2019

"STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association Day" in Brooklyn!

"Whereas... Brooklyn joins together on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion and the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association, to honor and recognize this organization for the outstanding contributions it has made in our communities, and, whereas, on behalf of all Brooklynites, I salute the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association, which is comprised of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Straight patrons from the original Stonewall Club in New York City who encountered routine and dangerous New York City Police Department raids and/or participants in the historic 1969 Stonewall Rebellion for Gay rights, deemed to be heroes of the G.L.B.T. communities;....... Now, therefore, I, Eric L. Adams, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, do hereby confer this Citation on STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association 50th Anniversary Day in Brooklyn, USA, this 18th day of June 2019."

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Dinner Meetings: Planning for G.L.B.T. Pride sponsored by the Brooklyn Borough President

This year 2019 marks the historic 50th anniversary of the 1969 G.L.B.T. Stonewall Rebellion right here in New York City -- and the strong Brooklyn connections to those week-long events. Prior NYCPD captain, former New York State senator and current six-year Brooklyn Borough President ("BK-B/P") Eric L. Adams("E.L.A.") has promised a super special 50th anniversary celebration in Brooklyn! Towards that end, starting in January, E.L.A. has agreed to having a monthly G.L.B.T. advisory council to the BK-B/P with the meetings held at Brooklyn Boro Hall. Said sessions, consisting of representatives from several G.L.B.T. groups, such as the STONEWALL Veterans' Association, would discuss and plan for "Stonewall 50" at Brooklyn Borough Hall! Also related, Brooklyn history-wise, is former Brooklyn N.Y.C. Councilman James E. "Jed" Davis who was a proud, active and very supportive honorary member of the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association! He and Eric Adams shared service in the New Yok City Police Department besides their Central Brooklyn public service. No public official is more in the honest, outgoing and successful image of Jed than Eric Adams!

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B/P Eric Adams is Guest Speaker at STONEWALL Veterans' Association

Eric L. Adams, as Brooklyn Borough President ("BK-B/P"), was the honored guest speaker of the legendary STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association at its monthly meeting on Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 5 p.m. Meeting was co-chaired by the dynamic down-low duo of Willson Henderson and AnDre Christie. The other Gay groups that had representatives at this up-front and personal sit-down with Mr. Adams were the G.L.B.T. Political Coalition and the PRIDE Democrats of New York City, whose president Steven Gradman and treasurer Sanjay Petersen live in Brooklyn. Coincidentally, at this same meeting were two candidates from Brooklyn, attorney Jared M. Rich, Esq., and community activist A. Tony Herbert, both running for New York City Public Advocate in a special election after this weekend. Originally, and ironically, the S.V.A. knows the latter through former NYC Councilman Jed Davis. This monthly meeting venue was the Manhattan G.L.B.T. Community Centre in Greenwich Village, NY.

Brooklyn B/P Eric Adams Hosts NYC Public Advocate Candidates' Forum

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams hosts an important forum for the City of New York! The citywide public advocate of New York City succeeds the mayor if a vacancy occurs for whatever reason. Confirmed candidates tonight for Public Advocate include: Jumaane D. Williams, current NYC councilman, Jared M. Rich, Esq., community activist Anthony 'Tony' Herbert, and NYC Councilman Adrian Espinal, Jr., all from Brooklyn, in addition to Dawn Smalls, Esq., formerly worked for presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and Benjamin 'Ben' Yee, both from Manhattan, and NYS Assemblyman Michael Blake from The Bronx. Eric Ulrich, a NYC councilman from Queens, is the only Republican public advocate candidate. There are no candidates from Staten Island. Representing the STONEWALL Veterans' Association is Willson Henderson and Ramon Bellido. On behalf of PRIDE Democrats is Mendy Seltza and Sam Weiss. This NYC Public Advocate forum was on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 @ 6 p.m. at Medgar Evers College on Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. In New York City, there is currently a vacancy in the citywide Public Advocate position. The special election is at the end of this month.

2018

Brooklyn's Borough President Adams Hosts G.L.B.T. Conference

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Lee Adams ("Bk-B/P") personally hosts a conference for the intended reunification and refocusing of G.L.B.T. organizations that are wholly or serving Brooklyn. Purposes include discussions of various issues with the groups as well as initial planning for the monumental "Stonewall 50" in Brooklyn next June! A winning majority of the invited groups participated namely the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association (S.V.A.) appeared via Willson Henderson (born in Brooklyn) and Ramon Bellido (attends a weekly support facility in Brooklyn), the GLBTS Political Coalition represented by Rogers A. Hunt (lives and works in Brooklyn for decades), the Brooklyn LGBT Center covered by assistant director Jere Keys (also lives in Brooklyn), and the PRIDE Democrats of New York City represented by Steven L. Gradman (lives in Brooklyn and a former co-chair of Brooklyn LGBT Pride). The S.V.A. has led about a dozen Brooklyn Gay Pride parades with the famous 1969 convertible "Stonewall Car". The S.V.A. has also been a Brooklyn Pride Parade grand marshal! The productive and needed meeting was held in the grand conference room.

