Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club Celebrates A Successful 2023
Thanks to you, our progressive members, friends, and donors, we remain a highly respected voice on the progressive left and an integral part of New York's progressive community.
It's been a productive year for us. We were featured in The New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, and Politico. Our President, Allen, achieved recognition by being included in two City & State Power Lists, ranking at #14 in the LGBTQ+ list and #30 in the Manhattan list as President of the Jim Owles Club.
In his capacity as the club's President, Allen made appearances in documentaries on Apple TV and the BBC. He proudly sported his Jim Owles t-shirt throughout the remarkable new documentary, “Bella." The club received recognition andcommendation as Allen addressed a crowd gathered on August 20 at the Lincoln Memorial, commemorating the 60thAnniversary of the March. Allen spoke both as the President of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club and as the co-author of the nation's first Gay rights bill.
Louis Cholden-Brown, Vice President and Political Director of Jim Owles made City and State’s 40 Under 40 list, which honors the rising stars in New York City.
We also had 7 of our 10 candidates win their Judicial Delegate races, besting the “ Boss Tweed-like” conservative club, Hell’s Kitchen Democrats.
We also celebrated the victory of Congressmember Jerry Nadler. Nadler won the Hell’s Kitchen community with 90% support,unlike the Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club’s candidate, who secured only 16%. In Manhattan Plaza, the numbers reflected asimilar trend, with 74% backing Nadler and just 14% supporting their candidate.
Through our unwavering commitment to criminal justice reform, we have orchestrated meaningful dinner dialogues featuring District Attorneys Eric Gonzalez of Brooklyn and Alvin Bragg of Manhattan. These discussions have centered around advocating for clemency requests to the governor. Our engagement with Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark led to herissuing a press release endorsing Elder Parole. We've also cultivated a meaningful friendship with Governor Hochul, resulting in several clemency grants, with more on the horizon.
Collaborating closely with RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison), we actively advocate for Elder Parole, Clean Slate, and Fair and Timely Release. We take pride in having RAPP’s David George serve as an officer in our club. We’re also collaborating with Communities, Not Cages on three additional pieces of legislation, solidifying our respected role within the criminal justice reform movement and helping to move the dial for progress.
Also, Allen holds a significant position as one of the three founding trustees of the upcoming and exciting Museum of Civil Rights, maintaining his status as a trustee.
Our Winter Pride and Gay Pride Awards Gala was a remarkable event where we presented The Jim Owles Human Rights Awards to outstanding individuals, including activist Mary Trump, Montana State Representative Zooey Zephyr, actor/producer Mike Manning, Daniel Issac from Billions, Renee Taylor from The Nanny, film and television producer Lee Daniels, and Sara Nelson, President of the International Flight Attendants Union.
We take immense pride in our board, where LGBTQ+ activists, constitutionally mandated to be the majority, work hand inhand with our dedicated allies. Together, we support the LGBTQ+ community and champion various crucial causes.
We extend a warm welcome to our new members, including State Senators Julia Salazar and Jessica Ramos, United Federationof Teachers’ Dennis Gault, CODA President Andrea Gordillo, judicial activist Suzanne Jacobson, New York State Democratic Party Political Director Jeff Lewis, film producer and documentarian Jeff Lieberman, social media maven Bobby Rosenthal, Stonewall Veterans and Imperial Queens Officer Tree Sequoia, and Eastside political activist Chris Sosa. We look forward to embracing their unique talents and contributions.
As many of you already know, Jacob Priley (an officer of our club and our campaign coordinator ) was hit by an SUV while biking in Brooklyn on September 26th. He is still in the hospital in critical condition. The latest report is that he is out of the ICU, and progress is being made. We encourage our members and friends to contribute to his fundraising account:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/jacob-priley-needs-our-help
Allen Roskoff
Jim Owles President
Co-author Nation’s First Gay Rights Bill
Louis Cholden-Brown
Jim Owles Vice President
State Committee Member
Chris Marchitello
Jim Owles Vice President
Sheila Rule
Jim Owles Officer
Author, Criminal Justice Advocate