After Outrage, Adams Says He Won’t Hire Cabrera
LGBTQ community voices concern about former Bronx lawmaker’s anti-gay record
BY MATT TRACY
Following an explosion of
outrage from the LGBTQ
community, Mayor Eric
Adams backtracked from
an apparent plan to hire anti-LGBTQ
former Bronx Councilmember
Fernando Cabrera to lead the
Mayor’s Offi ce of Community Mental
Health.
Politico New York reported on
February 3 that the mayor was
looking to hire Cabrera to fi ll the
role of the rebranded offi ce that was
previously known as ThriveNYC
under the de Blasio administration.
Sally Goldenberg, who
wrote the story for Politico alongside
Amanda Eisenberg, said in a
follow-up Twitter post that three
sources told her Cabrera “was absolutely
selected” and “already met
with employees at the agency he’s
been considered for.”
That plan, however, was
scrapped after LGBTQ political
clubs, out politicians, advocates,
and others pointed to Cabrera’s
dismal record on queer issues and
urged the mayor to reconsider.
“While we don’t typically comment
on the appointments process
before an offi cial announcement,
we want to be clear — the administration
is not considering appointing
Fernando Cabrera to this critical
position,” a spokesperson for
the mayor told Gay City News in a
written statement.
Cabrera, who was term-limited
out of offi ce last year after more
than a decade in the City Council,
gained notoriety in 2014 when he
went to Uganda after the passage
of a “Kill the Gays” bill and was
caught on video praising that nation’s
government for standing up
against what he falsely described
as threats from the United States to
pull funding due to homophobia.
“Even when the United States of
America has put pressure, has told
Uganda, ‘We are not going to fund
you anymore unless you allow
gay marriage,’ they have stood in
their place,” Cabrera said. “Why?
Because the Christians have assumed
the place of decision-making
Former City Councilmember Fernando Cabrera.
for the nation.”
Over the years, Gay City News
reported extensively on Cabrera’s
anti-LGBTQ actions, from his votes
as a councilmember to his ties to
anti-LGBTQ organizations.
He voted against a bill in 2014
allowing people to change the gender
marker on their birth certifi -
cates and subsequently opposed a
bill to establish an advisory board
to implement that law.
Cabrera also opted against punishing
Ruben Diaz, Sr. — also a
former Bronx councilmember —
for homophobic remarks about
then-Speaker Corey Johnson and
LGBTQ control of the Council in
2019. The Council responded to
Diaz by dissolving his committee
on For-Hire Vehicles, but Cabrera
abstained from that vote.
Additionally, Cabrera publicly
supported the Alliance Defending
Freedom — one of the most anti-
LGBTQ legal groups — at demonstrations
and speeches, as Gay
City News previously reported.
“We need to have a new generation
of young people that are going
to raise the banner for family
values, for those things that have
made our nation great and the values
Alliance Defending Freedom
has been fi ghting for,” Cabrera
once said.
Cabrera’s homophobia, however,
is ongoing. He remains listed as the
NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL/JEFF REED
pastor of the church he founded —
New Life Outreach International
Church — which has a statement
of faith on its website stating that
marriage is “the exclusive covenantal
union of one man and one
woman.”
LGBTQ leaders and groups expressed
some relief after Adams’
team assured them that Cabrera
would not be appointed to the role.
The Stonewall Democratic Club
of New York City, which is one of
two citywide LGBTQ political
clubs, tweeted, “Thanks to all who
spoke up in opposition to his taking
on this role & to @ericadamsfornyc
for hearing us!”
Equality New York, a statewide
LGBTQ advocacy and political
group, sent out an email urging the
mayor to nix the plan and encouraging
people to sign a petition echoing
that message. On February 4,
the organization sent out another
email saying it was “excited” to hear
Adams abandoned the plan.
“Within just 12 hours we received
hundreds of signatures and
dozens of social media posts urging
Mayor Adams against appointing
Cabrera,” Equality New York said
in an email. “Thank you to everyone
who took the time to advocate
and spread the word. It is because
of you that we have this victory.”
The New Pride Agenda, another
statewide LGBTQ group, also
POLITICS
thanked the mayor for pulling Cabrera’s
name from consideration —
and the group reminded Adams of
comments he made in support of
LGBTQ rights as a state senator.
“While it is possible for two individuals
with differences of opinions
to work together, Mr. Cabrera’s
comments are immoral and deeply
out of touch with not only the
views of New Yorkers, but a majority
of Americans,” the organization
wrote in a letter to the mayor.
The reversal came after a fl ood
of tweets emerged on the evening
of February 3 in response to the
news that Cabrera was under consideration.
Christine Quinn, who was the
fi rst out LGBTQ City Council
speaker in New York City, tweeted,
“This is a HORRIBLE/offensive
idea! #LGBTQ people — particularly
young people — suffer high levels
of mental health issues/attempted
suicide. Appointing a homophobe
the head of Offi ce of Community
Mental Health will cost lives & is a
slap in the face 2 the LGBTQ community.
@NYCMayor.”
Émilia Decaudin, an out trans
Democratic District Leader in
Queens, also questioned how Cabrera
could be considered for a role
in the area of mental health.
“How could we trust that the Offi
ce would properly prioritize mental
health needs in the queer community
if Cabrera is leading it?”
Decaudin asked.
Out gay State Senator Brad
Hoylman of Manhattan also added
his voice to the conversation on
Twitter, writing, “As an LGBTQIA
elected offi cial, I’d be outraged
if the Mayor of New York City —
the world capital of tolerance and
multiculturalism — appointed an
avowed homophobe to any position
in city government.
Cabrera’s record also resurfaced
during the mayoral race last May
when former candidate Shaun
Donovan welcomed Cabrera’s
cross-endorsement, infuriating the
LGBTQ community. Cabrera had
listed Adams as his number one
candidate and ranked Donovan
second in the ranked-choice vote.
GayCityNews.com | FEBRUARY 10 - FEBRUARY 23, 2022 7
link
/GayCityNews.com
