This voter guide presents the Empire State Pride Agenda's endorsements for the September 10, 2002 Primary Election. These endorsements are based on responses to a Pride Agenda candidate questionnaire, an examination of a candidate's voting record (in the case of incumbents) and his or her public acts and statements, and consultations with other local lesbian and gay organizations throughout New York State.

Candidate questionnaires vary somewhat from race to race. The questions cover the following topics, among others:

• Support of the current proposed Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) that provides comprehensive civil rights protections for lesbians and gay men;
• Support for legislation to protect students from anti-gay harassment in schools, the Dignity for All Students Act;
• Support for funding of LGBT health and human service needs, in addition to AIDS-specific funds;
• Opposition to anti-gay marriage legislation;
• Support for expanding definitions of family so that same-sex couples can, for example, gain access to family court and obtain workers compensation survivor benefits for domestic partners killed on the job;
• Support for comprehensive civil rights protections based upon a person's gender identity and expression;
• Opposition to criminalizing partial-birth abortions.

We have not made endorsements in every race. Generally, incumbents who have demonstrated their strong support for our issues have been endorsed. Challengers mounting viable campaigns to unseat an incumbent with a poor record on our issues have also been endorsed. With some offices, when a number of candidates have an equally strong set of positions on issues important to our community, we may decline to endorse but will provide background information on each candidate so that you, the voter, can make an informed decision about whom to support. Please note, these endorsements are for the Primary Election scheduled for Tuesday, September 10, 2002. We will be issuing a General Election Voter guide later in the fall.

We have highlighted over two-dozen primary races that are important to the lesbian and gay community. These are: the statewide races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Comptroller, as well as a number of State Senate seats and State Assembly seats. Because the Pride Agenda focuses on fighting for equal rights at the state and local level, we have not made any endorsements in the primary elections for seats in the U.S. Congress.

In 2002, the Pride Agenda tracked more than two-dozen pieces of legislation that could benefit the gay community if any of them became law. While SONDA, the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act, has repeatedly passed the State Assembly, it remains stuck in the Republican-controlled Senate, with an unfulfilled promise by Governor Pataki to do "everything in my power" to make the bill law. We did make significant progress on the Dignity for All Students Act, which received a vote for the first time in the Assembly and passed overwhelmingly by 144-2. The Pride Agenda also obtained a record amount of funding for non-HIV health and human services targeted to LGBT communities across the state. Advances were made in recognition of our families with the passage of a number of September 11-related bills that recognized the rights of domestic partners for the first time in New York State law. Bills that did not receive a floor vote in either chamber often saw action in multiple committees and received votes heavily in our favor. These votes revealed significant support for our families but also illustrate the work that still needs to be done.

We believe the following candidates in the Primary Election represent opportunities for continued progress on our issues. We urge you to volunteer, contribute to, and vote for these deserving candidates on Tuesday, September 10, 2002.

With both Democratic candidates offering strong answers and decent records on issues of interest to our community, the Pride Agenda did not make an endorsement in the Democratic primary for Governor. We have attempted to provide a list of endorsers for each candidate as a way of supplementing our decision in this primary contest.

Candidates for Lieutenant Governor in New York must run separately from the gubernatorial candidates in primary elections. We endorse candidate Charles King, who has excellent positions in our issues, for the office of Lieutenant Governor. There is no Democratic Primary for Attorney General as Eliot Spitzer, the incumbent, is the party's official nominee. In the Comptroller contest, City Comptroller Alan Hevesi received our endorsement over William Mulrow, who is a first-time candidate for public office. Hevesi has a decades-long record of support for and involvement with New York's gay and lesbian community. Mulrow answered questions well and expressed strong interest in having gay support for his campaign.

There are no Republican Party primaries for any of the four statewide offices as nominees have all been selected. There are also several minor party primaries on September 10, some of which have the Democratic or Republican Party candidates on their ballot lines. The Pride Agenda has not endorsed in minor party races.

The Board of the Pride Agenda will meet at a later date consider the results of the Primary Election and make final endorsements for the November 5, 2002 General Election.