PFY: 'Now more than ever'

PFY, formerly Pride For Youth, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ communities, hosts a fundraising gala each year to celebrate Pride, but this year’s event also served as a call to action.

The PFY’s 2025 Pride Gala, dubbed “Now More Than Ever,” was held at the Westbury Manor on June 4. 

“Now, more than ever, not only does our agency need support, the whole community needs support,” Tawni J. Engel, PFY’s associate executive director, said. “We need people who are willing to speak up and speak out.”

Engel is responsible for securing corporate sponsorships for PFY fundraising events, such as the gala. In the past, she said, the organization has received large donations, but this year, many corporations pulled out, resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars. 

“That speaks to these corporations that were very much, just last June, waving their Pride flags on all of their marketing materials,” she said. “This year, they've completely pulled out and said, ‘No, we can't put our face to this anymore because it's too controversial.’”

PFY has also been receiving hateful comments on social media, Engel added.

“There's a lot that we're facing on a daily basis that is very, very stressful,” she said. “(But) it's just the tip of the iceberg of what's going on across the country right now.”

At the gala, she aimed to educate attendees about the current political climate and its impact on the LGBTQ+ communities. She stated that recent efforts to pass anti-LGBTQ+ legislation can be likened to “rolling back the clock 50 years,” which has left her clients “hurting.”

Engel said the Bellmore-based PFY tries to provide a space where people can feel welcome and comfortable being themselves. Of the 35 programs and services that the organization offers, she said, an increased need for counseling services has stood out. 

“People really (need) support mentally and emotionally and (to come) together and (feel) a solidarity with their community,” she said. 

Around 200 people attended the June 4 gala, raising about $80,000. In previous years, the organization also received a grant, enabling it to expand services beyond just LGBTQ+ youth, which led to the adoption of the PFY acronym.

During the gala, Juli Grey-Owens, executive director of Gender Equality New York, and Glen Cove City Councilmember Martha Silverman were honored for their commitment to LGBTQ+ advocacy. Grey-Owens founded the nonprofit GENY in 2019 to advocate for transgender, gender nonbinary and intersex New Yorkers.

Last June, Nassau County banned transgender athletes from playing at county-owned facilities on teams aligned with their gender identity. Since then, GENY has held several transgender rights rallies, including one on May 31.

“We held a large transgender rights rally to make sure that people were aware of the fact that we're still here,” Grey-Owens said. “We still exist, and the attacks on our community should stop.”

Access to gender-affirming healthcare, especially for those under age 19, is one aspect of the transgender community under attack. Eliminating this would prohibit a transgender girl from receiving hormone blockers, which can pause puberty while she decides whether she wants to transition, Grey-Owens said. 

She explained that this would cause the girl to undergo male puberty, resulting in the development of an Adam’s apple, a deep voice and facial hair.  She said this can heighten gender dysphoria, a disconnect between one’s biological sex and gender identity, which can range in intensity from “manageable to debilitating.”

GENY is pushing the passage of Shield Law 2.0, which would expand protections for gender-affirming and reproductive healthcare.

Grey-Owens wants people to realize that being transgender is not tragic or a result of confusion or sickness, but rather a positive identity.

“We want people to understand that you don't necessarily have to understand someone's gender identity to be able to support it,” she said. “If you love someone, you believe in them, you trust them and you support them.”

Silverman, who’s running for mayor of Glen Cove, has hosted a Pride flag-raising event every year since becoming a member of the Glen Cove City Council.

“I'm really proud that we have the event and fly the flag, showing that Glen Cove is welcoming to everyone,” she said.

“To this day, people are not treated equally,” she noted. “Until every single person, regardless of race, religion, gender identity and sexuality, is treated equally, Pride is a necessity.”

Silverman said people could work to uplift the LGBTQ+ communities by having conversations.

“I hope someday we can get to the point where we don't need to celebrate our differences,” Silverman said. “But, until every single person is treated equally, we need to. We need to celebrate our differences, so we recognize our similarities.”