Supporting Women's Equality

In January, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his ten-point plan to achieve equality for women in the State of New York. Last Thursday, in six cities across the state--Buffalo, Schenectady, Rochester, Mineola, Newburgh, and Hudson--press conferences were held to show support for the Women's Equality Agenda. In Hudson, the press conference took place in the pocket park next to Mexican Radio. WGXC was there to record some of the speeches, which can be heard online. Photographer B. Docktor was there to create a visual record of the event, and she graciously agreed to allow Gossips to reproduce some of her pictures here. More can be seen on her Facebook page.

From left to right: Blue Carreker, Alana Hauptmann, Virginia Martin, Pooky Amsterdam (obscured), Lee Gould

Judy Grunberg, founder of PS/21 and owner of the Blue Plate in Chatham, addresses the  press conference

Lee Jamison displays a picture of her grandmother while recalling the decades-long struggle of women to get the vote

Pooky Amsterdam, founder of PookyMedia, speaking on the topic of financial inequality

From left to right: Anna Kadish, Warren Collins, Mark Young, Blue Carreker (at lectern), Judy Grunberg, Lee Jamison, Alana Hauptmann, Pooky Amsterdam

In her speech, Blue Carreker of Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, who is communications coordinator for the Capital District chapter of the Women's Equality Coalition, said: "This movement has declared it is no longer acceptable that women today are still five times more likely than men to be sexually assaulted; that our ability to be promoted or even hired is still placed at risk if we become pregnant; that no matter how hard and long we work, we still will not earn as much as our male counterparts. And we are saying to our legislators, it is time to represent us and make New York a place where the health, safety, and potential of each individual is not based on gender, and where our daughters can look forward to an equal playing field."