2023 LGBTQ+ Power Players

Frankie Miranda is the first openly gay president and CEO of Hispanic Federation (HF), the nation’s premier Latino non-profit membership organization. Since joining HF in 1998, he has played a key role in expanding HF’s member network to include hundreds of community-based organizations that operate across the U.S. Frankie also established critical programs that empower thousands of Latinos, such as the Advance Change Together Initiative, a program that supports organizations that serve Latinx LGBTQ+ communities.

Alan Mucatel has been CEO of Rising Ground since 2009. Under his leadership, the nonprofit has doubled in size, impact and budget, and supports 25,000 individuals and families with 59 services in 103 programs at over 86 locations throughout NYC and Westchester. Previously, Alan held executive roles at Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey (CPNJ) and Coalition for the Homeless. He has an MBA and M.A. in politics from NYU and a B.A. in government from Wesleyan.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
I have tremendous respect for all who comprise our diverse community and put themselves out there in very bold, public, and personal ways, along with those individuals who sacrificed much to pave the way for each of us to be our authentic selves in a more welcoming society. Our “icons” are the generations who came before us and today’s young people who continue to make strides while also experiencing similar political and social challenges.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
While our community has grown stronger over the decades, in some places we are losing ground or being overtly targeted. It is very sad to witness increased violence and partisan assault on our basic American freedoms, and particularly disturbing is any demonizing of trans people. True support requires leaders in government to raise their voices in condemnation of such actions and use their power to pass legislation and secure funding to counter these hateful threats.

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
Today, most Americans recognize and embrace the diversity of the LGBTQAI+ community. We’re their relatives, colleagues, and neighbors; and living our lives like everyone else. However, as politics has become more divisive, in some places there is renewed assault on the LGBTQAI+ community. We need to better protect the rights of those groups being targeted just as we have done for other marginalized communities, including women, people of color, immigrants, the disabled, and the poor.

Mayra has been organizing for immigrant and LGBTQ+ justice as one of the catalysts and founders of the immigrant youth movement for the past 14 years. She is a recognized national expert and organizer on queer&immigrant issues and has been featured in Forbes, The Advocate, La Nación, and Univision. Mayra serves as the deputy director of the National LGBTQ Task Force and National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund and resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Renna is a queer media activist/comms guru who has been at the center of LGBTQ+ issues for over 3 decades. A native New Yorker, Renna was a staff member at GLAAD, then did queer focused media consulting for scores of organizations on issues as diverse as trans youth to marriage equality to senior LGBTQ issues and the Stonewall 50/WorldPride events in 2019. She currently serves as communications director at the National LGBTQ Task Force.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
So many. I was blessed to meet and know so many icons, many of whom are still with us. From Barbara Gittings to Frank Kameny to Sylvia Rivera, my values were shaped by the courage and tenacity of historic figures. And I am now so inspired by the young people stepping up like Stella Keating and other queer youth.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
Our community is under attack in nearly every state and at the federal level – and we are fighting back with education and legislation – what is needed is advocacy at the state and local level to kill anti-LGBTQ legislation and promote legislation that will protect the rights we have fought for and won (as we did in passing the Respect for Marriage act last year) and codify protections via the Equality Act

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
We have many things in common but our differences are what make us all unique and special. To look at their own lives and experiences and how that may impact their views about LGBTQ+ people. We are a resilient, joyful and diverse community. We are also vulnerable, have been subjected to discrimination and prejudice in a queer-phobic culture and we carry many identities that impact us – as women, BIPOC, disabled etc. 

Can you recommend any top book, film, or TV shows that represent the LGBTQ+ experience?
In my decades of work as a media activist this is a VERY hard question, as we have seen extraordinary progress in representations, even if we still have work to do. I love the authenticity of POSE, the intensity of American Horror Story and the regular inclusion of queer people in nearly all the entertainment media I consume.

Assembly Member O’Donnell has been the prime sponsor of several trailblazing bills, most notably the Marriage Equality Act, which he led to passage in the Assembly five times between 2007 and 2011. O’Donnell has also led the passage of the Dignity for All Students Act, combating bullying and harassment in schools, the Repeal of 50-a, increasing transparency for police disciplinary records, the Gender Recognition Act, the bill Banning Gay and Trans Panic Defense and more.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
I always look up to my colleague in the Assembly, Deborah Glick. She was the first openly LGBTQ legislator in Albany, and for years she endured ignorant, hateful, and discriminatory comments from fellow legislators and the public. Through it all, she stood strong, built allies, and passed groundbreaking bills for women, LGBTQ people, and her district.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
With the national landscape bleak for LGBTQ rights, it is crucial that New York use our voice, our laws, and our dollars to signal to people –and especially kids– all over the country that there is a place where the government will welcome you, support you, and stand up for your rights. Whether you are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, gender non-conforming, or anything else under the rainbow umbrella: you matter and you belong.

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
Being gay is a superpower. Through the process of self discovery, coming out, and creating space for ourselves in the world, LGBTQ people develop incredible strength, clarity, and insight into how that world works.

Can you recommend any top book, film, or TV shows that represent the LGBTQ+ experience?
I’ve been cracking up at videos from comedian Matteo Lane.

Charles John O’Byrne is executive vice president for policy at Related Companies where he serves in a leadership role on government affairs at all levels; labor issues, litigation matters, and questions of strategy on multiple projects. He also serves on the management team of energyRe, a clean energy company founded by Related’s principals. energyRe, with its partners Invenergy and NYPA, is responsible for Clean Path NY, the largest renewable energy project in the United States.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
Alan Turing, made an extraordinary contribution during World War II through his work cracking Nazi codes and yet he died a criminal, convicted under Victorian laws as a homosexual. His death serves as a reminder of how fragile freedom is. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to office in California. He was unafraid to speak the truth and became a champion of the gay political movement.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
The efforts by too many state legislatures to restrict the freedoms of the LGBTQ+ community calls for both local action and greater federal protections for these basic rights and freedoms.

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
I wish the general population was more aware of the extraordinary philanthropy of so many members of the LGBTQ+ community on a wide range of issues.

Can you recommend any top book, film, or TV shows that represent the LGBTQ+ experience?
Dustin Lance Black’s memoir, Mama’s Boy: A Story from Our Americas. This extraordinary text captures the remarkable struggles endured by Lance and his family, including his disabled mother’s grit, courage and determination in the face of seemingly constant adversity and the reality of poverty, domestic violence and brutality in a world defined by the pernicious influence of their Mormon faith. Through this crucible Lance emerges as an artist. It is a great read.

Chi Ossé is the council member for New York City’s 36th District, representing Bedford-Stuyvesant and North Crown Heights. He entered politics as an organizer and prominent figure in the Black Lives Matter movement. At 23 years old, Ossé was elected in 2021 as the youngest member of the Council and its only member hailing from Gen-Z.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
Qween Jean (activist), Sylvester (singer) and Bayard Rustin

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
Pass our HIV package in the City Council, including: Intro 825 (PrEP outreach and distribution reporting), Res 514 (resolution for statewide HASA), Res 395 (passing state bills to increase PrEP access) and Intro 895 (expanding rapid STD testing in all 5 boroughs)

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
We all know each other

Can you recommend any top book, film, or TV shows that represent the LGBTQ+ experience?
The Velvet Rage

Kellie is the newly appointed executive director for nglccNY, and a leader in the LGBTQ+ economic equality movement. Before moving to New York City, she was the president and CEO of The Pride Chamber of Orlando, where she led the organization to be nationally recognized as the Chamber of the Year, and spearheaded the effort that led the City of Orlando and Orange County to embrace LGBT businesses in procurement.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
The icons I look up to most are the advocates and activists. The survivors turned thrivers.Those who’ve experienced extreme acts of hate and yet come out the other side even stronger, turning atrocity into fuel. They are champions for LGBTQ+ civil rights, working tirelessly so that one day all humans can have equal rights.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
The passage of full protections and anti-discrimination laws, and the inclusion of LGBTBEs® in public sector contracting opportunities and supplier diversity efforts.

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
To be a true ally – to any community – requires effort. Allyship is an action verb, not a permanent label. Being an ally should be part of everything we do – even when it’s uncomfortable. And it’s important to recognize that acting as an ally shouldn’t require an audience or getting credit/praise.

Can you recommend any top book, film, or TV shows that represent the LGBTQ+ experience?
The Last Place You Look, within the Roxane Weary series by Kristen Lepionka

A native of the Bronx with Puerto Rican heritage, Sandra is spearheading initiatives to diversify NYC Pride’s programming to align it with the organization’s commitment to inclusivity while also uplifting diverse voices in the LGBTQIA+ community year round. Sandra brings an intersectional lens to her work and volunteerism, having advocated for Latino/e arts and culture, overseen, consulted on public and private grantmaking programs and was recently appointed to New York City Tourism + Conventions’ board.

Which LGBTQ+ icons do you look up to?
There are so many! I would list the Black and Brown icons whose work opened the way for me, people like Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldua, Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Today, I find inspiration from people like Angelica Ross, Alok Menon, Brandon Wolf, Dominique Morgan and others who continually are breaking open new ground for our community.

What actions do you hope to see the government taking to support the LGBTQ+ community?
While I’m appreciative of major legislation like the Marriage Equality Act, our rights are being stripped away as we speak. Our legislators must be proactive in stopping legislation that continues to excoriate our rights to bodily autonomy and disenfranchises and criminalizes the Trans community and young people. We can’t continue to be on the defensive and hope to ‘ride this out’. It’s clearly time for unified action across the board. Our community deserves no less.

What do you wish people outside of the community knew about the LGBTQ+ community?
We are not a monolith. We are as varied and diverse as any other community, although we may be a touch more fabulous! Seriously though, people should remember that we aren’t a “news item.” When we speak about issues impacting the community we talk about individuals looking to be treated equitably and who deserve to live freely, without the threat of violence or legislation that strips away our basic human rights. We’re here to stay.