2024 LGBTQ+ Power Players

Michael Adams is the CEO of SAGE, the largest and oldest organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ aging. SAGE serves LGBTQ+ elders via technical assistance, training, services, and advocacy. Adams, a graduate of Stanford Law School and Harvard College, is the past chair of the Board of the American Society on Aging. Previously, he was the director of education and public affairs and deputy legal director for Lambda Legal and litigation director for the ACLU LGBT Rights Project. 

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
If I could give my younger self advice, it would be to have a little more patience with myself and others and to recognize that life often unfolds in the most unexpected of ways. So the best-laid plans only get you so far.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
I admire James Baldwin and Ken Dawson. Everyone knows Baldwin – his interview “Go The Way Your Blood Beats” and his writings hugely influenced me. Many folks don’t know who Ken Dawson was, which is a shame. Ken was the visionary executive director of SAGE and a visionary community leader in the 1980’s. Tragically, we lost Ken to AIDS. I’m honored to build on the legacy that Ken and his colleagues created back then.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
It’s essential that New York policymakers do much more to ensure that queer people at both ends of the age spectrum – young people and elders – have access to affordable housing and respectful health care. We’ve made some early progress, but much, much more needs to be done.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
Too many LGBTQ+ elders are robbed of the opportunity to grow old in the community they helped build. Because of a lack of community support, they’re forced into institutional long-term care that often is unwelcoming to queer people. As a result, many LGBTQ+ pioneers are essentially forced back into the closet late in life for self-protection. SAGE is working on strategies to address this outrageous dynamic, and more people need to know about it.

Mohamed Q. Amin is an Indo-Caribbean, Queer, Muslim immigrant and an LGBTQ+ rights activist, who calls Richmond Hill, Little Guyana, in Queens home. In 2015, he turned trauma into activism by founding the Caribbean Equality Project, a community-based organization that advocates for Caribbean LGBTQ+ voices in NYC. Amin is a survivor of anti-LGBTQ+ hate violence, a cultural producer, and the curator of two interdisciplinary storytelling exhibitions, whose intersectional and culture-shifting advocacy centers on immigrant rights.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
Growing up, I never imagined being who I am today. The truth is, I didn’t want to accept this beautiful part that makes me whole. But today, I live pridefully, while co-creating a world that values, loves, and protects my LGBTQ+ siblings through justice, solidarity, and liberation. The one advice I would give my younger, closeted, and transplanted immigrant self is to stop being ashamed of who you are and start living your truth.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
My LGBTQ+ icon is the beloved activist and writer, Colin Robinson. In 1998, he co-founded Caribbean Pride, one of the first known Caribbean LGBTQ+ organizations in NYC. The group made history at the NYC Pride March when they debuted their “Big Truck” – one of the first Caribbean LGBTQ+ visibility contingents in the parade’s history. In 2021, Colin transitioned our physical world, joining his ancestors. Today, I lead the 26-year “Big Truck” tradition to honor his legacy.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
NYS legislators must realize that LGBTQ+ people do not live single-issue lives. We are Black, Asian, Indo-Caribbean, Latinx, immigrants, asylum seekers, sex workers, and people of color, all of whom survive at the intersections of socioeconomic barriers, anti-LGBTQ hate violence, police violence, criminalization, and lack of care, dignity, and public safety. Lawmakers can advance legislation to create affordable housing, access to immigration legal services, and reform our criminal justice system to keep LGBTQ+ people safe.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
My legislative advocacy work with Caribbean Equality Project includes expanding school curriculums to teach LGBTQ+ and Asian American history, decriminalizing sex work, anti-discrimination in schools to protect trans and non-binary students, and fighting for affordable housing to end homelessness. In 2025, the organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary, including a capital funding campaign launched to secure a HOME – a Caribbean LGBTQ+ Cultural Center for immigrants, a community space grounded in support, care, and love. 

Stuart Appelbaum is a labor leader who serves as president of the RWDSU; executive VP of the 1.3 million member UFCW, VP of the national AFL-CIO and president of UNI Global Commerce (a global federation representing 160 unions and 4 million workers worldwide). Appelbaum is a member of the Democratic National Committee where he chairs its Labor Council. He is a former treasurer of the Empire State Pride Agenda.

