Young Republicans Go Underground for NYC Bash
After being crushed in New York elections, GOP’s new blood is laying low
BY ANDY HUMM
The New York Young Republican Club
(NYYR) has been selling tickets for
its 108th “gala” — allegedly on December
3— for months but almost
like a closeted gay group from the 1950s is trying
to keep its location secret from the public.
While it is Republican extremists around the
country who have been openly threatening violence
— often against GOP election offi cials who
have certifi ed the election of Joe Biden — Gavin
Wax, the president of the club who would not
return calls from Gay City News, has expressed
fear that attendees could be in danger from activists
on the left if the location were known.
Rise & Resist had been looking to protest
the event as a COVID-19 “super-spreader.” On
Thanksgiving Day, the group took a Trump
Rat balloon to Caldwell Factory, an event space
in Chelsea that had been listed by NYYR as
the venue. A spokesperson for the venue said,
“The Caldwell Factory has no knowledge of
this event. Due to the pandemic and government
restrictions, the venue has been closed for
REUTERS/ MANDEL NGAN
Florida Republican US House fi rebrand Matt Gaetz is said to be
headlining a young Republican gathering — possibly a superspreader
event — somewhere in Manhattan on December 3.
months, and remains so, and no events have
been booked.”
NYYR also listed MMEink as its party planner,
but that outfi t, too, denied any association
with the event and said all of their events have
been canceled during the pandemic. NYYR had
previously listed another event space, Landmark
on the Park on Central Park West, as
their venue but that spot, too, has suspended
POLITICS
all gatherings and said it never agreed to do one
with the Republicans.
All of this suggests that New York Young Republicans,
like their hero, the lame duck Donald
Trump, have been doing all this for attention
and they have gotten lots from the media,
the governor, out gay Manhattan State Senator
Brad Hoylman, Out gay Chelsea City Council
Speaker Corey Johnson, the City Sheriff’s offi
ce, and the New York State Department of
Health.
But in this past election they were woefully
unsuccessful in attracting votes. Biden beat
Trump 60.2 to 38.3 percent statewide and 86.8
to 12.3 percent in Manhattan. The New York
State Legislature now has — for the fi rst time
— veto-proof Democratic majorities in both the
Assembly and Senate, and of course there is a
Democratic governor.
The club baited people with a promised appearance
by former half-term Governor Sarah
Palin of Alaska, but switched to Representative
Matt Gaetz, a fl amboyantly Trumpist Republi-
➤ YOUNG REPUBLICANS, continued on p.13
Bill de Blasio
Mayor
Dave A. Chokshi, MD, MSc
Commissioner
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