In a disharmonious maneuver for the G.L.B.T. community, three of the organizations did a 'no show'. That's not unity. Imagine if one of the Germanys failed to show? Or one of the Viet Nams? That's not unity! Even the Koreas are incredibly on the path to reunifucation! This is proof of the fractured G.L.B.T. community in Brooklyn. The task of reunifying Gay groups in Brooklyn proved more daunting than the reunification of the two Germanys or the two Viet Nams!! However, as a Bk-B/P staffer pointed out, this is just the first meeting. Brooklyn Borough President Adams readily endorsed the proposal to have a Brooklyn Borough President G.L.B.T. Advisory Council as was done in all but one of the NYC boroughs. It will discuss and plan for GT.L.B.T. Pride Month. It will meet monthly through May 2019 in the Borough Hall classic conference room. In June is the Brooklyn B/P's annual G.L.B.T. commemoration at Brooklyn Borough Hall!

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams 2018 Letter of Appreciation to the S.V.A.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams's letter of praise to the S.V.A.
commending its history and services to the G.L.B.T. communities and beyond

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams Speaking at Brooklyn Gay Parade

Happy Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams with Proud Pride Mike

Happy Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams with Proud Pride Mike
[Photo courtesy of New York Gay City News]

STONEWALL Veterans Meeting with Brooklyn B/P Adams at Brooklyn Borough Hall

The meeting of the STONEWALL Veterans' Association with the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams happened on Monday, September 17, 2018. The agenda was wide-ranging from the various Stonewall veterans who live in Brooklyn such as Bill Salzman, Ruthybird Campbell and Keith Lonesome and the SVA's interest in opening an auxiliary office in Brooklyn to the "STONEWALL-50" celebrations next June! The S.V.A. was represented by Willson Henderson (born in Brooklyn), Ramon Bellido (from Harlem but in Brooklyn regularly) and AnDre Christie (previously lived in Brooklyn). Mr. Adams hosted the productive and interesting meeting in the Brooklyn Borough Hall's fabled, lengthy and grand conference room!

Eric L. Adams, the Brooklyn Borough Prez, Hosts G.L.B.T. Pride at BK Boro Hall

Brooklyn G.L.B.T. Pride Month Celebration poster for 2018

2016

Brooklyn Borough President Adams's Annual G.L.B.T. Pride Celebration

Eric L. Adams, Brooklyn Borough President, hosts annual G.L.B.T. Pride at Borough Hall

2014

Bklyn. Boro Prez Eric Adams Raises G.L.B.T. Rainbow Flag at Brooklyn Borough Hall

BROOKLYN, NY, June 9, 2014: Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams hosted board members from Brooklyn Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (G.L.B.T.) Pride in the rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall to proclaim the week of June 9 to 14th, 2014 as “Brooklyn Pride Celebration Week”. The event featured the raising of the G.L.B.T. rainbow flag inside of the building; the flag itself will be openly displayed atop Brooklyn Borough Hall for the duration of the week. B/P Adams was impressively also joined by war veterans Jeff Malone, a U.S. Army Specialist who performed the presentation of colors, and Taylor Anderson of the U.S. Air Force, who sang the American national anthem.

“The rainbow flag will be above the entire building for the entire city and state to see that Brooklyn Borough Hall is proud to have a large GLBT population”, said Borough President Adams, who will serve as one of the grand marshals in this year’s "Twilight Pride Parade" in Brooklyn. “It sends a very clear and loud message on how important it is for us as One Brooklyn. This is what America is about, continuing to move the conversation forward. And no one, no place, does it better than the Borough of Brooklyn.”

“As someone who worked here before as an GLBT liaison, it gives me such pleasure to witness today’s flag raising”, said openly-Gay Council Member Carlos Menchaca, a former staff member at the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and also one of this year’s grand marshals. “This flag speaks to One Brooklyn. It speaks to a Brooklyn for everyone.”

Brooklyn G.L.B.T. Pride’s 18^th Annual Pride celebration, “Coming of Age”, celebrates the innumerable cultures, races and ethnicities that congregate and define Brooklyn. It has grown to become the largest and most prominent organization serving Brooklyn’s G.L.B.T. community. Although Brooklyn Pride’s primary mission is to produce the borough’s annual Pride events, the organization actively works to bring pride year round to every Brooklyn neighborhood.

Handsome Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams speaks at start of Brooklyn Pride Week at Brooklyn Boro Hall.
[Photo Credit: Kathryn Kirk, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President]

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams joins members of Brooklyn Pride and other Gay organizations serving Brooklyn’s G.L.B.T. community, including the Ali Forney Center, the Brooklyn Community GLBT Pride Center, the Circle of Voices, Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD), the GRIOT Circle, and the Hetrick-Martin Institute home of the Gay High School, at his kick-off of Brooklyn G.L.B.T. Pride Week at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
[Photo Credit: Kathryn Kirk, Brooklyn B/P’s Office]

Gay Pride Note: Conspicuously and inexplicably absent was the STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association (S.V.A.), whose members largely "ignited the modern G.L.B.T. rights movement"! Ironically, the SVA's founder and director was born in Brooklyn and he has lived in New York City for six-plus decades! For about a dozen years, the S.V.A. with the famous blue 1969 convertible filled with veterans of the landmark STONEWALL Bar & Dance Club on Christopher Street in Manhattan generously and proudly led the nighttime Brooklyn Gay Pride Parade!