Joe Grabarz
Joe Grabarz served as Chief of Staff for the City of Bridgeport from 1985 to 1988 and then as a State Representative from Bridgeport from 1988-1992 where he was one of the first openly gay State elected officials in the country and the first in Connecticut. As a legislator on the Public Health Committee, member of Act Up and other organizations Joe was instrumental in the fight against HIV pioneering legislation on needle exchange and HIV insurance coverage. He has participated in several world conferences advocating for HIV treatment and a cure. He was appointed to the first Housing Committee of the legislature and was a strong advocate for better state housing policies.
He lobbied numerous city and state legislatures across the country and the US Congress and the Federal Executive branch as Legislative and Policy Director for the Human Rights Campaign Fund and was the first person officially invited to the White House as an openly gay person in the history of the country. He was the Field Director of the national Health Care Reform Project and other reform entities in Washington DC, working very closely with US Senate leaders and the White House during the push for health reform during the Clinton Administration.
Joe led numerous civil rights efforts and lobbied the CT General Assembly as the Executive Director of Connecticut Civil Liberties Union. As the Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda Joe led the effort to pass a gay civil rights bill in New York State and establish the country’s first ever LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network. He operated a successful small business evaluating the finances of housing cooperatives and condominiums in New York City.
He joined Gallo & Robinson, LLC (formerly Betty Gallo & Co.) as a lobbyist for the 2007 Legislative Session. In addition to advocating before numerous state legislatures for a variety of civil rights and health issues.
Joe has worked on several film and art projects including “Everything Relative” a film referred to as “The Lesbian Big Chill.” He was a key to the success of Dancers Responding to AIDS Fire Island Dance Festival during its formative years, raising millions of dollars for Broadway Cares and receiving the Bess Shenton Memorial Award for his services. He has also received numerous awards and recognition from other organizations including; The CT Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, NOW, The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-violence Project, The CT Psychological Association, CT Coalition for Choice, CT Athletic Trainers Association, CT Optometric Society, The Congress of CT Community Colleges, CT AIDS Consortium. AIDS Ministries of CT, United Way of CT, The Human Rights Campaign Fund, The Community Justice Coalition, Win-PAC, Northeast Citizen Action Center, The Hartford Courant Tapestry Award, The Bridgeport Community Justice Coalition, CT NARAL, CT Coalition for Children, CT Civil Liberties Union.
Joe is a beekeeper who is very concerned about pollinator health and is an advocate for urban beekeeping. He is a glassblower certified by one of the oldest glassblowing furnaces of Murano, Venice Italy.
