Lambda Independent Democrats are celebrating our 30th Anniversary on Thursday, April 17 at Water Street Restaurant and Lounge in Brooklyn's hip DUMBO neighborhood. The festivities start at 6pm. This event has always been the political event of the season and this year we will be honoring an impressive list of leaders.

Among those being honored are: Assemblymember Deborah Glick, District Leader William Saunders, Jr., New York City Finance Commissioner Martha Stark, Caddyshack's Brooke Webster, former LID Co-President's Christopher Murray and Gary Parker and the 5 Members of Brooklyn?s Congressional delegation (Reps. Yvette Clarke, Jerrold Nadler, Ed Towns, Nydia Velasquez and Anthony Weiner) who voted to include transgender people in the Employment Non Discrimination Amendment.

Ticket prices range from $100-$250. You can pay on the website through paypal (indicate the donation is for the 30th Anniversary in the payment for field. For location and parking information, go to www.waterstreetrestaurant.com. We look forward to celebrating with you!

On the day Eliot Spitzer announced his anticipated resignation, LID released a statement welcoming incoming Gov. David Paterson as a friend and ally of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

"David Paterson is someone we know well and has proven to be a solid ally of our community," said LID Co-President Terrance Knox, "we warmly welcome him into the governor's office." Co-President Dan Willson, said the new governor can expect the support of both LID and the Brooklyn LGBT community. "We know we have a friend in David Paterson and he can expect both our support and encouragement as he seeks to move our state from turmoil to unity."

For the full text of the statement, click here.

At its January 14th meeting, Lambda Independent Democrats voted overwhelmingly to endorse Senator Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

"We have a candidate in this race that is someone we know well and we're proud to be endorsing her tonight," said Terrance Knox, the newly elected Co-President of LID.

Dan Willson, who was also elected Co-President said the club would enthusiastically support Clinton in the upcoming New York primary on February 5. "LID is an important voice in Brooklyn and our members haven spoken strongly for Sen. Clinton tonight," Willson said. "When we look at the Republican alternatives for president it is clear that the stakes are high for our community and we must prevail in November."

Speaking on behalf of the Clinton campaign were Rep. Jerold Nadler and Fred Hochberg, the Dean of Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy. The Barack Obama campaign was represented by Maxim Thorn and speaking on behalf of John Edwards was Kevin Jennings, the executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

LID also endorsed three openly LGBT delegate candidates: Ana Bermudez and Lisa Fane in the 11th Congressional District and Dan Tietz in the 12th Congressional District. To maximize LGBT representation at the Convention, LID urges your vote for these delegates. Remember, you can vote for them even if they are not pledged to your preferred presidential candidate. Once delegates are apportioned by congressional district, the top voting getting delegates pledged to that candidate are elected from that congressional district.

Dan Wilson and Terrence Knox have been elected Co-Presidents of Lambda Independent Democrats. Lisa Badner was elected Vice President, Renee Cafiero was re-elected Corresponding Secretary and Scott Klein was re-elected as Treasurer. Willson and Knox succeed Gary Parker and Christopher Murray who led the club for 3 years.

At its meeting held October 22, 2007, Lambda Independent Democrats, Brooklyn's LGBT Political voice adopted a resolution opposing the Atlantic Yards Project of the Forest City Ratner Development Company.

The club also contined to express it's disappointment in the Brooklyn Democratic party's support for Noach Dear. LID co-President Chrisopher Murray said "Brooklyn's LGBT community and the thousands of LGBT Democrats we represent feel that Noach Dear's lack of courtroom experience and bar associations' assessments and his past statements and actions against the interests of our community deem him an unsuitable candidate for the Civil Court bench. We continue to be disappointed in the leadership of the Democratic party of Brooklyn over their support of his candidacy."

A copy of the resolution on Atlantic Yards can be found here.

Lambda Independent Democrats Brooklyn Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Political Club held a reception on Saturday evening June 9, 2007 prior to the Brooklyn Pride parade honoring City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who was this year's Brooklyn Pride Grand Marshall. The reception was held at the Park Slope home of Gary Parker, LID's co-president.

The reception and parade were attended my many elected officials in addition to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn including City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Assemblymember James Brennan, State Senator Eric Adams, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, City Councilmembers Rosie Mendez and Bill BeDlasio, Supreme Court Judge Diana Johnson and Civil Court Judge Debra Silber.

In May, L.I.D. hosted two events: a forum on "Estate Planning for Same Sex Couples: How to Address Your Unique Needs and Protect Your Loved Ones" with attornies Joanne Seminara and Isaac Saufer. We also sponsored a screening of Brooklyn Matters, a documentary about the Atalantic Yards project.

Lambda Independent Democrats celebrated Democratic victories in New York State and in Congress November 19th at their fall Curtain Call event. Over 150 LID members, community activists and elected officials came to Excelsior on Park Slope's Fifth Avenue this afternoon to celebrate the Democratic sweep in the November 7th general elections.

Those helping LID celebrate included Brooklyn's own State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblymembers Joan Millman and James Brennan; City Councilmembers Letitia James, Bill de Blasio and David Yassky; District Leaders JoAnne Simon, Jacob Gold, Lori Cintron Knipel and LID's own Alan Fleishman. Community leaders in attendance included Dan Tietz, Executive Director of the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA) and Tracey Hobson, Executive Director of the Center for Anti-Violence Education

The leadership at LID was particularly proud that newly-elected politicians that benefited from LID's support who were present. They included State Senator-elect Eric Adams and Assemblymember-elect Hakeem Jeffries.

The meeting commenced just two hours after the announcement of New Jersey's historic same sex marriage case. Local advocates voiced their concern with Senator Clinton's lack of support for gay marriage, pointing out the entire Democratic statewide ticket, Eliot Spitzer, David Paterson Andrew Cuomo and Alan Hevesi all support civil marriage equality for the LGBT community.

In an emotional and at times tearful discussion, members of the LGBT described the importance of same-sex marriages being recognized. Senator Clinton noted with dismay that the recently deceased first openly gay member of Congress Rep. Gerry Studds' life partner will not receiving any federal benefits upon his death as he would have if they had been in an a traditional hetro-sexual marriage.

Senator Clinton stated, "Equal benefits protections are a winner" in giving her political analysis of the afternoon ruling in New Jersey that gay couples are entitled to the same legal rights and financial benefits as heterosexual couples. She also promised to fight to abolish the military's don't ask, don't tell policy which she said has deprived the army of qualified soldiers who want to serve their country.