Winter Heat, the Empire State Pride Agenda's (ESPA) women's event of the year, at Marquee Nightclub, on March 23, was HOT! This is a great women's event. The place was jammed with an assortment of dancers and diverse dames. The Sponsor Hour took place from 7 to 8 p.m., with appetizers, schmoozing and a lot of faces we haven't seen since last spring. Open admission started at 8 p.m. for 75 bucks. There was also a $30-for-under-30 admission—which was more than reasonable—with the crowd, music, open bar and all. DJ Tanner was in the booth, and former Women’s National Basketball Association player Sue Wicks was holding court.
ESPA is New York's statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization.
“Our mission,” as ESPA describes it, “is to win equality and justice for LGBT New Yorkers and our families. We recognize that while significant cultural, legal and governmental advances have led to greater equality for LGBT New Yorkers, we and our families remain highly vulnerable without the vast majority of rights and protections that most New Yorkers take for granted.”
ESPA’s mission statement continues, “Through our education, organizing and advocacy programs, we work toward creating a broadly diverse alliance of LGBT people and our allies in government, communities of faith, labor, all sectors of the workforce and other social justice movements to achieve equality for LGBT New Yorkers and the broader goals of social, racial and economic justice.”