Looking for a nice lesbian-friendly city? You won't do badly in New York. In response to The Advocate's strange annual list of the nation's gayest cities (Salt Lake City? Okaaaay) the ladies of Autostraddle have gone and made a list of the "21 Most Lesbianish Cities" around the country and guess what? We're number two! more ›

Yesterday, the Post reported that Bronx Pride, the Bronx's biggest LGBT group, was moving into the Ruben Diaz Sr. Gardens building, a residential-commercial space funded by State Senator Diaz's non-profit and named after him. And given his extremely anti-gay marriage stance, the Post quoted a source who said that Diaz was "furious. It’s such a direct shot at him." But Diaz tells us that's not true—he actually feels "honored" and "blessed" to have the group in the building and is only furious that the Post reporter didn't include anything he told her! more ›

Bronx State Senator Ruben Diaz Jr. has not been shy about his crusade against gay marriage. In fact, he's done everything he can to stop gay marriage from passing in New York and tried to use his lesbian granddaughter as a prop in his anti-gay marriage rally. So we find it wonderfully fitting that the Bronx's largest gay rights group, Bronx Pride, is moving into new offices in a "building funded by, and named after, the city’s No. 1 gay-marriage opponent, state Sen. Ruben Diaz," according to the Post. more ›

On Monday night, the Ali Forney Center will host a rally in Union Square to draw attention to the thousands of homeless youth in New York. As the nation's largest LGBT youth homeless services center, the Ali Forney Center has been providing housing, meals, counseling, and primary medical care to some of New York's most vulnerable residents since June 2002. more ›

New York City is really getting gay these days. We've got the gays getting gay married all over the place, a gay "urban resort" in the works and now comes word that we'll soon be home to the nation's first LGBT senior center. Because gay people get old and want to complain about how nobody visits them to their gay friends, too! more ›

Cyndi Lauper's been relatively quiet these days (barring the occasional rent dispute), but it looks like she's been using that downtime to devote herself to a good cause: helping the city's homeless LGBT youth. Lauper is putting the finishing touches on the appropriately-named True Colors Residence, the first permanent, supportive housing facility for LGBT youth in New York State, set to open on West 154th St near Frederick Douglass Blvd on Sept 1. more ›

Poor Bert and Ernie. The internet will just not leave the two best friend/ roommates/ ambiguous sleepover pals alone—once again, the duo's sexuality is being questioned, as a new petition circulates calling for the two to tie the knot. Were the Avenue Q puppets not enough? more ›

A Sizzler restaurant in Forest Hills has been slapped with a discrimination lawsuit by Lambda Legal, which is representing a woman who was allegedly attacked by a manager while trying to dine with friends at "her favorite breakfast spot." Liza Friedlander was at the Sizzler with two friends back in September of last year when "what was supposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable brunch at Sizzler turned into a horrifying ordeal of discrimination, violence and degradation," according to her attorney Natalie Chin. Lambda Legal says it all started at the Sizzler breakfast buffet, from which nothing good can ever come: more ›

Pissed that we're in the midst of an unauthorized war in Libya? Upset that Guantanamo Bay is still open? Think that health care legislation last year was watered down? You can tell President Obama yourself at a series of fundraisers that he's holding in Manhattan on Thursday, but it won't be cheap. A dinner at four-star Upper East Side restaurant Daniel will cost you $35,800 a plate, while tickets to the LGBT Leadership Gala start at $1,250, but a performance of Sister Act to benefit the campaign with the president in attendance is a steal at $250 (you could also spring for the $10,000 VIP seats that include a photo). more ›

Shockingly, Pentecostal minister and State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., does not like the just-announced renewed push, aided by Governor Cuomo's office, for marriage equality in New York. So naturally, he put out a statement about it. For starters, the timing sucks: "I am deeply offended that during this Holy Week, which is a most sacred time to millions of New Yorkers, Governor Andrew Cuomo is working hard to mobilize elected officials to legalize homosexual marriage in New York." Well, the dude lives in sin, so what does Diaz expect? more ›

