Queens courts mark Pride Month during ‘dangerous’ time

Queens Civil Court Supervising Judge Michael Goldman speaks at the Queens Civil Court pride month event. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Queens’ courts celebrated Pride Month at Civil Court on Monday, recognizing the mark the LGBTQIA+ community has left on the state’s judicial system – but this month’s celebration comes at a tenuous point as the federal government threatens the freedom and safety of transgender Americans and the wider LGBTQIA+ community, officials said.

“It's important that we stay visible, stay out, and stay proud, so that we don't fall back, or so that the rights we have gained don't backslide in the coming years,” said Queens Civil Court Supervising Judge Michael Goldman, the first openly gay jurist elected in Queens.

“It’s important that our community remain visible to the public, because there is so much negativity being spread, especially about our trans neighbors, and we know that that sort of demonization doesn't stop with one group, it starts with the most vulnerable group, and then moves on to other groups,” he added.

The federal government under both Trump administrations has slashed support and protections for the LGBTQIA+ community, especially for transgender Americans. Since returning to office last year, Trump has banned transgender service in the military and removed federal recognition of transgender identity.

The ACLU called previous efforts during Trump’s first term as “a sustained, years-long effort to erase protections for LGBTQ people across the entire federal government.”

“We can appreciate how far we've come, but it's also important to acknowledge the dangers to our community that still persist,” said Louis Cannizarro, a Queens attorney and member of the LGBTQ+ Committee of the Queens County Bar Association. “We're still currently at a dangerous inflection point. We can't think that marriage equality secured permanent safety for us, and right now, particularly at the federal level, there's a well-coordinated legal onslaught underway.”

“History teaches us that hostile movements target the most vulnerable of us first to test resistance, and by erasing trans individuals, in particular, this is the start of the framework that could be used to dismantle broader privacy rights, marriage equality itself, and civil rights for everyone, not just our own community,” he added.

Goldman and other speakers acknowledged the progress that has been made in establishing LGBTQIA+ rights in just the last half century, a movement that largely began in New York City during the Stonewall riots in 1969.

“The Stonewall riots happened the summer before I was born, and we made incredible progress in our rights over the last 55 years,” said Goldman.

Queens’ courts first began recognizing pride month in 2019.

“Like many institutions, the court system, unfortunately, has not always been as proud as it is today,” said Associate Justice of the New York State Court of Appeals Anthony Cannataro. “Pride month is among many other things an opportunity to acknowledge and thank the members of our community who, for too long, were made to feel like they needed to hide their authentic selves in order to belong in this place.”

“It is an opportunity to celebrate the rapid progress that we have made towards equality and inclusion for LGBTQ+individuals throughout our society, and to remind us all of the work that still needs to be done,” the judge added.

Judge Shahabuddeen Ally, the administrative judge of New York City Civil Court, said that the court system has always played a role in pushing equality and representation for marginalized groups, and must continue to do so.

“Courts are brilliant for one particular reason,” said Ally. “When you sit in the audience, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter your skin color, your wealth status, you just want to be before a judge and hear and get justice, whatever that looks like. That's what the court system is about.”