➤ MAYORAL FORUM, from p.12
criminalization “that can work.”
Menchaca, unsurprisingly, gave a fullthroated
endorsement of the comprehensive
decriminalization effort, saying he “absolutely”
supports it, while also noting that he has been
fi ghting for that issue “for a long time.”
Morales similarly said she backs full decriminalization
and had choice words for those who
support the Nordic Model as she echoed the
rhetoric of activists who have maintained that
the model would continue to harm sex workers.
Another candidate offering explicit support
of decriminalization was Stringer, who was a
top backer of out queer public defender Tiffany
Cabán last year when she prioritized decriminalization
as a top issue during her bid for the
Democratic nomination for Queens district attorney.
Stringer also presented one of the more LGBTQ
focused opening statements of the event.
After disclosing that he has known Roskoff
since the comptroller was “a very young kid,”
Stringer touted his own activism in the fi ght for
marriage equality and reminded viewers of his
2015 legislative proposal that sought to require
all single-occupancy public bathrooms to be
gender-neutral.
“I know my record of 35 years fi ghting for the
LGBTQ community is real,” Stringer said.
Among others who discussed LGBTQ issues
in their opening statements was Wiley, who recalled
working as an attorney on cases that intersected
the dual crises of HIV/ AIDS and discrimination
facing the LGBTQ community. She
said one of her earliest cases as a civil rights
lawyer featured an HIV-positive client who was
getting booted from his home and ousted from
his job.
While Wiley expressed general support for
sex work decriminalization, her fi nal position
on that issue remains unclear because she said
she was not familiar enough with the Nordic
Model to offer a stance on it. She also was evasive
on a series of other questions — including
whether the city should do away with the vice
squad.
That question yielded more direct answers
from other candidates, such as Menchaca, who
said, “Amen, yes, now,” when asked whether the
➤ 21 IN ‘21 from p.14
Cabán also welcomed the endorsement, writing,
“Grateful for @21in21NYC ‘s support as we
fi ght for a more representative Council and a
more equitable New York City!”
With the hashtag #WomenPower, Schulman
echoed the tweets posted by Hudson and
Cabán.
“So proud to have the endorsement of @21in-
21NYC,” Schulman wrote. “Thank you to the
awesome board members and congrats to all
JIM OWLES LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB
After former Obama administration cabinet member Shaun Donovan
claimed he would be the “true progressive in this race,” he
offered a compromised position on sex work decriminalization.
JIM OWLES LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Former non-profi t CEO Dianne Morales offered unwavering support
for comprehensive sex work decriminalization.
JIM OWLES LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia was the sole
candidate to voice opposition to eliminating the NYPD vice squad.
JIM OWLES LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB
Out gay Brooklyn Councilmember Carlos Menchaca, the lone out
LGBTQ candidate in the mayoral forum, expressed strong support
for full sex work decriminalization and for the elimination of the
NYPD’s vice squad.
the other super dynamic endorsees. Looking
forward to having you as colleagues in the next
City Council.”
Crespo spoke up on Twitter, as well, praising
the other candidates and even congratulating
her opponent, Ischia Bravo, who wound up securing
21 in ‘21’s fi rst-choice endorsement.
“Electing more womxn to the @NYCCouncil
is a must,” Crespo wrote. “It’s time our local govt
refl ect our city’s population. Congratulations to
all the amazing and strong womxn endorsed
vice squad should be disbanded. Stringer, Morales,
Adams, and Donovan also vowed to do
away with the unit.
Garcia was the only candidate to explicitly
oppose the elimination of the controversial vice
squad, which was already under scrutiny long
before calls to reform the police department escalated
over the summer.
One of the most disturbing stories tied to
that squad emerged in November of 2017 when
a woman named Yang Song fell to her death
from a window when vice offers were chasing
her. Song had informed her family that she was
sexually assaulted by an undercover cop and
her family said they were afraid Song died as
part of “a retaliation from the police and they
forced her to die,” according to The Appeal.
A decade ago, Gay City News broke a series
of stories about gay men who met undercover
vice cops in adult video stores and made plans
to leave for consensual sexual encounters only
to have police charge they were soliciting sex
for pay.
In time other media outlets picked the story
up, convictions based on those arrests were
voided, and the Bloomberg administration repudiated
the tactic. No offi cers were held responsible
for the false arrests, however.
The forum also touched on other issues facing
New Yorkers, including zoning, affordable
housing, homelessness, and whether the mayor
should meddle in the speaker’s race.
Morales, Menchaca, Wiley, and Adams all
said they believe the NYPD commissioner
should require confi rmation by the City Council,
while Donovan, Stringer, and Garcia said
no to that idea.
Out gay City Council Speaker Corey Johnson,
who recently dropped out of the mayoral
race, delivered opening remarks and reminded
candidates that the race for mayor is quickly
approaching — and will especially heat up following
next month’s election.
“Many New Yorkers are going to immediately
turn toward the Democratic primary in June of
2021 and even though I am no longer a candidate
for mayor, I am paying deep interest to this
race,” said Johnson, who expressed his hope
that “we defeat our racist criminal president
and send him packing and hopefully we get a
Democratic Senate and expand our majority in
House.”
by @21in21NYC and congratulations to my colleague
in the race @Bronxbravo for securing
her endorsement.”
Overall, 76 percent of 21 in ‘21’s fi rst-choice
endorsed candidates are women of color, 52
percent are mothers, and 100 percent have
committed to ensuring gender parity in their
hiring decisions, according to 21 in ‘21.
The list also includes one Republican primary
candidate, Felicia Kalan, running in the
same district as Cabán.
October 22 - November 4,28 2020 | GayCityNews.com
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