➤ NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS, from p.8
ness by public entities — in response to its anti-
LGBTQ “bathroom bill” banning students from
using the bathroom aligned with their gender
identity.
Rose, while a political moderate, has tended
to stand on the side of the LGBTQ community
during his brief time on Capitol Hill following
his 2018 victory over incumbent Republican
Dan Donovan by just over 6 percentage points,
or 12,000 votes. He has been endorsed by the
Human Rights Campaign and the Stonewall
Democratic Club of New York City, though the
Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club does not
list him as one of their endorsed candidates.
When the House took up the comprehensive
LGBTQ non-discrimination measure known as
the Equality Act last year, Rose signed on as a
co-sponsor but was unable vote on the bill because
he was attending a funeral, a spokesperson
told Gay City News at the time. Rose’s offi ce
told Gay City News that he was noting in the
Congressional Record that he would have voted
yes, joining every other member of the city’s
congressional delegation.
While Rose has, at times, voiced support for
some of Trump’s initiatives, he has not been
afraid to blast the commander-in-chief for his
anti-LGBTQ actions. In response to Trump’s
military ban, he wrote on Twitter, “This policy
has been wrong from the start and inconsistent
TWITTER/ @MAXROSE4NY
Democratic Congressmember Max Rose engages with a constituent
during a recent campaign stop.
with the values of our country. If you want to
serve our country, and are able to do so, then
we should honor that. It should never matter
whether you are transgender or not.”
In another sign of support for the most marginalized
members of the community, Rose
joined other members of Congress in displaying
the Transgender Flag in front of his offi ce ahead
of Transgender Day of Remembrence last year.
“Proud to highlight #TransVisibilityWeek in
the Halls of Congress,” Rose wrote in a tweet on
March 28 of last year. “My transgender constituents
deserve respect, dignity, and a government
that fi ghts for them—which is why I voted
to reject the Transgender Military Ban.”
When asked for comment on the race against
Malliotakis, a spokesperson for Rose’s campaign,
in an emailed statement, wrote, “Whether
it’s helping pass the Equality Act or standing
up against discrimination against trans servicemembers,
Max is a proud ally and supporter
of the LGBTQ+ community — and always
will be.”
For what it’s worth, Rose appears to have
raised almost twice as much campaign cash
as Malliotakis, though Malliotakis has burned
through far more — $2.2 million compared to
Rose’s 1.6 million — during a race that has
grown uglier with every passing day.
Pro-Malliotakis ads have inaccurately accused
Rose of seeking to defund the police,
while Rose, a military veteran, has struck a
macho tone in his own ads, saying he doesn’t
care about polls, parties, or politics. Remaining
mindful of the fact that Trump won Staten
Island in 2016, Rose even admits in his ads that
he has stood with Trump on certain issues —
though, signifi cantly, not on impeachment.
“It’s country fi rst for me,” he quips in one of
his ads.
Malliotakis did not respond to a request for
comment for this story.
GET THE MEDICAL CARE
YOU NEED.
“
Now is the time for you and your family to get
the medical care you need and may have put
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
—
GayCityNews.com | October 22 - November 4, 2020 9
/GayCityNews.com
