Astorino Addresses LGBT Community at Yearly Meeting
Speaking at the annual Town Hall Meeting of the Westchester County LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Advisory Board last Wednesday, Co-Chair Larry Kressley took a moment to look back at some of the victories the LGBT community has seen since the board met last May.
“Marriage equality has finally come to the state of New York. We’ve seen the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Kressley said, receiving applause from a crowd of about three dozen at The LOFT in White Plains. “We never thought we’d live to see this; we actually have a president who supports marriage equality.”
But while many of the high-profile successes have happened on a national or state-wide level, the board spent most of its meeting focused on progress within Westchester County, with Ossining Mayor William Hanauer among those honored. According to Kressley, Hanauer became the first openly gay mayor in the county’s history after he was elected in 2006.
“It means we’re right, it doesn’t matter,” Hanauer said on being elected. “My whole campaign was about taxes and economic development and the human aspect of our very diverse and very wonderful community. I won by a landslide.”
Hanauer said early in his political career, his opponents tried to use his sexuality against him.
“It backfired on both of them,” said Hanauer, now running for his fourth term.
County Executive Rob Astorino gave remarks and answered questions, touting the relationship between his administration and the LGBT community.
“Though clearly we might differ on some issues, first and foremost, what is important to me is that we have a relationship, we have a friendship that is grounded in respect for one another, and I think that’s where it’s been since day one,” Astorino said. “There are a lot of things that we do agree on, and there are a lot of areas that we can work together.”
He added jokingly, “What I really want to thank you for is you never ask for money. We don’t have it.”
Kressley said Astorino, a Republican, has been supportive of the board’s work and praised the county for including a section on LGBT issues on its website.
“Anyone who has watched the presidential primary debates or has followed the political discourse in the past year knows the risk that any public official in the county executive’s party takes by showing any support for our community,” Kressley said.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which moved its headquarters from White Plains to Stamford, Conn. this year, was given the board’s corporate award after the Human Rights Campaign named it one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” The small business award was given to the B Lounge in Valhalla, the only gay bar in Westchester, while My Sisters’ Place, dedicated to preventing domestic violence, was given the award for non-profits.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
