Kings County District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stands alongside a diverse group of committed legal professionals, united in their dedication to justice, inclusivity, and progress at the Kings County District Attorney’s 2023 celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month.
Brooklyn Eagle photos by Robert Abruzzese.
In a poignant and powerful celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office held an event on June 27th at the Hana House in Downtown Brooklyn. The event featured a colorful drag show by Inita D, recognition of the Stonewall Gives Initiative, and a stirring keynote address by Senior ADA Debbie Dudis, the first out trans prosecutor in Brooklyn.
Debbie Dudis, in her eloquent and heartfelt speech, shared her personal journey of struggle, acceptance, and triumph as a trans woman in the legal profession, moving many attendees to both tears and applause.
“I am totally blown away by the last year and what this office has become to me. Stuff I have achieved I wouldn’t have dreamed of 10 years ago,” began Dudis, illustrating the profound transformation she has experienced. “In the last month, I marched behind the DA in the Pride march in Brooklyn, on the office’s website I am a featured employee, right now I’m speaking to a bunch of people in one of the biggest DA’s office in the United States.”
Dudis’ path to her current role, however, has been far from smooth. She opened up about her early experiences as a trans woman, sharing painful memories of feeling like an outsider, being misunderstood, and the fear and trepidation she faced in her professional and personal life.
“Back in the 60s when I was Frank, people like me were considered freaks,” Dudis recalled. “When my mother when she first heard what I was…
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