NEW YORK: Empire State Pride Agenda Fires Executive Director Ross Levi

The Empire State Pride Agenda has let go its executive director, Ross Levi. Paul Schindler reports at Gay City News:

Barely eight months after New York State’s gay rights movement won its biggest victory ever, with the enactment of marriage equality, the Empire State Pride Agenda, the state’s LGBT lobby, has fired its executive director, Ross Levi. The action came in a March 5 conference call with members of the boards of the organization’s two arms –– the Empire State Pride Agenda, Inc., its lobbying and political action component, and the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, Inc., which does educational, organizing, and advocacy work on behalf of the LGBT community.

The two boards, which have some overlap, include nearly three-dozen members. According to two board members who deliberated on the call but wished to remain anonymous, the decision was broadly embraced by those participating on March 5. In a call with Gay City News, the group’s two board leaders –– Louis A. Bradbury and Marla Hassner –– confirmed Levi’s departure. He “will be stepping down” effective April 6, said Hassner, a co-chair of ESPA’s foundation and vice chair of the lobbying and political action arm. Asked how the phrase “stepping down” squared with the boards’ decision to terminate Levi’s employment, Hassner said, “The Pride Agenda does not comment on personnel matters.”

This morning the Pride Agenda released this statement:

“We greatly appreciate Ross's twelve years with the organization. He has been part of the Pride Agenda's major legislative victories, culminating in the momentous marriage win last year,” said Louis Bradbury, co-chair of the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation and chair of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “We wish Ross the very best in his future endeavors."

Ross declined to speak to Gay City News. Read their full report.