Amanda Babine is the executive director of Equality New York. She has been working in the social sector for the last 15 years, leading impactful campaigns and programs using an equity lens. Her focus has been on improving LGBTQI rights and supporting those involved in the child welfare system. She has been committed to improving policies and programs that will positively impact the community.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
Try your best to be authentic. The impact you have on those around you by being yourself can change the culture, inspire others, and help you feel grounded.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
I believe in appreciating and giving flowers to those still here with us. A couple of LGBTQ+ leaders I look up to are Kraig Pannell and Desma Holcomb. Both have made huge contributions to the community by training individuals and building coalitions. However, just a few months ago we lost one of the most iconic and genuine activists, Cecilia Gentili.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I am working in partnership with Equality New York’s amazing Law & Policy Counsel Jared Trujillo to launch a Child Welfare & System Involved LGBTQ+ Youth Project. As someone who aged out of foster care, I know the importance of creating policies that are led by those who currently are and have experienced the system. I can’t wait to engage young people in the policy-making process.

Valerie drives network growth and expansion, guides client service best practices and supports organizational culture for Orchestra partners. In her role as principal and co-founder at BerlinRosen, Valerie provides strategy and communications counsel across the firm’s practice areas, advising leaders, companies and organizations on high-risk matters and developing integrated campaigns.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
As of April 2024, nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across the country. I am immensely proud of our team’s efforts supporting the critical work of organizations such as GLAAD, Fairness Campaign (Kentucky), Georgia Equality, Equality Ohio, Equality Texas, Equality Florida and the Whitman-Walker Institute, which are leading the efforts to stop these bills and helping advance rights for our community across the nation.

Troy Blackwell is a public relations executive who has held positions in the Biden-Harris administration at the Selective Service System, Department of Homeland Security, and Peace Corps. Under his leadership, Peace Corps launched its marketing campaign ‘Bold Invitation’ which generated more than 1 billion ad impressions, 105+ million video views, and more than $10 million in PSA donated media. Troy is also chairman of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus and Youth Pride Chorus.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self that I will face many defeats in life, but never to let myself be defeated. Life is a zig-zag with many highs and lows, but there is a higher power guiding and supporting me each step of the way.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
I am deeply inspired by Bayard Rustin, and I am pleased to see that his story is finally receiving the recognition it deserves. Mr. Rustin was a highly effective organizer during the civil rights movement, playing a pivotal role at the intersection of racial justice and LGBTQ equality. Notably, he served as the principal organizer of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
As someone who is committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, New York policymakers can publicly fight the criminalization of trans lives, advocate for state recognition of LQBTQ identities, and advance protections for LGBTQ people in the workplace, education, and housing.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
As chairman of the Youth Pride Chorus, I want to share the news about our programming that supports vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth across New York City. YPC is made up of LGBTQ and straight young people ages 13-22 and is one of only a few LGBTQ youth choruses of its kind in the world. These young people are using music to fight against homophobia, bullying, and other forms of hatred.

Erik Bottcher is a dedicated public servant and activist who has devoted his life to progressive causes and to the betterment of the community he loves. Since taking office in January of 2022, Erik has established a citywide reputation as one of the most active members of the New York City Council and a leader on critical issues such as addressing our city’s sanitation crisis and the crisis of serious mental illness.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
Start going to the gym now because if you don’t go until your 30s you’ll never get a six pack! But in all seriousness; love yourself and know that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
Freddie Mercury

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
Every issue is an LGBTQ+ issue. Our community is disproportionately affected with respect to health care, housing, poverty, and many other issues. We need to address all of these issues with urgency with an eye toward helping those who are the most vulnerable.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
The housing crisis presents an existential threat to New York City. People are being priced out of nearly every neighborhood because of the severe housing shortage. For example, Hell’s Kitchen is in danger of losing its queer identity unless New York City starts producing housing to stabilize rents. This is my top priority.