After previous attempts failed, the fight to bring marriage equality to New York may be back in Albany sooner rather than later. Word that this might happen has been swirling for awhile, bolstered by Governor Andrew Cuomo's public support of gay marriage, but now, with help from Cuomo's office, things are starting to get serious again. more ›

Last month, the Stonewall Democratic Club, the "oldest and largest citywide Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) Democratic organization," came out against Walmart, the retail giant who are trying to open their first NYC-based store in East New York. And now, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, a political action committee based in Washington, has joined in the anti-Walmart fervor: “With the expansion of Wal-Mart stores comes the expansion of antiquated employment policies that provide little to no protections for, and at times even hostility toward, their L.G.B.T. employees.” more ›

It's been more than four months since Dan Savage started his "It Gets Better" video project, in response to the bullying and suicide of several gay teens, including Rutgers student Tyler Clementi. And now, Mayor Bloomberg has made his own IGB video (which you can see below). Many have criticized Bloomberg for slashing funds for homeless LGBT youths, but the City Council announced today that they have figured out a way to restore $35 million to the street outreach program. more ›

As the 9/11 Health and Compensation act comes closer to cloture in the Senate, the deadly Ground Zero environment at the heart of the debate has reared its ugly head again. Retired Detective Kevin Czartoryski passed away on Sunday. Lung cancer, which he developed after working at ground zero, is the presumed cause of death. The detective, who worked in the Narcotics Division and in the Hate Crimes Task Force before moving to the press office after 9/11, gained distinction as a liaison between the NYPD and the city's LGBT community. He was 46. more ›

Back in June, Sesame Street resident Bert Twittered the following: "Ever notice how similar my hair is to Mr. T's The only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk.'" In this case, "mo" was read by some as slang for homosexual, and it seemed as though Bert finally came out; he has, after all, been sleeping next to (and sharing a tub with) Ernie for decades now. more ›

In the midst of several highly publicized suicides and attacks of gay men recently, as well as a "die-in" at Grand Central on Friday, a tipster sent in this account of the Yankees/Twins playoff game from last night, "As a Midwest native showing up to the game in my Twins regalia, I expected to be picked on. I expected to be heckled. What I did not expect was to hear homophobic and anti-gay cheers sung by the crowd... " more ›

Several hundred LGBT NYers crowded into the main concourse at Grand Central yesterday evening and lay down for, “Flash Mob: Homophobia Kills Die-In.” The protesters, who unfurled a giant yellow banner reading, END HOMO/ TRANSPHOBIC APARTHEID IN AMERICA,”, disrupted foot traffic in the terminal in the midst of rush hour, while organizers read the names of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of murder or of suicide prompted by bullying and violence. more ›

The suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi has LGBT activists and other officials calling for bias crime charges. Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei have been charged with invasion of privacy after allegedly broadcasting a sexual encounter between Clementi and another man on iChat and then advertising plans to do it a second time, but some believe the internet voyeurism is an example of anti-gay bullying. Jean-Marie Navetta of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays told AP, "To this poor kid, it's better to be dead than to have people know he's gay. Therein lies the real tragedy here." Ellen DeGeneres also spoke out on her show: more ›

On Sunday we were invited to ride along with the boys on W's Gay Pride Parade float—here are some photos that Dan Lurie took for us while marching along with them. (And even more photos of the event from readers!) This year's Grand Marshals were Constance McMillen, the Mississippi teen banished from her school's prom for being a lesbian; Lt. Dan Choi, an openly gay National Guardsman; and Judy Shepard, mother of hate crime victim Matthew Shepard. They were all joined by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Gov. David Paterson, along with thousands of others. more ›

In a 53-3 vote last night, the state Senate passed the Dignity for All Students Act, which prohibits harassment in school based on "actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex." more ›

A cross-dressing teen from Cape May, NJ was told by his principal that wearing a dress to his prom would "violate the school's dress code." Derrek Lutz had previously told WCBS, "What makes me a woman is inside and it doesn't really matter what's on the outside. And everyone should really just be treated equally," and planned to be at prom no matter what. And after being backed by over 600 signatures on a petition started by his friends, Lutz was able to attend in a dress with a female date, and was even crowned Prom King! more ›

