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(WNY News Now) – In a recent phone interview, WNY News Now spoke to Brittan Hardgers, Director of Advocacy & Community Engagement of NEW Pride Agenda, an LGBTQIA+ advocacy group focused on bridging the gaps and spreading awareness throughout the state that has just launched a Western New York chapter.
NEW Pride Agenda
NEW Pride Agenda is an organization that works to advance economic, health, racial, and gender identity justice for marginalized LGBTQ+ people throughout New York State. Working in conjunction with a diverse network communities and elected officials, they educate the general public about their rights and legal protections.
They organize a plethora of civic engagement and community-based building initiatives, including a monthly statewide advocacy coalition call, where LGBTQ+ leaders, activists, community members, and allies coalesce to discuss current policies, legislative priorities, and ongoing advocacy efforts. One of the main goals of the efforts is to bridge the gap between downstate and upstate New York to create a cohesive, statewide community support and advocacy network.
They also have an annual community ballot initiative, where LGBTQ+ members can make their voices heard in a democratic process to determine what the organization’s priorities will be heading into each legislative session.
To help in their mission to bridge the gap, NEW Pride Agenda has launched a new Western New York chapter, which will focus on both statewide and local issues and how they impact LGBTQIA+ members in the region. The chapter is committed to inclusivity, welcoming all who align with its goal of LGBTQIA+ advocacy.
The chapter will focus its efforts on critical issues like affordable housing, employment discrimination, and Prop 1/The Equal Rights Amendment, as well as advocating for legislation that protects incarcerated transgender individuals and decriminalizing sex work.
To learn more about NEW Pride Agenda and how you can get involved, you can visit https://www.newprideagenda.org/ or visit their Facebook page or their Instagram. To become a member of their new Western New York chapter, you can go to http://bit.ly/WNYChapter. The WNY chapter’s monthly virtual call takes place on the last Monday of each month, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
About Brittan Hardgers
An activist, advocate, educator, and public speaker, Brittan Hardgers is a man of many hats and as many achievements. He is the President and Founder of Next Generation Men of Transition (NGMT), which he started following his physical transition in 2018 after realizing the lack of visible representation of trans-masculine individuals. The organization seeks to bring national recognition for trans-masculine individuals, as he states that “visibility is power.”
Additionally, he became the first openly black trans-masculine person to run for city council not only in the city of Rochester, but in New York State as a whole.
Not only that, he is the CEO of W.A.V.E. Women Inc., a trans-feminine organization based in Rochester that is headed by Javannah Davis, and he has been the Co-Creative Director of Cover Design for Blaque/Out Magazine for a number of years.
Brittan has participated in numerous panels across the country, including Emory University, GEVA Theatre, University of Rochester, Rochester Public Defender’s Office, Wind Stream, Aria Strategies and more.
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