JUNE 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 83
Stonewall 50/ WorldPride: The Biggest Celebration Ever
Gay City News covers all angles in commemorating half-century of LGBTQ progress
21
BY CAROL HEADLEY
When Gay City News
was founded in
2002, New York
State did not yet
have a gay rights law and samesex
couples could not get married
anywhere in America. In fact,
almost a third of the states still
outlawed sexual conduct by gay
people, which made criminals of
LGBTQ community members.
Seventeen years later, the community
— here in the US and worldwide
— has made huge strides.
Same-sex couples can now marry
legally in almost three dozen
countries and major international
organizations, such as the United
Nations, make LGBTQ rights a
critical focus of their work.
At every step along the way,
the editors and reporters at Gay
City News have been there, telling
the community’s stories from
on the ground. The newspaper
broke the news in 2006 that then-
Senator Hillary Clinton said she
had “evolved” and would support
New York State adopting marriage
equality. When Andrew Cuomo
signed marriage equality into law
in 2011, he gave his fi rst two interviews
to Maureen Dowd at the
New York Times and Gay City
News’ founding editor-in-chief
Paul Schindler.
2019 is a defi ning moment in the
history of the LGBTQ community
— nowhere more than here in New
York City. It was June 28, 1969
when patrons of the Stonewall Inn
in Greenwich Village fought back
against a police raid, the sort of
harassment typical of that era.
After several nights of disorder, a
new community had been born.
The events of that week became
the cornerstone of the modern gay
rights movement. A community of
millions, most of whom had lived
their lives quietly, often in secret
and in fear, became visible and politically
engaged.
The world would never be the
same.
As New York marks the 50th
anniversary of Stonewall, the city
plays host as well to WorldPride,
an event that with an opening and
closing ceremony, a human rights
conference, and dozens of other
events planned, will draw an estimated
four million out-of-town
tourists. Gay City News’ Pride issue,
which hits the streets on
June 27, is the must-have resource
guide to the events of Pride Weekend,
which will also, of course,
include the annual LGBTQ Pride
March, on June 30, along with another
human rights march earlier
the same day.
As it has been for almost two decades,
Gay City News will be indispensible
to coverage of Stonewall
50 and WorldPride events. In recognition
of the key role the newspaper
plays in the community, the
city’s largest LGBTQ political club,
the Stonewall Democrats, honored
Gay City News with a special
award at its Pride Kick-Off Gala on
May 23. City & State New York is
honoring editor Schindler as one
of the Pride Power 100 in its June
24 issue; in 2010, the newspaper
also honored him, as one of the
Power Matrix 13 Power Players in
the community.
Ben Smith, editor-in-chief of
Buzzfeed.com, writing of the newspaper’s
infl uence, said, “Gay City
New editor Paul Schindler’s always
strong opinions make the paper
kind of a must-read even outside
the community.”
“The 50th anniversary of Stonewall
and WorldPride provide a moment
to refl ect on and celebrate
the huge strides the LGBTQ community
has made,” Schindler said.
“And looking at the work that remains
to be done reminds all of
us at Gay City News of the crucial
mission we continue to have.”
To be part of the June 27 Stonewall
50/ WorldPride edition of Gay
City News, contact Ralph D’Onofrio
at 718-260-2510 or rdonofrio@
schnepsmedia.com .
DONNA ACETO
Gay City News editor-in-chief Paul Schindler accepts
an award on the newspaper’s behalf from
the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City
at its May 23 Pride Kick-Off Gala.
DONNA ACETO
The massive rainbow on Fifth Avenue for the annual LGBTQ Pride March.
MICHAEL SHIREY
Gay City News’ new logo being introduced in its
June 20 issue.
NYCPRIDE.ORG
The offi cial logo for Stonewall 50/ WorldPride.
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