Leila currently oversees the City’s housing agenda and four housing agencies from City Hall, while supporting signature initiatives like the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. She previously served as a commissioner on the City Planning Commission, as deputy commissioner at the NYC Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development, and as a chief of strategy and policy at NYC Kids RISE. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan and a Master of City Planning from MIT.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
I would likely advise myself to keep exploring different interests and curiosities and to be open to different paths and possibilities in life without the fear of disappointing others. I’d also remind myself that, for better or worse, everything in life can change in a day; and as the great Jack Dawson once said while dining on the greatest ship in the world: to make each day count!

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
I admire the way Megan Rapinoe uses her platform to highlight issues of racial injustice in our country, and I also really adore and appreciate the writing and storytelling of author Thomas Page McBee.  Mostly, I look up to the strength and resiliency of members of our community who had to find ways to live and love and survive through incredibly difficult times in the not-so-distant past like the Lavender Scare and the AIDS crisis.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
I hope New York policymakers stay vigilant in supporting and protecting trans and nonbinary kids. We need to let kids be kids and do everything in our power to protect them. Recently members of a Community Education Council in District 2 tried to advance hateful policies towards trans students, and I was moved by the way so many electeds came out to support the kids and their families during town halls.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
I’m excited about an initiative called the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity – a zoning text amendment designed to enable a little more housing to be built in every neighborhood. We remain in a severe housing shortage, which has exacerbated our affordability crisis, and the development that has occurred is distributed unequally. The proposal has just entered our land use process, and we need the majority of the City Council to vote YES.

Until becoming the first openly gay person of color to serve in New York’s legislature, Senator Brisport was a math teacher at a public middle school in Brooklyn. He initially got involved in political activism through fighting to legalize same-sex marriage, and through organizing rallies and protests in the early Black Lives Matter movement. Now the chair of the Committee on Children and Families, he’s fought particularly hard for queer, homeless, and foster youth.  

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
When you’re trying to make a change in the world, it takes a lot of losing before you win. The losses are always crushing, but part of the work is allowing yourself to feel that pain and keep going. There were moments in our fight for same-sex marriage when I felt hopeless; when I find myself in that place again, I remember not just that we won, but that losing is a part of eventually winning. Trust the process.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
Rabbi Abby Stein – community organizer and author of Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman – is an incredible force for kindness, respect, and justice. She’s a dedicated advocate for Palestinian rights and is a founding member and organizer with Rabbis for Ceasefire. She’s also done important work in bringing queer people of all different faith backgrounds together and in fighting to protect abortion rights.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
We can treat all basic human needs as civil rights. Putting people at the mercy of overpowered bosses, banks, and landlords is harmful to all working-class people and it makes LGBTQ+ people especially vulnerable. This power imbalance is not inevitable – it is a policy choice. 

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
Unlike almost everywhere else in America, landlords in NY can force new tenants to pay broker’s fees – which are often thousands of dollars and can easily be the difference between someone getting an apartment or being unhoused. Especially given how disproportionately the housing crisis impacts LGBTQ+ people, ending this practice would be huge for many people in our community. That’s why I carry a bill to Ban Broker’s Fees (more info: bit.ly/BANFEES ).

A Queens native, Tiffany spent years as a public defender fighting the brutal system of mass incarceration before running for office. In 2019, she lost a long-shot race for Queens DA by just 55 votes, and two years later became the City Council Member representing District 22, including Astoria, Rikers Island, and parts of Jackson Heights, Woodside, and East Elmhurst.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be?
If it saves lives, it’s worth doing.

Is there an LGBTQ+ icon or member of the community that you look up to?
This year, we lost my very dear friend, the legendary pathbreaker Cecilia Gentili. She was a fearless leader, a trans icon, an author, an actress, a pioneering advocate for the dignity and freedom of sex workers, and so much more. She was a vital pillar in a hyperlocal community of Jackson Heights trans Latina sex workers. She played a critical leadership role across the borough, the city, the state, the country, and indeed the world.

What can New York policymakers do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community?
Support the aims of The Marsha & Sylvia Plan, which the Council LGBTQIA+ Caucus released last year, detailing a comprehensive policy vision for queer liberation in New York.

Is there anything you are working on that you wish more people knew about?
Fighting for investments in social housing as part of the “Homes Now, Homes for Generations” campaign, to address NYC’s worsening affordability crisis, which disproportionately impacts queer New Yorkers.