LaGuardia and Wagner Archives to Host Panel Marking the 40th Anniversary of the New York City Gay Rights Bill
Thursday, March 26, 6 p.m., LPAC Mainstage
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY (March 17, 2026) — On March 20, 1986, the City Council of New York voted 21–14 to pass the New York City Gay Rights Bill—landmark legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Mayor Edward I. Koch signed the bill into law on April 2, 1986, concluding a 15‑year legislative battle marked by sustained opposition from powerful institutions, including segments of the City Council, religious organizations, the NYPD, and the FDNY.
To commemorate the bill’s 40th anniversary, the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY will host a public program examining the legislation’s legacy and its continuing impact on civic life in New York City.
The event, Policing, Pews & Firehouse Politics: How the NYPD, FDNY & Catholic Church Have Evolved Since the Gay & Lesbian Rights Era, will take place Thursday, March 26, 6–7:30 p.m., in Mainstage Theater at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) (45-50 Van Dam Street, Long Island City, Queens). The program is free and open to the public. Registration is required.
“This 40th‑anniversary gathering invites New Yorkers to reflect on the city’s evolving civic landscape, its history of debate and resistance, and the growing visibility and leadership of LGBTQIA+ individuals within institutions once marked by exclusion,” said Jennifer Jensen, Director of the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, which preserves and illuminates New York City’s social and political legacy.
A panel of experts will explore how institutions that once opposed gay and lesbian civil rights—including the FDNY, NYPD, and the Catholic Church—have transformed over four decades, now including LGBTQIA+ leaders, advocates, and allies within their ranks.
Panelists include:
- Lillian Bonsignore, Commissioner, FDNY
- Ryan Merola, Chief of Staff to NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch
- Marianne Duddy‑Burke, Executive Director, DignityUSA
- Sal Albanese, Former New York City Council Member
“When the gay rights bill received its first full floor vote in 1974, expectations for passage were high,” said Dr. Stephen Petrus, historian and Director of Public History Programs at the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. “Instead, the NYPD, FDNY, and Catholic Church mounted a coordinated campaign against it, and the bill was narrowly defeated by a vote of 22 to 19. It’s startling that today, the top brass of both the fire department and police department include openly lesbian and gay leaders.”
Dr. Petrus will moderate the discussion. The program is part of the Archives’ ongoing public series examining the history and legacy of the New York City Gay Rights Bill. He is also curator of “The Battle for Intro. 2: The New York City Gay Rights Bill, 1971 to 1986,” an exhibition launched in 2024.
Opening remarks will be delivered by Daniel Dromm, former New York City Council Member and Co‑Founder of Queens Pride. Dromm’s donation of personal papers and memorabilia established the foundation of the Archives’ LGBTQ Collection, which documents the history of LGBTQ activism in Queens.
The program will also feature a poetry reading by Kayla Texidor (LaGuardia ’24, English: Creative Writing).
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Policing, Pews & Firehouse Politics: How the NYPD, FDNY & Catholic Church Have Evolved Since the Gay & Lesbian Rights Era — A public event marking the 40th anniversary of the NYC Gay Rights Bill.
WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
WHERE:
LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC)—Mainstage Theater
LaGuardia Community College
45-50 Van Dam Street
Long Island City, NY 11101
WHO: Hosted by the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives. Featuring leaders from the FDNY, NYPD, LGBTQ Catholic advocacy organizations, and former elected officials.
HOW TO ATTEND: Free and open to the public. Registration is required.
For more information, contact Jennifer Jensen or Stephen Petrus.
WHY THIS MATTERS: Although New York City is home to one of nation’s largest LGBTQ communities, it was the 51st city municipality in the United States to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. The 1986 Gay Rights Bill amended the New York City Human Rights Law to prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
While groundbreaking, the legislation did not initially include protections for gender identity or expression. Those would not be added until 2002.
LaGuardia Community College has long been a leader in LGBTQIA+ advocacy. In 2022, the College helped launch the CUNY LGBTQIA+ Consortium in 2022, bringing together campuses across all five boroughs to preserve LGBTQIA+ history, expand programming, and support education and training initiatives.
The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives regularly presents public programs highlighting Queens’ role in LGBTQ rights through exhibitions, installations, and community events. Notable initiatives include Lavender Line: Coming Out in Queens, a traveling exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of Queens Pride. In 2017, the Archives united all five CUNY campuses in Queens to march under a single CUNY banner at Queens Pride, which now includes more than 200 CUNY participants annually.
Funding support for the Archives and its exhibitions has been provided by the New York City Council, the Council’s LGBTQIA Caucus, and the Office of the Mayor.
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The LaGuardia and Wagner Archives at LaGuardia Community College/CUNY chronicles the past 150 years of New York City history, with a growing focus on Queens and the outer boroughs. Housing more than two million documents, and with 100,000 photographs digitized and accessible on its website, the Archives serves students, scholars, journalists, policy makers, and exhibition planners. Collections include the records of the New York City Council and the New York City Housing Authority; explorations into Queens local history and LGBTQ activism in Queens; as well as selected documents from the administrations of Mayors Fiorello H. LaGuardia, William O’Dwyer, Robert F. Wagner, John V. Lindsay, Abraham D. Beame, Edward I. Koch, David Dinkins, and Rudolph Giuliani.
LaGuardia Community College (LAGCC), a Hispanic-Serving Institution, located in Long Island City, Queens offers more than 50 associate degrees and academic certificates, and more than 65 continuing education programs to prepare New Yorkers for transfer to senior colleges and rewarding jobs and careers. An institution of the City University of New York (CUNY), the College reflects the legacy of our namesake, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, the former NYC mayor beloved for his advocacy of the underserved. Since 1971, LaGuardia’s academic programs and support services have advanced the socioeconomic mobility of students from Queens, NYC and beyond.
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