Equality PAC — the political arm of the Congressional Equality Caucus — is throwing its support behind Congressmember Dan Goldman in the competitive race for New York’s 10th Congressional District.
The Congressional Equality Caucus, which is co-chaired by the 12 out members of Congress, is backing Goldman roughly two months before the second-term lawmaker faces former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander in the June 23 primary.
In endorsing Goldman, Equality PAC is praising the lawmaker’s work on LGBTQ rights and citing his support for transgender Americans.
“As the Trump administration ramps up its attacks on LGBTQ+ Americans, we need fighters in Congress who will stop at nothing to defend their rights,” Equality PAC said in a written statement on April 7. “That’s why we are proud to endorse Congressman Dan Goldman for re-election. Throughout his time in office, Rep. Goldman has been a relentless advocate for the LGBTQ+ community — from championing critical legislation to always speaking up and fighting back against hate and intolerance. Let’s send Rep. Goldman back to Washington to continue being the ally and representative that LGBTQ+ Americans need and deserve.”
Through April 6, the Equality PAC had endorsed more than a dozen candidates for Congress, including both out candidates and allies as well as incumbents and challengers. Equality PAC’s two other New York-based Congressional endorsements so far this year include two out politicians: Ritchie Torres, an incumbent in the Bronx’s 15th Congressional District, and Cait Conley, a military veteran who is challenging Mike Lawler in New York’s 17th Congressional District.
Goldman has represented the 10th Congressional District — which stretches from Lower Manhattan to the western Brooklyn neighborhoods of Borough Park, Bay Ridge, and Prospect Heights — since 2023.
“Since day one, I have been a champion for the LGBTQ+ community in New York and across the country, and that will never change,” Goldman said in a written statement. “As the Trump administration continues its homophobic and transphobic attacks, I am proud to be leading the fight in Congress to defend the rights of all LGBTQ+ Americans. Representing New York’s 10th Congressional District — home to the Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of the modern gay rights movement — is a privilege that I do not take lightly, and I’m incredibly proud to have the support of Equality PAC as I run for re-election to continue advocating for my friends and neighbors in the LGBTQ+ community.”
Goldman and Lander have both earned support from within the LGBTQ community throughout their political careers, with each of them having previously been endorsed by LGBTQ political clubs like the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City. In this race, the citywide Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club has endorsed Lander, while the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, another citywide LGBTQ Democratic club, will endorse candidates in Congressional races on April 22.
Goldman recently introduced legislation with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to make the Rainbow Flag a congressionally-authorized flag — a move that was prompted by the Trump administration’s explosive decision to remove the Rainbow Flag from the flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument. Gay City News was the first to report on the flag’s removal.
Last year, Goldman and Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Mark Takano of California penned a letter signed by 69 House Democrats expressing concern over the Trump administration’s removal of references to transgender and other queer Americans on the Stonewall National Monument’s online site.
Lander, meanwhile, has long supported LGBTQ rights dating back to his time in the City Council. As a city lawmaker, he co-sponsored bills to ban conversion therapy, allow New Yorkers to change the gender marker to “X” on their birth certificates, and require single-occupant bathrooms to welcome individuals of any gender.
Most recently, Lander has aggressively criticized some private hospitals for bowing to pressure from the Trump administration to restrict gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19. Lander posted a video on Transgender Day of Visibility, asking, “When they came for trans kids, history will ask, did you speak up or did you stand by?”
“Whenever institutions like NYU Langone or Mt. Sinai shamefully violate their obligation to care for trans patients (and their obligations under NYS and NYC human rights law), our voices will rise up loudly in opposition,” Lander said.
In his re-election bid, Goldman has drawn support from political leaders such as Gov. Kathy Hochul, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, out Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, and out State Senator Erik Bottcher, while Lander has been endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Public Adovcate Jumaane Williams, and Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, among others.
