WATCH: Empire State Pride Agenda Names New Executive Director

Nathan Schaefer

Empire State Pride Agenda, the LGBT rights organization for New York State, has named Nathan Schaefer its new executive director.

Schaefer was hired by a unanimous vote of the board, according to a Pride Agenda press release. He succeeds Ross Levi, who was let go in March.

“Nathan comes to us with significant policymaking, community advocacy and political action experience,” said board cochair Marla Hassner in the release. He is the right person to lead the Pride Agenda at this time, and we are confident he will help the LGBT community earn the full equality and recognition that we deserve.”

Schaefer most recently was director of public policy at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City. He administered all advocacy, organizing, and government relations aspects of the agency and led the coalition that partnered with the Obama administration to overturn the HIV travel and immigration bans. He has also been leading an effort challenging Congress to repeal the policy that prohibits men who have sex with men from donating blood supply. Schaefer has been published extensively on LGBT and HIV/AIDS issues.

“I am incredibly thrilled and humbled by this opportunity and I thank the board for their vote of confidence,” Schaefer said in the press release. “We have an exciting opportunity right now in New York to continue the momentum toward equality. As executive director, I look forward to working with LGBT New Yorkers and our allies from across the state to build consensus and aggressively advocate for change.”

Watch a video introduction from Schaefer below.