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A
GREAT DAY TO BE A DEMOCRAT!
Lesbian and Gay Dems Gather for Food, Fun,
and Fundraising at R.S. Jones!
by Jed Ryan
 The
Nassau County Lesbian and Gay Democrats, or Gay Dems for short,
are a group of dedicated individuals working within the Democratic
Party to insure that the voice of our community-- Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered individuals-- is heard. Since
the group was founded in September 1999, they have been largely
responsible for many of the gains which have benefited the
GLBT community of Nassau County. The Nassau County Lesbian
and Gay Democrats are officially recognized by the Nassau
Democratic County Committee. The initial goal of the Gay Dems
was focused on legislation banning discrimination. After a
bill that was introduced to the Nassau County Legislature
in October 1999 was allowed to languish by the Republican
majority, the election one month later changed the legislative
majority to Democratic, and brought a renewed opportunity
for the bill to pass.
Soon after that, the Nassau County Lesbian and Gay Democrats
joined with the Empire
State Pride Agenda, a statewide gay rights group, to form
the Nassau Coalition for Human Rights. The groups united their
talents and dedication with the goal of passing legislation
to ban discrimination against our community in Nassau County.
In 2000, the hard work of many individuals across party lines
was rewarded with the introduction, and subsequent passage,
of the bill to amend the Nassau County Human Rights law to
include sexual orientation. The vote was unanimous! William
J. Borman, Esq., ("Bill" to his friends) is Chair of the Gay
Dems. He was one of about 70 people-- a mixture of Lesbian
and Gay Democrats and their supporters-- who gathered for
food, fun, and fundraising at RS (Rattlesnake) Jones
Restaurant in Merrick on Sunday, April 21st at noon.
At this Third Annual fundraiser for the Gay Dems, talented
(and very easy on the eyes!) Mike Bonti provided live
musical
entertainment as the ladies from RS Jones made everyone feel
at home with their good old-fashioned, homestyle Southwestern
food. As anyone who's been to RS Jones knows, the cuisine
is absolutely sinful-- certainly enough of an incentive
to
get out of bed and look your best for Sunday brunch. We were
treated to a diverse buffet which included scrambled
eggs
and bacon, Texas toast, pumpkin soup, salmon rolls, R.S.
Jones' famous Smashed Potatoes and Smothered Pork Chops,
and bread
pudding and apple crisp for dessert. In case you didn't guess
already, this was NOT a day to start your diet!
And the atmosphere of the restaurant-- wow! RS Jones
boasts a
style and decor unlike any other restaurant in Nassau County.
In addition to enjoying the food, this was a great
chance
to network: many movers and shakers of our community were
present, including Dorothy Jacobs; Barry
Jones and Jim Coppola of Gay
and Lesbian Foundation of Long Island (GALFOLI);
David Kilmnick, Executive Director of Long
Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY); Louis
Trapani,
Publisher/Editor of LICKtheWeb.com
(Long Island Community Konnection); Walter
Ratuchny of Community
House of Long Island (CHOLI); and Stephen
Sebor and Stuart
Friedman of the Empire
State Pride Agenda. Both Louis Trapani and Steven Sebor
will be honored at this year's Dock
of the Bay Summer Party. Linda Lane Weber, a member
of N.O.W. and a regular at the GLBT Network meetings,
was also
present.
 Of
course, amidst the food and the company, we couldn't forget
that this was, after all, a fundraiser with a purpose. Over
$300 in ticket sales was raised. Two lucky winners walked
away with prizes. One got a basket of goodies which included
two tickets to the 2002 Dock
of the Bay Summer Party (I'm jealous!), and another won
a haircut at Hair After salon in Bellmore. Who presented the
prizes? None other than the guests of honor that early afternoon:
Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) and New
York State Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli (D-Thomaston). Both
Ms. Jacobs and Mr. DiNapoli have been two of the most loyal
supporters of our community. Ms. Jacobs was absolutely graceful
and charming, and the charismatic Mr. DiNapoli showed his
sense of humor when he praised Bill Borman, the Gay Dems'
front man: "Bill says that he takes on too many roles, but
he never turns anything down!" Bill, of course, denied that
he does it all by himself. Looking out in the audience, he
thanked everyone for supporting the Nassau County Lesbian
and Gay Democrats. Assemblyman DiNapoli continued to remind
us that any kind of social progress-- in this case, equality
for the GLBT community-- doesn't "just happen." Looking out
in the audience, he stated, "I recognize many of you, and
I know many of you through your phone calls and letters."
He reinforced that we must NEVER underestimate the
importance of letters to Albany and letters to our local legislators.
Need proof that these efforts don't make a difference? Mr.
DiNapoli mentioned the Dignity for All Students Act, which
passed in the Assembly and garnered support even by Republican
and Conservative lawmakers, who are generally not supportive
of our rights.
In addition to lobbying, the Gay Dems endorse and support
candidates for office. Their determination of whom to support
is based on an examination of the candidates' voting records,
interviews, and an expectation that they will take positions
reflective of the principles of the Democratic Party and the
the interests of the GLBT community. The Nassau County Lesbian
and Gay Democrats have now focused their attention to the
critical issue of domestic partnership for Nassau County employees.
Part of this includes working with towns and cities within
the County to accomplish the same benefit for their employees.
The Gay Dems meet monthly at Democratic Headquarters in Garden
City. For more information about membership or to offer financial
support, call the Gay Dems at (516) 294-3366 or check out
their
web site.
 Bill
Borman thanked everyone for attending the fundraiser that
afternoon. Thank us?! Oh, please-- with great food (Did I
mention RS Jones' famous "Georgia Peach" cocktail, free with
admission?), live music, a fun mix of people, and a great
cause, did he NEED to thank us for going? That afternoon,
it was the place to be, no matter what your sexual or political
orientation.
Nassau
County Lesbian and Gay Democrats
PO Box 334
Long Beach, NY 11561-0334
(516) 294-3366
E-mail: NCGayDems@aol.com
GayLI.tripod.com/NCGayDems
RS
Jones
153 Merrick Ave.
Merrick, NY 11566
(516) 378-7177
E-mail: RSJones@optonline.net
WickedGoodFood.com
Hair
After
1516 Bellmore Ave.
Bellmore, NY
(516) 785-2845
Also
see:
 AIDS
Care, Inc.: Little Charity, Big Heart
Photos
by Jed Ryan and Louis Trapani (c) 2002
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