06/11/2026
BCPC mourns the passing of Elliot Leonard, whose generosity and vision helped create spaces where LGBTQ+ people could feel seen, supported and fully themselves.
As a longtime LGBTQ+ advocate and the founder of the Leonard-Litz LGBTQ Foundation, Elliot’s legacy has impacted the lives of many, including here in Brooklyn. We are especially grateful for the Foundation’s support of our TGNC Swim program that creates safe, affirming access to swimming, movement, community, and joy for transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary Brooklynites.
The Foundation once shared that supporting this work is essential because TGNC individuals deserve spaces where they can be “fully authentic, safe, and comfortable” while building connection and well-being. They described TGNC Swim as “a truly beautiful program that creates not just access, but a sense of belonging and joy that everyone deserves.”
Those words reflect exactly what this program has become: more than a swim night, it is a space of trust, care, healing, and community. That kind of belonging does not happen by accident. It is made possible by people who believe that LGBTQ+ safety, wellness, and joy are worth investing in.
We are deeply grateful for Elliot’s commitment to our community and for the lasting impact of the Foundation’s support. His legacy will continue to live on in the spaces of belonging, connection, and joy that his generosity helped make possible.
