8 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 7, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Katz endorses Peralta for state senate re-election
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/@jenna_bagcal
As the date for the September primary
elections looms closer, Queens Borough
President Melinda Katz announced her
endorsement of current Senator Jose
Peralta’s reelection campaign.
Katz endorsed the senator on June
1, and is the latest New York City
Democrat to voice her support. Other
Democratic endorsements for Peralta
include State Senate Democratic Leader
Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assemblyman
Jeff Aubry, Bronx Borough President
Ruben Diaz Jr., and the Queens County
Democratic Party.
“I am endorsing Senator Jose Peralta to
continue his great work in representing
one of our Queens districts. Jose has time
and again demonstrated his commitment
to advancing the issues of our borough
to create jobs, protect our immigrants,
fund our schools and support our working
Jackson Heights outraged over anti-gay attack after Pride Parade
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz
Cops continue to look for the suspects
who attacked a 25-year-old man on a
Jackson Heights street on Sunday night in
an assault that’s now being investigated as
a possible bias crime.
Police said the attack occurred at about
10 p.m. on June 3 in the vicinity of 83rd
Street and 37th Avenue.
Sources familiar with the investigation
said that the victim was walking through
the area when he was approached from
behind by two male suspects, both of
whom yelled profanities and an anti-gay
slur at him. Th ey then proceeded to punch
the man from behind multiple times,
knocking him to the ground in the process.
Following the assault, the perpetrators
fl ed on foot northbound on 37th Avenue
toward 83rd Street.
Offi cers from the 115th Precinct
responded to the incident. Th e victim
suff ered a bruised lip, a bloodied nose and
other minor injuries, but refused medical
attention.
Police described the two suspects as
black men of an unknown age. No other
descriptive information was immediately
available.
Th e assault occurred just hours aft er
members of the LGBT community
celebrated Pride Month during the
Queens Pride Parade along 37th Avenue
in Jackson Heights. State Senator Jose
Peralta quickly condemned the possible
bias crime in a statement issued on
Monday aft ernoon.
“Just hours aft er we all came together
and celebrated the Queens Pride Parade,
a neighbor was attacked in the district
as the perpetrators slurred anti-gay epithets
at him. Th is is intolerable,” Peralta
said. “As the NYPD investigates this savage
crime, it is my hope that the attacker
or attackers are prosecuted and held
accountable for their actions. We must
ensure we all work together to put an end
to hate, and send a clear message of unity
and solidarity.”
Councilman Daniel Dromm, who represents
much of Jackson Heights and
chairs the City Council’s LGBT Caucus,
expressed outrage about the attack.
“It is horrifi c that a member of the
LGBTQ community experienced such
violence aft er Queens Pride, a celebration
of who we are,” Dromm said in a
June 5 statement. “I founded the parade
in 1993 as a way to fi ght back against such
anti-LGBTQ oppression. While the fi ght
for equality and justice for LGBTQ people
in Queens has come a long way since
then, sadly, attacks like these still occur.
Th ey are in no way representative of
Jackson Heights or our borough, and we
will continue to resist attempts like these
which seek to force us back into the closet.
Queens Pride is about LGBTQ visibility,
our greatest asset, and will remain so.”
Anyone with information regarding
the assault can call the 115th Precinct
Detective Squad at 718-533-2039 or
Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS. All calls
are kept confi dential.
families. Jose will ensure Queens’ values
are represented in Albany, and I look
forward to furthering our partnership to
bring opportunity and prosperity to our
borough,” Katz said.
Peralta has been the senator for New
York’s 13th Senate District since 2010 and
is running against Jessica Ramos, a grassroots
candidate from Jackson Heights.
Th e senator’s current district covers
areas in Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst,
Corona, Woodside and Astoria. Th e
incumbent expressed his appreciation for
the Queens borough president’s recent
endorsement.
“I am humbled by Melinda’s confi -
dence in me to continue representing
my Queens district and bring progressive
leadership for our state. Together, we have
been successful in increasing school seats,
upgrading our treasured parks and preserving
aff ordable housing. Melinda has
been a champion for our borough, and I
will continue working with her to improve
the lives of Queens residents,” Peralta said.
In addition to New York City
Democrats, Peralta has also received the
endorsements of multiple labor unions,
including RWDSU, Plumbers Local 1,
Uniformed Fire Offi cers Association,
Uniformed Firefighters Association,
CWA Local 1180, Teamsters Local 831,
Steamfi tters Local 638, DC37 Local 1407,
DC37 Local 372, DC 9 Painters and the
New York State Troopers PBA.
According to his website, he advocates
for working families and ensuring that
the right to public education was opened
to all. In addition, he is a “champion of
economic development and job creation”
and staunchly supports immigrant rights.
Th e primary elections between Senator
Peralta and Ramos will take place on Sept.
13. Th e candidate who wins the primary
will go on to the November 2018 general
election.
Photo via newyorksenate.gov
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz endorses Senator Jose Peralta on June 1.
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