Yesterday staff at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in Manhattan were greeted by a burned rainbow flag hanging outside as they arrived at work. The NYC Anti-Violence Project (AVP) tells us the NYPD were contacted immediately and their Hate Crimes unit is now handling the investigation, with help from the AVP. more ›

This year will be the first time the Census will report on the number of gay couples in the country: a huge step for LGBT activists. However, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wants to take that recognition a step further. Though the Census will report on gay couples, it will not count single gays and lesbians as such. NGLTF Policy Director Jaime Grant told the Daily News, "I thought, this is going to ring so hollow to our community. Many of us are not married. Many of us are not partnered." more ›

Get ready an explosion of color and pride and with today's annual NYC LGBT Gay Pride Parade. The parade-march starts at noon, at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street; the parade makes its way down Fifth, swings right onto West 8th Street and ends on Christopher Street, with grand marshals Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, Harvey Milk's campaign workers and LGBT activists Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg, and Governor David Paterson. Besides the parade, there's the Pridefest on Hudson St. between Abingdon Sq. & West 14th St. (between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.) and Pier Dance at Pier 54 (Hudson River & 13th Street; tickets are $70). Overall, expect lots of revelry in the West Village, even if they're not on the fire escapes this year! If you're headed to the parade, you can share your photos with us by tagging them "gothamist" on Flickr or emailing them to tips(at)gothamist(dot)com . more ›

This Sunday is the annual LGBT Gay Pride March, which starts on Fifth Avenue at 52nd Street and then makes its way down Fifth, swings right onto West 8th Street and ends on Christopher Street. Reader Sacha Lecca let us know that on Wednesday night, signs were posted on all the apartment buildings on Christopher Street. The NYPD "recommended that viewing of this weekend's Heritage of Pride Parade not be done from fire escapes," due to safety—given concern over the structural integrity of the fire escapes and the possible harm to not only people on them but people below. more ›

The 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots (as they have come to be known) is coming up on June 28th, as the city celebrates the LGBT community. Now a website called Out History has published the police records from that historic event, tracing the riots to the initial incident which brought police to the Stonewall Inn. (They also make note of the Village Voice's "Contemptuous Attitude Toward the Gay Community" at the time.) more ›

Crystal Tompkins (right) and her wife Lindsey Evans (left) have combined their talents as writer and illustrator to create a children's book about same-sex marriages. Oh The Things Mommies Do! What Could Be Better Than Having Two? is aimed towards young children growing up with two moms—something the couple created after realizing the lack of children's books covering the subject of LGBT families. It will hit bookshelves later this month, and Tompkins recently told us a little bit about it. more ›

Citing the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, city officials are hoping to make NYC's gay history and culture a compelling reason for gay tourists to visit the Big Apple: Today they launched a new $1.9 million marketing campaign, "Rainbow Pilgrimage," hoping to make visiting NYC seem like a "a ‘rite of passage’ for the gay and lesbian traveler," according to City Room. The city's tourism marketing website now has a gay section, nycgo.com/gay which offers suggestions on things to do and a list of gay landmarks. University of Illinois at Chicago professor of history and gender and women's studies John D'Emilio remarked to CityRoom, "Forty-plus years ago, a newspaper like The New York Times had front-page articles alerting the city to the growing problem of ‘overt homosexuality.' Within living memory, something has been turned around. People who were seen as an unwelcome presence are now encouraged to arrive." Here's a Stonewall riots podcast from the Bowery Boys. more ›

Last month, New York City kicked off a big global advertising campaign to attract more tourists to the Big Apple. The ads appear in a number of venues, and the Post notes that media space has been bought in Out magazine and on the LOGO network, as well as LGBT websites. A Bloomberg administration official explains that gay and lesbians have more disposable income, as they are usually dual-income without kids, "What we're saying... more ›