NY Journal News

Rockland gay pride celebrated

By SUZAN CLARKE
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 14, 2004)

NYACK — Advocates, activists, friends and family members of Rockland's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered residents gathered yesterday in the village to celebrate the culmination of Rockland Gay Pride 2004 and to urge persistence in the fight for equality without exception.

"I am heterosexual and I'm totally in favor of the rights that gays deserve in this society like all the rest of us," said Nancy Gunderson, a Nyack resident who was among the hundreds who attended the event.

While an outdoor fair and children's carnival was under way, about 200 people were inside the Nyack Center, where representatives of the Volunteer Counseling Service's Community Change Project, clergy and elected officials pledged their support of equal rights for the county's LGBT community.

Phyllis Frank, director of the Volunteer Counseling Service, which organized the sixth annual event, thanked the many elected officials who attended the festival. The event began June 6.

Other local officials included Nyack Mayor John Shields, who received cheers and applause when he spoke. Shields and his partner, Bob Streams, are among the "Nyack 10," couples who are suing the state and the Orangetown town clerk over the denial of same-sex marriage licenses.

A thunderous standing ovation met New Paltz Mayor Jason West when he took the stage to discuss performing same-sex marriages and the criminal charges filed against him by the Ulster County District Attorney's Office.

When he told the forum that a New Paltz Town Court justice dropped the charges against him on Thursday, people renewed their applause.

He discussed facing lawsuits by the Rev. Jerry Falwell and New Paltz village board member Robert Hebel.

He added that a recent court action sought to have him removed from office.

"New Paltz, New York, is unique in the struggle for two reasons," West said, because gay couples continued to be married in his village and it was only in his village that people were criminally prosecuted for marrying gays.

West was joined on stage by New Paltz Deputy Mayor Rebecca Rotzler and Billiam van Roestenberg, whose February marriage to Jeffrey McGowan was the first same-sex ceremony performed by West in New Paltz.

Van Roestenberg said yesterday's event, while demonstrating gains by the gay community, also showed that there was much work still to be done.

"Today is ... quite a beautiful day. It just shows that, eventually, democracy shines through," van Roestenberg said.

While Toshi Reagon and Big Lovely performed inside the center, many browsed the wares displayed by vendors along Depew Avenue or observed the children's activities, which included games and body painting.

Trang Powell of Nyack saw the signs posted in the village and brought her children.

While Powell's 1-year-old daughter, Jade, lounged in her stroller, 4-year-old Alex, her son, prepared for yet another trip down the large inflatable slide.

"We've been here for, like, three hours. He's not tired yet," Powell said. She added that she was pleased by the overall tone of the event.

"It's very family-oriented," Powell. She said she initially did not know what to expect from the gay pride celebration. "You know, they're just regular people. I think it's great and I have no problem with it. It's just regular folks."

That was the mantra of many yesterday, including Joseph Coe of Pomona.

Coe, a 19-year old student at SUNY Albany, is openly gay. He founded a chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance club when he was a student at North Rockland High School.

He walked along Depew Avenue, distributing buttons and stickers that urged support of gay rights. He said it was vital that people — particularly minority groups who face various forms of discrimination — become more involved in choosing their leaders.

A recent push for a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman had many discussing political action.

"What I'm specifically trying to do is get young people to go out to vote under the premise of basically anyone but Bush," Coe said.

Send e-mail to Suzan Clarke