Assemblywoman Bichotte celebrates World Pride
6 Caribbean Life, July 5—July 11, 2019 BQ
PATIENTS’
CHOICE
RATED & AWARDED BY PATIENTS
SM
By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn Assemblywoman
Haitian American Rodneyse
Bichotte on Sunday marched in
Manhattan with newly-elected
Councilwoman Farah Louis,
another Haitian American,
and Mayor Bill DeBlasio and
First Lady Chirlane McCray
in celebrating the 2019 Pride
March.
“As we come to a close
of the celebration of
Pride Month (June), let us
remember what it took for us
to get to this point and what
it will continue for us to move
forward in years to come,” said
Bichotte, representative for
the 42nd Assembly District,
afterwards.
“A push for change in
support for human rights
is often hard fought,” she
added. “We have seen this
in the history of the LGBTQ
movement of 50 years starting
with the Stonewall Riots of
1969 in Greenwich Village,
New York, where members
of the LGBTQ community
decided enough was enough.
“Love and acceptance on
the basis of basic civil rights
and respect is something we
should all fight for,” Bichotte
continued. “I congratulate and
stand with all advocates of the
LBGTQ movement in the fight
for equity and social justice.
“Let Pride be something we all
celebrate!”
In his remarks at the
Stonewall 50th Anniversary
Commemoration Rally,
de Blasio said he has “a
tremendous special honor” in
being the Mayor of the largest
LGBT community on the face
of the earth,” stating that he
was “proud of that.”
“People are free to be
themselves,” he said. “But
wait – and this is where
I’ve got to be serious for
a moment with all of us –
people have been free to be
themselves, but now there
are some who want to take
us backwards, aren’t there?
There are some that want to
take us backwards.
“We see people trying to
take away the rights of the
LGBT community,” he added.
“We see our trans brothers
and sisters being excluded
from our military, even
though all they want to do is
serve their nation. We see –
and I hate to have to say this
out loud, but I will – we see a
white supremacy movement
in this country.
“And I tell you, if you’re
from the LGBT community,
you should be afraid of that
white supremacy movement.
If you’re from the black
community, you should be
afraid of that white supremacy
movement. If you’re from
the Latino community, you
should be afraid of that white
supremacy movement – or
the Asian community, or
the Native community, or if
you’re a woman, or if you’re
a Jew, or if you’re a Muslim –
because that white supremacy
movement is trying to strip
away all the progress we
all have made together,” de
Blasio said.
“But they didn’t remember
one thing. They didn’t
remember that that spirit of
Stonewall is alive and well,
and we are ready to fight
back, aren’t we?” he said. “So,
I want to say to everybody
– in New York City, we have
proven that when you give
rights to more and people,
everyone benefits. When
you respect more and more
people, the whole community
gets stronger.”
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte (left) marching with
Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray .
Offi ce of Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte