Bill Text: NY J02462 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Cecilia Gentili, successful advocate, talented actress, and cherished community member

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 41-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-05-21 - ADOPTED [J02462 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-J02462-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 2462

BY: Senator RAMOS

        MOURNING  the death of Cecilia Gentili, successful
        advocate, talented actress, and cherished  community
        member

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens  of  the  State  of  New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, Cecilia Gentili of Marine Park in Brooklyn, New York,  died
on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at the age of 52; and

  WHEREAS,  Born  January  31,  1972,  in  Galvez,  Argentina, Cecilia
Gentili later migrated to the United States in 2000; and

  WHEREAS, Cecilia Gentili distinguished herself in her profession and
by her sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
her community; and

  WHEREAS, The life of Cecilia Gentili was marked  by  an  unrelenting
dedication to advocacy on behalf of transgender people, sex workers, and
the LGBTQIA+ community at large; and

  WHEREAS,  Cecilia  Gentili's first job was with the Apicha Community
Health Center in Manhattan, where she worked as an HIV  peer  navigator,
and  then  as  the  trans  health program coordinator, managing a clinic
which grew from four patients to more than 500 during her tenure; and

  WHEREAS, Growing ever more passionate about  her  clients'  welfare,
Cecilia  Gentili  went  on  to become the managing director of policy at
GMHC, formerly called the Gay Men's Health Crisis, which  was  dedicated
to the prevention of AIDS; and

  WHEREAS, Remarkably ambitious and dedicated in service to members of
her  community, Cecilia Gentili founded Trans Equity Consulting in early
2019, which advises companies on equity issues and serves as an advocate
for trans women of color,  sex  workers,  immigrants,  and  incarcerated
people; and

  WHEREAS,  Furthermore,  Cecilia  Gentili  was a triumphant lobbyist,
with numerous legislative achievements; she lobbied for the  passage  of
the  New  York  State  Gender  Expression  and Discrimination Act, which
became law in 2019, and the repeal of the so-called Walking While  Trans
Ban,  which had prohibited loitering for the purpose of prostitution and
had disproportionately targeted trans women and women of color; and

  WHEREAS, Cecilia Gentili was also one of two lead  plaintiffs  in  a
successful  lawsuit  against  the  federal government which had tried to
roll back trans protections enshrined in the Affordable Care Act; at her
death, she had been lobbying to decriminalize sex work  and  helping  to
draft legislation that would do so through another of her organizations,
DecrimNY; and

  WHEREAS,  Cecilia Gentili was instrumental in the development of two
statewide bills to provide survivors of trafficking with  record  relief
and  to  end  the criminalization of loitering - a charge overwhelmingly
leveled against transgender women, regardless of  their  involvement  in
the sex trade; and

  WHEREAS,   Cecilia  Gentili,  in  a  truly  cathartic  and  creative
experience, published her first book in 2022, which is  a  coming-of-age
tale  structured  as letters to her friends, family, and tormentors from
her past; and

  WHEREAS, In 2023, Cecilia Gentili co-organized  Transmissions  Fest,
the  first  all-trans  music  festival  in  New York City, with proceeds
benefiting LGBTQIA+ charities; and

  WHEREAS, Among her many endeavors, Cecilia Gentili was  the  creator
and  director  of  two  theater productions, Red Ink, and The Knife Cuts
Both Ways; the former was a stand-up rendition of stories regarding  her
search   for   faith   as  a  trans  woman,  and  the  latter  being  an
autobiographical  take  on  one  trans   woman's   queer   multicultural
experience; and

  WHEREAS,  Cecilia  Gentili  was  also cast in the popular television
series, "Pose," about the drag ball culture of  the  1980s,  which  also
covered such important topics to which she spent her life advocating and
teaching  about,  such as HIV/AIDS and the adversities which transgender
people often experience, as well as highlighted  the  beautiful  moments
and  experiences which come with being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community;
and

  WHEREAS, Cecilia Gentili's commitment to excellence, and her  spirit
of  humanity,  carried  over  into  all  fields of enterprise, including
charitable and civic endeavors; and

  WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a  sense  of
compassion,  Cecilia  Gentili  leaves  behind  a  legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
she served, befriended, and impacted; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Cecilia  Gentili,  successful  advocate, talented
actress, and cherished community member; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Cecilia Gentili.