While the race for Mayor of New York is still a few years off, many members of NYC’s LGBT Community showed up tonight to put their money on the city’s first female, first openly-gay Mayor-to-be, current NY City Council Speaker, Christine Quinn.
The event, hosted by country music’s first openly-gay performer, Chely Wright, Broadway and 30 Rock’s Cheyenne Jackson, The Real Housewives’ Andy Cohen, the legendary David Mixner, Thom Filicia and New York’s #1 Nightlife Photographer Patrick McMullan was packed with supporters. Christin Quinn’s former LGBT Liaison and TalkAboutEquality friend, Erik Bottcher received an especially touching tribute from Quinn, having just been appointed to newly-elected Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s cabinet.
Among the excited crowd was Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, Living Beyond Belief‘s Bari Zahn, The Edge‘s William Kapfer, The NY4Marriage Campaign’s Brian Ellner and the New York City Council’s LGBT Caucus including Rosie Mendez, Daniel Dromm and Jimmy van Bramer.
These are some of the people who have been fighting hardest for marriage equality in New York and Speaker Quinn promised to see it passed here before she finishes her term as Speaker. Let’s hope she’s right.
Please enjoy some photos from tonight’s event. There are many more at EqualityPhotography.com
Brian Ellner and Joe Solmonese
Erik Bottcher and Jon Reinish
Chely Wright
NY City Council Members Rosie Mendez, Daniel Dromm, Speaker Christine Quinn and Jimmy von Bramer
Cheyenne Jackson
Bari Zahn and friend
Broadway's Jose Llana and friends
Andy Cohen
NY City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Chely Wright and William Kapfer
Anthony Hayes, Joe Solmonese, Brett Osmond and Erik Bottcher
Chely Wright
Talk About Equality 
I love this post. Wouldn’t ib ge great to have an LGBT mayor!
This is disgusting! Quinn is letting people die in the streets (www.handsoffstvincents.com). An indicator she is not the candidate for mayor to support is the fact that Joe Solmonese supports her. Here we go again, everyone falling the trail of gay money, instead of what is ethical and just.
I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t realize that Chris Quinn hired the 10 St Vincent hospital administrators who were getting paid $10 million a year. I guess the Roman Catholic church that owned and operated this private institution into the ground shouldn’t be held accountable. FYI – NYC has more hospitals per capita than anywhere else in the world. The avg American has to travel 9 miles to the nearest hospital. The avg NYer has to travel .6 miles. No one is letting anyone “die in the streets.” Take your drummed-up drama elsewhere.