Corey’s Got a New Flame
Council speaker posting his new man’s photo stirs fl ap on social media
BY MATT TRACY
Look out, Corey is seeing
someone — and it isn’t
presidential wannabe Jay
Inslee!
Barely a week after out gay City
Council Speaker Corey Johnson
professed no small measure of
lust for the governor of Washington,
whom he described as a “HOT
COOL SMART DAD,” the 37-yearold
mayoral hopeful posted a rather
cryptic Instagram photo on August
8 of a shirtless man with the caption,
“Thursday night…”
Johnson confi rmed in an interview
with the New York Post that
the man in the photo is an entrepreneur
named Ernest and added
he is “very excited and happy and
proud to show the person that I’m
just really excited to get to know.”
But the post by Johnson, who
has been open in the past about being
single and yearning for a husband
someday, fueled criticism on
Twitter the following morning from
a woman with ties to one of Johnson’s
2021 rivals — City Comptroller
Scott Stringer.
“Corey Johnson, the NYC Council
INSTAGRAM/ COREY JOHNSON
Out gay City Council Speaker Corey Johnson is
generating buzz after posting this photo of his
new man, Ernest.
Speaker, posted this photo on
social media at midnight,” wrote
Audrey Gelman, who served as
deputy communications director
for Stringer’s successful 2013
bid for city comptroller and is now
CEO of The Wing, which provides
a women-focused workspace. “If
a woman elected offi cial did this,
they wouldn’t have a job in the
morning.”
But by midday on August 9,
Gelman deleted her tweet after it
garnered criticism in light of the
historic tendency of straight folks
— especially conservative Republicans
— to police LGBTQ bodies
and condemn queer folks who dare
shed any clothing in the public eye.
Homophobic dog whistles have especially
been seen in the context
of Pride celebrations, where critics
have at times argued that children
should not be exposed to people
who are not wearing enough clothing
for their liking.
Though Gelman provided no examples
of women, elected or otherwise,
losing their job for celebrating
the male body, Johnson told the
Post that he agrees there is a double
standard, saying, “It’s not right, it’s
POLITICS
not fair, and my current happiness
doesn’t gloss over the importance
of addressing that double standard
that women face.”
And although the speaker was
willing to post a photo of Ernest, he
is opting to keep other aspects of
their relationship out of the public
eye — at least for now.
“I’m proud of Ernest, he’s a great
guy,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to
get into too many details out of respect
for his privacy.”
Hours later, the Post identifi ed
the new beau as Ernest J. Martin,
a 33-year-old fi lmmaker and fashion
photographer. Privacy can be a
tough nut on social media.
DONATE YOUR CAR
Wheels For Wishes
benefiting
Make-A-Wish®
Metro New York
* 100% Tax Deductible
* Free Vehicle Pickup ANYWHERE
* We Accept Most Vehicles Running or Not
* We Also Accept Boats, Motorcycles & RVs
WheelsForWishes.org
* Car Donation Foundation d/b/a Wheels For Wishes. To learn more about our programs or
Call:(917) 336-1254
DEMAND JUSTICE
Victims of sexual abuse by
Catholic clergy or by authority
figures at school have rights.
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY LAW HAVE
EXTENDED THE TIME PERIOD IN WHICH TO FILE
YOUR SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM. ACT NOW TO GET
YOUR CLAIM TIMELY FILED.
CLERGY ABUSE ATTORNEY HOTLINE 800-444-9112
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
DOUGLAS & LONDON, P.C. 59 MAIDEN LN, 6TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10038
THE MATTHEWS LAW FIRM, PLLC, 244 5TH AVENUE, SUITE 2882, NY, NY 10001
MAIN OFFICE: 2905 SACKETT STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 77098
GayCityNews.com | August 15 - August 28, 2019 25
/WheelsForWishes.org
/GayCityNews.com
