POLITICS
Rallying to Elisa Crespo After New York Post Slam
Out trans Bronx Council candidate, with broad support, responds to infl ammatory story
BY MATT TRACY
The LGBTQ community and allies
swarmed to the defense of out transgender
Bronx City Council candidate
Elisa Crespo on November 29 after
the New York Post sparked controversy with an
article that was widely blasted for sensationalizing
her past experience engaging in sex work.
In a piece about her run for City Council’s
District 15, the newspaper turned to derogatory
language to describe Crespo — who could
become the fi rst out trans city lawmaker — as
an “ex-prostitute” who “was busted in a police
sting” more than a decade ago. The story’s framing
suggested that such details were revealing,
but to the contrary Crespo has long acknowledged
her past as a key piece of her life journey
leading up to her bid for City Council, and she
spoke candidly about her past in an interview
with Gay City News earlier this year.
The Post article prompted a wave of responses
on social media, where countless individuals
stepped up to defend Crespo — including other
out trans political fi gures in the city as well as
LGBTQ elected offi cials and straight allies —
and slam the tabloid.
The story generated outrage at a time when
there has been an increased focus on a campaign
to repeal a loitering law known as a ban
on “walking while trans” due to the way in
which trans women of color are disproportionately
targeted by law enforcement offi cers for
bogus sex work-related charges. A more sweeping
movement to decriminalize sex work has
given way to a concerted focus on pressing the
State Legislature to repeal that loitering law.
That movement coincides with a fresh wave
of LGBTQ candidates running for offi ce up and
down ballots nationwide, from City Council to
State Senate and other levels of government.
“It is clear that someone is trying to smear
my campaign and make it about me when the
focus should really be about the very real issues
that people in my district face every day,” Crespo
told Gay City News in a written statement
on November 30. “We should be talking about
barriers to employment for historically marginalized
communities, we should be talking about
housing as a human right, we should be talking
about jobs and justice. If anyone thought
that this would deter me, they obviously haven’t
paid attention to my campaign. I’m proud of the
work we’ve been able to accomplish with very
little institutional support.”
Out gay Congressmember-Elect Ritchie Torres
was among those who stood up for Crespo,
who hopes to succeed him in District 15 when
he leaves the City Council and heads to Capitol
ELISA CRESPO
Out trans City Council candidate Elisa Crespo hopes to replace outgoing
Councilmember Ritchie Torres, who is headed for Congress.
Hill in Washington in January. A special election
to fi ll his City Council seat is anticipated
early next year.
“Across the country, LGBTQ candidates have
come under siege for being who we are,” Torres,
who is the fi rst out LGBTQ person elected to offi
ce in the Bronx, said in a tweet. “I speak from
fi rst-hand experience: the voters of the Bronx
won’t be swayed by appeals to bigotry. “Both the
@nypost and the scoundrels behind the hatchet
piece should be ashamed of themselves. Word
of advice: transphobia is not only bad morals.
It’s bad politics.”
Some other out LGBTQ members of the City
Council, including Carlos Menchaca of Brooklyn
and Daniel Dromm of Queens, joined in to
support Crespo on Twitter, along with allies
such as former City Council Speaker Melissa
Mark-Viverito and Assemblymember Michael
Blake of the Bronx.
The story also yielded reactions from Emilia
Decaudin, an out trans district leader in
Queens, and Alejandra Caraballo, an out trans
attorney who was running for the City Council
in Brooklyn’s District 35 before bowing out of
the race on November 30.
“Not sure I expected anything better from
the New York Post,” Decaudin wrote on Twitter.
“Sex work is work, and many BIPOC TGNC
folks do sex work because they can’t fi nd work
elsewhere, not because of some moral failing.
I’m proud to support Elisa and inspired by how
she is handling this.”
In a tweet on November 29, Caraballo wrote,
“Today’s NY Post headline about Elisa Crespo
is disgusting and vile. It’s a smear piece only
befi tting a gutter. @elisacresponyc is one of the
fi ercest advocates I know and will make a fantastic
CM. We support our trans women of color
and work to uplift them. Shame on the post.”
The wave of support also came with fresh endorsements.
Out gay Manhattan State Senator
Brad Hoylman backed behind Crespo’s candidacy
as he came to her defense.
“Elisa is an outstanding leader and I wholeheartedly
endorse her for Council,” Hoylman
said in a tweet. “I wish I was surprised to see
transphobia and anti-sex work stigma weaponized
in the papers, but I’m not. We need Elisa
in offi ce to fi ght for her community, and we need
a more inclusive press corps.”
Out non-binary Manhattan City Council
Candidate Marti Gould Cummings chimed in,
as well, as they voiced support for Crespo’s candidacy
and blasted the Post.
“I proudly support @elisacresponyc for NYC
Council,” Cummings said in a tweet. “She is
an incredible leader who continues to fi ght for
the people of her district and for our city. It is
shameful that a newspaper would try to use
sex work as a way to discredit her. Sex work is
work.”
Among others, out trans ACLU attorney Chase
Strangio — a prominent fi gure who has played
a leading role in pivotal court cases regarding
LGBTQ rights — spoke up in a brief tweet, saying,
“So much love for @elisacresponyc. Learn
more and donate.”
Crespo told Gay City News that she is “incredibly
humbled by the outpouring of support”
she has received in the aftermath of the Post
story.
“While this was a very triggering and overwhelming
moment for me, I’m battle-tested and
have gone through far more diffi cult things in
life,” Crespo said. “If anything, this has given
me more fuel to fi ght for my community. Moreover,
it shows exactly why my voice is needed in
the Council.”
Crespo additionally issued a reminder to
journalists and media outlets that they must
be responsible for the framing of their stories.
She said it was “shameful that the New York
Post would choose a sensationalized derogatory
headline that is far removed from the sentients
of the actual article simply for clickbait.”
Crespo, who would also be the fi rst out LGBTQ
woman elected to offi ce in the borough,
made it clear in her interview with Gay City
News earlier this year that she does not want to
be seen as running because she is trans.
“I just so happen to be a transgender person
who is running,” Crespo said at the time.
“I’m more than a trans woman: I’m a woman of
color, I’m a working class person, and I’ve been
through the public school system and public
housing.”
During that interview, Crespo was not afraid
➤ ELISA CRESPO, continued on p.13
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