Comptroller Stringer Honors Activist Edith Windsor in 2018 LGBTQ+ Guide

(New York, NY) — New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer today released an updated 2018 LGBTQ+ Guide to Services and Resources – the most comprehensive directory of LGBTQ+ organizations and programs in New York City. This year’s guide honors the life and legacy of LGBTQ-activist Edith “Edie” Windsor, whose 2013 landmark Supreme Court case overturned the anti-equality Defense of Marriage Act and helped open the door to legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

For many LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, connecting to services geared towards their needs can be a challenge. The Comptroller’s guide, also available online, includes information for hundreds of community groups offering LGBTQ-led and -centered services, from health care and counseling to arts and social networks.

“Our 2018 LGBTQ+ Guide is not just an informational resource – it is a tribute to a New York City champion for equality,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Edie changed the heart of our nation and paved the way for a more perfect union. In these challenging times, we honor Edie’s legacy by rejecting all attempts to roll back the LGBTQ+ community’s progress toward equality. In order to do that, we must ensure the City serves the needs of all New Yorkers, especially those living at the intersection of multiple identities.”

“Comptroller Stringer’s LGBTQ+ Guide recognizes Edie’s role as a trailblazer for equal rights and dignity for the LGBTQ+ community. I personally watched the Comptroller stand beside Edie and support her efforts to advance LGBTQ+ rights. This year’s dedication to Edie on her birthday is a testament to the invaluable work that his office does every day for all New Yorkers,” said Judith Kasen-Windsor, surviving spouse of Edie Windsor.

The LGBTQ+ guide is a key part of Comptroller Stringer’s advocacy work with the LGBTQ+ community and is released annually during Pride month. Earlier this month, following the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, Comptroller Stringer announced his office’s Bureau of Asset Management (BAM) will now inquire about prospective fund managers’ commitment to maintaining non-discrimination policies and best practices as part of recommending them to the City’s pension boards for approval.

Additionally, earlier this year, he called for the expansion of comprehensive sexual health and wellness education for all New York City students after his office found that students were not receiving their mandated semester of health education, a critical element for young people in their development of healthy relationships and positive outlooks on their sexual health and identity.

Other work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community includes:

• Spearheaded an effort with City and State elected officials to introduce legislation to expand anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ+ business owners in New York that bid on city and state contracts;
• Explicitly defining board diversity to include the LGBTQ+ community in corporate governance policies;
• Drafting a joint letter with California State Controller Betty T. Yee, Comptroller Stringer urged the fiduciaries of other large public pension funds to embrace policies and practices that promote diversity inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community in corporate America. A number of those funds now have corporate governance policies and proxy voting guidelines that encourage companies to recruit diverse boards and explicitly include the LGBTQ+ community in their definition of diversity;
• Led a group of some of the largest investors in the world – with a combined $11 trillion in assets under management – to speak out against so-called “Bathroom Bill” legislation in North Carolina and Texas that discriminates against members of the LGBTQ+ community;
• Additionally, based on a policy report written by the Comptroller’s office, the New York City Council passed a law requiring that all single-use bathrooms in New York City be labeled gender neutral, and continues to advocate for the passage of Gender Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and fight for transgender communities of color.

To view this year’s LGBTQ+ online guide, click here.

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