goldman within the race for NY-10, in addition to a number of lesser-known candidates — together with out LGBTQ candidates, reminiscent of Laura Dunn, Nina Schwalbe, and Micah Bergdale, who’re all operating in NY-12.
Endorsements
On the morning of Friday, Might 1, the membership introduced it had endorsed all incumbents in statewide races — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Legal professional Common Letitia James, and Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli — in addition to former Metropolis Council Speaker Adrienne Adams in her bid for lieutenant governor.
In congressional contests, the membership backed Rep. Grace Meng in NY-6, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso in NY-7, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in NY-8, former New York Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander in NY-10, Assemblymember Alex Bores in NY-12, Rep. Adriano Espaillat in NY-13, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in NY-14, Rep. Ritchie Torres in NY-15, and Rep. George Latimer in NY-16.
Stonewall’s political priorities
The president of the Stonewall Democratic Membership of New York Metropolis, John Wahlmeier.Donna Aceto
Membership leaders on the endorsement assembly highlighted a few of Stonewall’s prime political priorities within the metropolis and state, together with assist for the state-based New York for All Act, which goals to stop state and native sources from getting used for immigration enforcement, and the enlargement of the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Fairness Fund, which delivers funds to organizations serving trans people within the state.
The membership, presently led by president John Wahlmeier, additionally took problem with the Metropolis Council’s recently-passed “buffer zone” payments and expressed assist for the mayor’s veto of a type of payments aimed toward academic establishments.
“It has been a very, very important legacy of Stonewall, as an organization and as an LGBTQ community, to protect the right to protest at churches during the AIDS crisis,” Gabriel Lewenstein, the membership’s govt vice chairman, mentioned throughout the assembly. “And in the past year, we’ve had to rally outside the Department of Education to protect trans youth in schools and outside of teaching hospitals to protect gender-affirming care.”
The viewers appears to be like on throughout the Stonewall Democratic Membership of New York Metropolis’s April 29 assembly.Donna Aceto
Congressional candidates
Within the race to succeed retiring Congressmember Jerrold Nadler in NY-12, Assemblymember Micah Lasher mentioned the nation is dealing with an “existential crisis” within the Trump period, and he made the case that he brings a years-long background of supporting LGBTQ causes. He vowed to “fight with everything I’ve got to roll back the hateful policies of the Trump administration and codify in law the protections that this community needs for the long term.”
“Democrats are failing to meet the moment,” Lasher mentioned. “That has effects on issues across the board, and has a particular effect on LGBTQ New Yorkers, and the most vulnerable members of our population, our trans kids, and the people that need government to be standing up for them.”
Lasher subsequently confronted questions from youth activist Lorelei Crean, who requested concerning the lawmaker’s public assist for trans youth on his marketing campaign web site and whether or not he attended rallies in assist of trans youth final 12 months. Lasher responded partially by emphasizing that he has “written a great deal about all these issues, including in a lengthy piece I wrote well before I was running for Congress right after Donald Trump won the election, and talked about how the Democratic Party should not throw trans kids under the bus, which is what a lot of people were calling for at that time.”
Assemblymember Micah Lasher is operating for Congress in NY-12.Donna Aceto
When Lasher famous that he just lately attended a protest in opposition to NYU Langone, Crean clarified that the occasion passed off in 2026, not 2025.
“Respectfully, I have been involved in these issues, I think, for your entire lifetime,” Lasher mentioned in response. “I know you’ve got a different candidate in this race, but I am not going to concede the issue that I don’t have a strong record on these issues. I do.”
Lorelei Crean attends the Stonewall Democratic Membership of New York Metropolis’s April 29 assembly.Donna Aceto
Bores, who additionally addressed the membership on the occasion, echoed different requires passage of the Equality Act, saying it “should have been passed 20 friggin’ years ago.”
Bores listed a number of instances he has, in his phrases, “showed up” for the neighborhood, reminiscent of when he protested at Trump Tower after the White Home nixed a nationwide LGBTQ youth suicide lifeline. He additionally mentioned different LGBTQ points, together with calling for a nationwide PrEP program and preventing in opposition to conversion remedy.
Assemblymember Alex Bores gained the Stonewall Democratic Membership of New York Metropolis’s endorsement.Donna Aceto
Three out candidates in NY-12 — Dunn, Schwalbe, and Bergdale — all made in-person appearances earlier than the membership. Dunn, a civil rights lawyer and former public college trainer, mentioned she has spent her whole profession “fighting for the victimized and the marginalized” and defending Title IX, and he or she harassed that she hopes to convey her authorized expertise to Congress.
“I have the Democratic establishment credentials, but I am not part of the establishment,” she mentioned.
Congressional candidate Laura Dunn delivers remarks to Stonewall’s members.Donna Aceto
Nina Schwalbe, a public well being researcher who based Spark Road Advisors, recalled a historical past of being misgendered and added, “I am proud of being a dyke.”
“I’ve worked with trans sex workers in Thailand, I organized the first-ever gay film festival in Russia, and I’ve been on the board of numerous LGBT organizations,” Schwalbe mentioned.
