Governor Kathy Hochul is the 57th and first female Governor of New York State. Hochul began her career in public service on her local Town Board before serving as Erie County Clerk, and then as a member of Congress for New York’s 26th Congressional District. She more recently served in statewide office as Lieutenant Governor. As Governor, Hochul has spent much of her time in office supporting the LGBTQ+ community. She has rolled out a $22 million housing program creating LGBTQ+ affirming spaces for formerly unhoused queer youth, expanded legal LGBTQ+ protection bills in the state, and has announced major advancements in LGBTQ+ equity as part of New York state’s FY 2023 state budget.

A strong advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was one of the first national politicians to march in the New York City Pride Parade. Throughout his career, Sen. Schumer has been a tireless advocate for equal rights for those in the LGBTQ+ community. Elected to the Senate in 1998, he had previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2017, Sen. Schumer was elected Senate Democratic Leader by his colleagues and he has helped lead the fight against the Trump-Pence Administration’s efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights.

Golda Rosheuvel is a well-revered British actress best known for her stage work and more recently her role as Queen Charlotte in the hit Netflix series “Bridgerton.” Last year, she starred in the hugely successful sci-fi epic Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. Golda has been in a relationship with her partner, Shireen Mula, for nearly a decade, and has been authentically out and proud as a lesbian woman for most of her career.

Back in 2011, Jessie J quietly emerged with the biggest voice in pop. The UK-born powerhouse introduced herself with Who You Are, which not only went platinum but also yielded the quadruple-platinum “Price Tag” and platinum “Domino.” Not to mention, the record made history as “the first album by a British female artist to produce six or more Top 10 hits in the UK,” while she picked up the 2011 Critics’ Choice BRIT Award and BBC’s Sound of 2011. On its heels, 2014’s Sweet Talker crashed the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 and housed the eight-time platinum “Bang Bang” with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

Tituss Burgess is perhaps best known for his role in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, for which he has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Before that, he was a stage star. Past credits on Broadway include Guys and Dolls, The Little Mermaid, Jersey Boys, and Good Vibrations. In June 2016, Burgess reprised his role of "Sebastian the Crab" during the Hollywood Bowl concert event of The Little Mermaid. Burgess can be seen in the AppleTV musical cartoon series Central Park as Cole Tillerman. Burgess most recently starred as Remy in a benefit concert presentation of Ratatouille the Musical, which originated on TikTok, inspired by the 2007 Disney Pixar film.

Ian Alexander (they/them, he/him) is the first out transmasculine Asian American person to act on television. He is also an advocate for transgender equality, racial justice, and mental health awareness for LGBTQ+ youth. He is best known for his role as Buck Vu on The OA (Netflix), Lev in The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog), and Gray Tal on Star Trek: Discovery (Paramount+).

Nicole Maines is an actress and trans rights activist, best known for being the first person to portray a transgender superhero on television in her role as Nia Nal on The CW superhero series Supergirl. As a teenager, Nicole was named one of Glamour Magazine’s 50 Inspiring Women of the year. She guest-starred in the USA comedy series, Royal Pains, has appeared in the documentary feature, The Trans List for HBO, and Nicole and her family have a NY Times bestselling book, “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family” by Pulitzer Prize author Amy Ellis Nutt.

In 2014, Nicole won a State Supreme Court decision against the Orono school district in Maine, which ruled that the school district had violated the state’s Human Rights Act. The case marked the very first time that a state’s highest court ruled that a transgender person has the right to use the restroom of the gender with which they identify.

Dana Goldberg is a comedian, activist, actor, writer, and a lesbian woman known for her LGBTQ+ comedy. Among her many other career accomplishments, she hosts Out in Left Field With Dana Goldberg on Advocate.com.

Set to take place at the New York Marriott Marquis on April 30 at 7:00 PM ET, the 2022 HRC Greater New York Dinner brings together HRC’s most active members and supporters in the greater New York area to raise crucial funds in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. Tickets and further information are available at http://www.hrcgreaterny.org/dinner.