Presenting the 2021 Gay City
News Impact Award Honorees
TBy Matt Tracy he sixth annual Gay City
News Impact Awards
will be held virtually on
November 11 at 7 p.m., marking the
second straight year that we will
gather for an online celebration
recognizing exceptional LGBTQ
trailblazers and supportive allies
who have made a difference in our
community.
The virtual format of this year’s
event is intended to reduce risks
during the ongoing coronavirus
pandemic. Some of us have lost
loved ones, others have gotten
sick, and we have all felt the strain
of the crisis throughout our daily
lives since we were blindsided by
COVID-19 last year.
And yet, the perseverance of our
community through the dark days
of the pandemic reminds us of
the importance of bold leadership
in trying times. Our honorees are
representative of the determination
and courage we strive to see across
different fields: They include
activists, attorneys, designers,
doctors, and others who carry out
important work while living their
true, authentic lives in a world that
can be hostile to our community.
As we contend with the enduring
COVID-19 crisis, we are also
navigating a year of change for all
of us — including our team at Gay
City News. I stepped in as editorin
chief following the retirement
last year of Paul Schindler, our
founding editor. Thankfully, Paul
is joining us as host of the virtual
Impact Awards ceremony.
The year, however, has also been
a time of change on so many other
fronts across our city, our state,
and our nation. This year alone
has brought us a new president, a
new governor, and in January we
will have a new mayor and City
Council. It is up to all of us to make
sure our new leaders will deliver
for our community — including the
most marginalized LGBTQ people,
people of color, homeless youth,
seniors, and transgender and nonbinary
individuals — especially in
the face of deadly violence and
relentless legislative attacks.
Although we are gathering
virtually, we hosted an intimate
cocktail event for our honorees
on October 21 at the Ravel
Hotel in Long Island City, where
we have previously held our
Impact Awards gala. Some of the
honorees had an opportunity to
briefly introduce themselves at
that event, but folks will be able
to learn much more about them
during our broadcast.
We would like to thank our
presenting sponsor, MetroPlus
Health, for their longtime
dedication to our Impact Awards,
and we also appreciate the
generosity of our other sponsors:
TD Bank, Breed Evolutions Corp.,
Amida Care, Tusk Strategies, and
the East Midtown Partnership.
We invite you to register for our
live, interactive Impact Awards
broadcast at gcnimpact.com, which
will give attendees and honorees a
chance to cheer on through the
interactive chat function.
Please join us in celebrating our
distinguished honorees.
A Career Worth Celebrating
ABy Matt Tracy s part of this year’s Impact Awards,
Gay City News is recognizing
founding editor Paul Schindler
for his decades of service and dedication
to the LGBTQ community in New York
City and beyond.
Paul spent more than two
decades leading the city’s LGBTQ
news coverage, first with Gay
City News’ predecessor, Lesbian
and Gay New York (LGNY),
and then with Gay City News
until he retired at the end of
last year. He led by example
through his honest, sensitive, and
comprehensive news coverage.
Our community is constantly in
need of quality journalism to help
tell our stories of success and hardship,
to hold people accountable, and to be a
resource in an evolving world.
Paul made sure Gay City News told those
stories week in and week out because he knew
it was necessary to give our community
a voice. Rather than treating his work
like a job, he considered it to be his
contribution to our community.
At our Impact Awards cocktail
event on October 21, Paul received a
plaque from the Gay City News and
Schneps Media team to celebrate
his memorable career. The event
also featured a highlight reel
displaying countless snapshots
of Paul over the years. Our
wonderful photographer, Donna
Aceto, deserves credit for capturing
those historic moments.
The work of Gay City News today
would not be possible without
Paul’s devotion to journalism and our
community. We are proud to acknowledge
and appreciate his outstanding career.
Schneps Media CEO and co-publisher
Josh Schneps with Gay City News
founding editor Paul Schindler.
PHOTO: Donna Aceto
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