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FOUNDING MEMBER
POLITICS
Brooklyn LGBTQ Democrats Endorse
Four Queer Council Candidates
BY MATT TRACY
Lambda Independent Democrats
of Brooklyn (LID), an
LGBTQ political club, endorsed
a slate of four queer
City Council candidates at the organization’s
virtual meeting on November
19.
The club threw its support behind
Crystal Hudson in District 35, Jacqui
Painter in District 38, Josue Pierre in
District 40, and Wilfredo Florentino
in District 42. LID made the endorsements
roughly seven months ahead
of voters fl ocking to the polls for Democratic
primary competitions across
the city.
The endorsement in District 35
was much anticipated in a race that
also features two other LGBTQ candidates
— out gay community leader
Terrance Knox, a former LID copresident
who did not seek the club’s
support, and out trans attorney c —
and gives Hudson a boost in her bid
to become the fi rst out LGBTQ Black
woman elected to the Council. The
winner of the race will ultimately replace
term-limited Councilmember
Laurie Cumbo, the majority leader.
As she addressed the club, Hudson
noted her diverse work experience
spanning from sports marketing
to politics and asserted she made
a career change to work for Cumbo
because she sought to serve her local
community. Hudson has faced
heat from her opponents for her stint
working under Cumbo, who has been
criticized for land use decisions such
as her approval of the oft-criticized
Bedford Union Armory project.
In a written statement, Hudson
said she is “honored” to land the support
of LID.
“I am proud to partner with LID’s
members as we work to get the 35th
District, Brooklyn, and all of New
York City through one of the most
challenging health and economic crises
of our time,” Hudson said.
Although Caraballo — who hopes
to become the fi rst out trans city lawmaker
— was unsuccessful in her
bid to secure LID’s endorsement, she
used her speech in front of the club
to expand on her experience as an
attorney and explain how that work
has sharpened her political perspective
TWITTER/ @CRYSTALRHUDSON
Crystal Hudson beat out two other LGBTQ candidates
to secure Lambda’s endorsement in District 35.
as a supporter of the sex work
decriminalization movement and the
need to hold police accountable.
“Over the years I saw exactly how
the NYPD impacted communities of
color and the LGBTQ community,”
Caraballo said.
In District 38, Jacqui Painter — an
out queer Democratic Party County
Committee member and activist running
to succeed out gay Councilmember
Carlos Menchaca in Sunset Park
and Red Hook — landed LID’s support
less than a month after publicly
launching her campaign. The
27-year-old old stressed that the city
has forgotten about working class
communities, immigrants, seniors,
and others in her district, where she
said public housing residents suffer
in inhumane conditions and Hurricane
Sandy relief has been too slow
to come.
Striking an aggressive tone on policing,
Painter joined the chorus of
candidates who are calling for drastic
reductions in the NYPD’s budget.
She said she wants the police department’s
cut the budget in half.
“I’m honored and thankful to be
endorsed by LID,” Painter said in a
written statement. “As a queer woman
this is very special to me. LID has
been on the front lines fi ghting for
social justice and LGBTQ+ rights for
decades.”
In District 40, Pierre secured the
endorsement of LID less than a year
after he slammed the brakes on a
campaign for State Senate against
Democratic incumbent Kevin Parker
and instead jumped in the race to
succeed term-limited Councilmember
Mathieu Eugene, who is the fi rst
Haitan-born city lawmaker.
Pierre, who is a cousin of Brooklyn
Democratic Party boss Rodneyse
Bichotte, touched on his personal
life, recalling his journey as a young
child moving to Flatbush from Haiti
at age fi ve and growing up in a twobedroom
apartment with his mother,
a home health aide, and his father,
who worked as a mechanic.
Pierre also touted his diverse professional
background, pointing to
past gigs such as his work under City
Comptroller Scott Stringer, as he emphasized
that he has a well-rounded
portfolio heading into the 2021 campaign.
He has also served as a district
leader and on his local community
board.
Pierre also conveyed the hope that
more Black queer individuals would
soon gain seats at the table in the
New York City political world.
“There was a time when it would
have seemed impossible to be an LGBTQ+
Black man to want to run in
Flatbush,” Pierre said. “But we are at
the precipice of major changes, and
I do believe we will have more Black
LGBTQ+ people in the next Council
and I look forward to being one of
them.”
In Distrct 42, Florentino — who
told Gay City News earlier this year
about his experience as a foster parent
— described himself as a gay
Afro-Latinx husband, father, veteran,
lifelong community advocate,
and Brooklynite. He informed club
members about his experience navigating
the military during Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell and segued that point into
a broader message about policing. He
denounced the over-militarization of
law enforcement and stressed that
weapons of war should not be used in
residential communities.
In accepting LID’s endorsement,
Florentino said, “LID’s support is an
acknowledgement of our fi ght toward
equity, justice, and transparency,
and a repudiation of politics that
have worked for the few and not the
many.”
November 26 - December 2,24 2020 | GayCityNews.com
/GayCityNews.com
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