➤ ELISA CRESPO, from p.24
Crespo is calling on Bronx District
Attorney Darcel Clark — who
recently apologized for deadnaming
Polanco in a press release announcing
that no criminal charges
would be made regarding Polanco’s
death — to make public the names
of the correction offi cers involved
and for them to be fi red.
She also underscored the need
for state lawmakers to pass the
HALT Act to ban solitary confi nement.
In light of the protests responding
to police brutality and racism,
Crespo also joined calls to reduce
the budget of the NYPD. She described
the force as “a standing
army” and voiced concerns about
the way cops target communities
of color in the city. Among other
changes, she wants cops to patrol
neighborhoods they’re from and
she voiced criticism about the way
the NYPD has built up a DNA database.
“Overall, I’m not saying we need
to completely abolish the police department,
but we need to transfer
some of that money over to education
and healthcare and social services,”
Crespo argued.
To that end, Crespo called out
Mayor Bill de Blasio for seeking
to halt the Unity Works workforce
development program for homeless
and runaway LGBTQ youth in the
wake of COVID-19 budget woes, all
while continuing to funnel billions
of dollars into the NYPD. She also
placed pressure on out gay City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson to
use his citywide role to vouch for
the Unity Works program.
As she continues to build up her
campaign, Crespo is confi dent she
can compete with others in the
looming race for the 15th Council
District. She is not, however, going
all the way in making the kind of
ironclad campaign fi nance pledges
that have become common among
many progressive candidates.
“I’m not taking money from corporate
PACs, but in all honesty, I
am running in a district where it
is not as easy to raise money given
the fi nancial circumstances and
the people who live here,” Crespo
said. “But it’s important to note that
nobody is going to be able to buy
me or get anything in exchange for
contributing to my campaign. I’m
not infl uenced that way.”
Crespo is remaining tight-lipped
about who she is supporting in the
hotly contested race for the 15th
Congressional District, saying on
June 10 that she has narrowed her
choices down to three of the candidates.
“I know who I will not be voting
for,” Crespo emphasized, “and
that’s Ruben Díaz, Sr., for obvious
reasons.”
➤ YANKEES, from p.22
er Brian Cashman, Yankees senior
vice president of corporate/ community
relations Brian Smith, the
Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative
co-founder and CEO Stacy Lentz,
Department of Education Chancellor
Richard Carranza, Department
of Education manager of LGBTQ
programs Eric Vaughan, and Juan
Rosales, special assistnat to the
schools chancellor.
“It was an honor to meet with so
many bright young people, and it
gave a lot of hope to me, especially
with what is going on in the world
today,” Cashman said. “It’s clear
that our fi ve scholarship recipients
will be agents of change as we continue
along the path of making the
world a safer, more accepting and
inclusive place. Congratulations
for standing out among a truly inspiring
group of individuals. We
also want to thank the Stonewall
Inn for paving the way for so many.
We hope to connect what it stands
for with the voice of the Yankees
organization to empower young
people toward lives of meaningful
action and change.”
The Yankees posted a plaque in
the stadium last year that commemorated
the 50th anniversary
of the Stonewall Uprising, which
reads in part, “This plaque serves
to honor the struggle for equality
and is a reminder of the richness
we gain by nurturing inclusion
and diversity.”
Last year’s scholars were
Francheska Colon of the Bronx,
Ashley Farrell of Staten Island,
Hugh Goldstein of Queens, Alex
Rosado of Manhattan, and a student
from Brooklyn whose name
was not publicized.
June 25- July 15, 2 26 020 | GayCityNews.com
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