New York’s leading gay rights organization has dismissed its executive director, who played a central role in the legalization of same-sex marriage last year.

The organization, the Empire State Pride Agenda, posted a statement on its Web site on Tuesday saying that its executive director, Ross D. Levi, was no longer serving in that position, and that his deputy, Lynn Faria, was taking over immediately as interim executive director.

People involved in the discussions said that despite the passage of the marriage measure under Mr. Levi’s watch, board members felt that his low-key, unassuming style was ill-suited to the job of executive director and that he had failed to articulate a compelling vision for the future of the organization.

Mr. Levi was fired on Monday after a pair of conference calls that day among board members of the organization and its sibling nonprofit group, the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, one board member said. The board member, who would discuss internal matters only on the condition of anonymity, said that Mr. Levi had been offered a severance package if he would resign and sign a confidentiality agreement, but that Mr. Levi had declined.