Two Queens natives hope to spread a message of LGBTQ equality across the globe.
Evan Davidoff and Hugo Fernandes may be lifelong Queens residents, but their passion for LGBTQ rights spans across the globe.
The Astoria couple recently founded "The Global Partnership for Emerging Leaders," also known as "GPEL."
The goal is to unite LGBQT activists worldwide by hosting informational conferences and networking events.
"Worldwide LGBT rights-focused groups are still small and underfunded, so we're hoping we can help change that," said Evan Davidoff, Co-Founder of GPEL.
The duo founded the nonprofit in January, but they're officially launching it in September. In the meantime, they're spreading the word locally and around the world. The couple marched in the Queens and Brooklyn Pride Parades, and will march in the New York City parade for Pride Week.
On the global scale, they've developed connections with other activists through their website and social media. They plan on hosting their first international conference in Queens next July.
"The difference from our conference from other conferences is that they're based in kind of, not having, you know, a speaker tell you what needs to be done, but to kind of listen to the people who are actually fighting the fight back home," said Hugo Fernandes, Co-Founder of GPEL.
Fernandes and Davidoff said their number one goal in the U.S is to push lawmakers to pass a federal bill to protect LGBTQ against workplace discrimination. Their number one goal internationally is to promote acceptance and gay rights education.
"There's still 77 countries in the world where it's illegal to be gay, and we don't them to have to wait decades for those laws to be repealed," said Davidoff
GPEL is currently fundraising for their official launch later this year. For more information, visit www.gpel.org.