Nina Schwalbe is operating for Congress in NY-12.Donna Aceto
Micah Bergdale is operating for Congress in NY-12.Donna Aceto
Within the race for NY-7, which encompasses Brooklyn and Queens, Councilmember Julie Gained of Queens mentioned she has labored to assist an annual Delight celebration in Sunnyside, Queens, and expressed her appreciation for the St. Pat’s for All parade in her borough. She additionally highlighted the significance of constructing housing in her district and creating housing options for homeless LGBTQ people.
Councilmember Julie Gained is operating for Congress in NY-7.Donna Aceto
Amongst different candidates in NY-7, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and Vichal Kumar additionally addressed members, with Reynoso tuning in through Zoom. Reynoso and Gained each spoke of the work of the Ali Forney Heart, which offers housing and assist for homeless LGBTQ youth, and Reynoso emphasised that he’s “currently working on having Ali Forney own their sites” to assist the group higher serve its purchasers.
NY-12 candidate Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, additionally appeared earlier than the membership, the place he defended his strategy to marketing campaign finance and, at one level, opened up about his private funds.
“I have a lot of relatives who died young,” he mentioned. “They left me money. It’s in a trust. I can’t do anything about it, and so, I’m not sure what you want me to do, but I‘m not spending it on my campaign, and you can donate unlimited amounts of money to your own campaign.”
NY-12 candidate Jack Schlossberg.Donna Aceto
Within the race for NY-10, former Metropolis Comptroller Brad Lander is difficult Congressmember Daniel Goldman, each of whom joined the assembly. Goldman, who launched himself by noting that he makes use of he/him pronouns, attended through Zoom in Washington, the place he stood by his file on LGBTQ points and ripped the Trump administration’s anti-trans actions, although he additionally confronted questions from members about his positions on overseas coverage.
On LGBTQ points, Goldman mentioned he just lately met with mother and father of trans youth who underscored their issues about their youngsters’s continuation of care at a time when some hospitals have restricted gender-affirming take care of youth.
In itemizing a few of his work in assist of the LGBTQ neighborhood, Goldman mentioned he aggressively opposed the administration’s erasure of transgender people from the Stonewall Nationwide Monument’s web site and pressed Mount Sinai and NYU Langone after they restricted gender-affirming take care of youth and a few adults.
Lander, in the meantime, attended the occasion in individual and wasted little time in criticizing the incumbent, labeling Goldman as an “establishment Democrat.” Lander was requested by viewers members who he supported within the latest, hotly contested particular election for Metropolis Council in District 3, the place out homosexual candidate Carl Wilson declared victory. Whereas Lander mentioned he supported Lindsey Boylan in that race, he mentioned he would assist Wilson transferring ahead.
For his half, Lander has additionally been a constant and vocal critic of NYU Langone and Mount Sinai over their restrictions on gender-affirming take care of youth.
“What NYU Langone and Mount Sinai are doing is a violation of New York State and New York City’s civil rights laws,” Lander mentioned. “We worked hard to pass laws. It’s illegal to discriminate against people in employment, in housing, or in public accommodations based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. We’ve got enforce the law in New York City and New York State.”
Lander mentioned he had been endorsed by one other LGBTQ citywide political membership, the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Membership, in addition to by NYC Trans Youth, amongst others.
In NY-15, Torres, who didn’t attend the assembly, was represented by out former Councilmember James Vacca, who joined on Zoom. One other candidate in that race, former assemblymember Michael Blake, confronted the membership in individual and vowed, if elected, to “show up and be consistent.” He emphasised that he was just lately endorsed by the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Membership.
Former state lawmaker Michael Blake is operating in NY-15.Donna Aceto
Amongst different candidates who appeared through Zoom had been Espaillat, who’s operating in NY-13; Darializa Avila Chevalier, who can be operating in NY-13; and Meng, who’s operating in NY-6. One other NY-6 candidate, Chuck Park, addressed the membership in individual.
State Comptroller candidates
DiNapoli, the incumbent comptroller, recalled his previous work in assist of the LGBTQ neighborhood — from his time within the State Meeting to his present work as state comptroller — however took some warmth from the viewers when he was requested why, as an incumbent, he solely submitted an announcement as a substitute of the questionnaire that candidates are requested to finish earlier than dealing with the membership.
“A statement was what was accepted,” DiNapoli mentioned. “I have no problem filling out a questionnaire; I was told that a statement was fine. That was Stonewall’s choice, not mine.”
When DiNapoli was requested about his assist for transgender youth initiatives, he mentioned, “Totally support healthcare. Spoken out against efforts to take that away. Absolutely supportive. That’s been my publicly stated record for many, many years… I am totally supportive of all healthcare for trans youth.”
DiNapoli’s challengers readily available on the assembly included former Kansas state lawmaker Raj Goyle; Drew Warshaw, a former co-CEO of the housing non-profit Enterprise Neighborhood Companions who brings non-profit govt management expertise to the race; and Adem Bunkeddeko, a former Congressional candidate who serves on the board of Home of SpeakEasy and beforehand served on Neighborhood Board 8 in Brooklyn.
Comptroller candidate Adem Bunkeddeko.Donna Aceto
Warshaw cited statistics about homelessness amongst LGBTQ youth earlier than making the case that he’s the “only candidate in this race who has a specific background, and more importantly, a specific plan to address the housing crisis, to treat it like it is.” Warshaw referred to as for a $20 billion housing fund to “invest in homes that New Yorkers can actually afford.”
State comptroller candidate Drew Warshaw.Donna Aceto
