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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced the New York State LGBT Memorial Commission has begun its search for the artists who will design and execute an LGBT memorial that honors victims of hate, intolerance, violence and New York’s fight for equal rights. Governor Cuomo announced this monument and established this commission in the wake of the tragic shootings in Orlando, Florida earlier this year.

"New York has a storied history of being at the forefront of the fight for equal rights and it is essential that we always honor the people who sought to achieve fairness for the LGBT community," Governor Cuomo said. "I invite all experienced New York artists from Buffalo to Montauk to submit their vision and help us create a monument that will serve as an enduring symbol of the sacrifice New Yorkers have played in building a fairer, more just world."

Experienced artists are invited to submit a response to the request for proposal. Submissions must be completed and submitted online by Monday, November 21, 2016 before 11:59 p.m. EST. Interested artists should visit www.ny.gov/LGBTMemorial.

The LGBT Memorial Commission will review and select finalists from the submitted artist proposals. The Commission will recommend artists to the Governor for his final selection in December. The budget for design and fabrication of the memorial site and artwork is approximately $800,000.

Following the tragic shooting that occurred in Orlando, Florida on June 12, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 158, establishing the LGBT Memorial Commission. The Commission is comprised of 10 members appointed by the Governor, and is overseen and coordinated by Counsel to the Governor Alphonso David.

LGBT Memorial Commission members include:

• Scott P. Campbell, Executive Director Elton John Aids Foundation;
• Rose Harvey, Commissioner of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation;
• Cristina Herrera, Founder and CEO of Translatina Network;
• Thomas Krever, Chief Executive Officer of the Hetrick-Martin Institute;
• Kelsey Louie, Executive Director of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis;
• Eunic Ortiz, President of the Stonewall Democrats;
• Christine Quinn, CEO of Women and Need and marriage equality advocate;
• Melissa Sklarz, a prominent transgender rights activist;
• Beverly Tillery, Executive Director of the NYC Anti-Violence Project; and
• Glennda Testone, Executive Director of the New York LGBT Community Center.

Throughout his tenure in office, Governor Cuomo has been a national leader in championing LGBT rights. In 2011, New York passed the historic Marriage Equality Act, putting the state at the forefront of justice and equality for all. In 2015, Governor Cuomo implemented regulations affirming that all transgender individuals are protected under the State’s Human Rights Law, and all public and private employers, housing providers, businesses, creditors and others should know that discrimination against transgender persons is unlawful and will not be tolerated in New York State.

Additionally, the Governor has committed to making New York the first state in the nation to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, ban the deplorable practice of conversion therapy, and strengthen health care and insurance regulations to protect transgender New Yorkers.

The Governor also announced all HIV-positive individuals in New York City will now be eligible for housing, transportation and nutritional support through a significant expansion of Emergency Shelter Assistance. This marks the latest in a series of actions the state has taken to protect all New Yorkers from discrimination, building on the historic enactment of the Hate Crimes Act which made discrimination based on sexual orientation illegal in 2000.