Speaker Christine C. Quinn
Reports to the LGBT Community
April 2011
April 5, 2011
Dear New Yorker,
While 2011 got off to a great start, with some terrific victories and announcements on both the local and national fronts, we’ve recently seen a rise in LGBT-related hate crimes in New York City.
We have a new LGBT and HIV/AIDS liaison on board here at the City Council, Carlos Menchaca. He and my office have been working closely with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and advocates to respond to the recent assaults in Queens and the West Village. We’re also redoubling our efforts to combat hate and violence in our city.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of a bias-related crime, please call 911 and/or report it to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force at (646) 610-5267.
And please feel free to contact Carlos if my office can be of any help to you. You can reach him by phone at (212) 788-5646 or by e-mail at cmenchaca@council.nyc.gov.
Below are some of my office’s recent activities on issues of concern to the LGBT and HIV/AIDS community.
HATE CRIMES BULLETIN
On the morning of March 12th, a group of young men viciously attacked and killed Anthony Collao simply because they thought he was gay.
This cowardly act of violence took the life a young man who was proud of who he was and much loved by his family and friends.
I know the Queens community is as outraged as I am that another hate crime has occurred here in our City. A vigil for Anthony was held on March 24th in Woodhaven near the site of the murder. To read more, click on the links below:
* http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Queens-Teen-Beaten-to-Death-in-Alleged-Bias-Attack-118017664.html
* http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42262213/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/
* http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2011/03/16/news/top_stories/doc4d80b5db09779753712089.txt
* http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/25/Vigil_Held_for_NY_Hate_Crime_Victim/
I’d like to thank the NYPD for taking swift action in this case. I’d also to thank the Queens community for rallying together and remaining strong in the wake of this horrible attack.
Shockingly, another incident occurred two weekends ago when Damien Furtch was violently beaten in the West Village. To read more, click on the links below:
* http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8043090
* http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/03/police-seek-attackers-in-latest-anti-gay-assault-in-new-yorks-west-village/
*http://www.dnainfo.com/20110330/manhattan/man-attacked-outside-west-village-mcdonalds-apparent-hate-crime-reports-say
While thankfully Damien is alive and recovering, these acts of violence are completely unacceptable, and we must continue to use every tool available to us to combat hate and violence in our city.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of a bias-related crime, please call 911 and/or report it to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force at (646) 610-5267.
SPEAKING OUT AGAINST KILLINGS IN UGANDA
On January 26, 2011, David Kato, a gay rights activist, was savagely bludgeoned to death in Uganda.
Kato was the face of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an advocacy group actively campaigning against the country’s controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Kato’s death as the result of the prevailing climate of homophobia in Uganda – a charge the government refutes.
I joined hundreds of New Yorkers at vigil in February to speak out against this brutal killing. To view a clip on YouTube, click here.
THE CALL FOR MORE INCLUSIVE ST. PAT’S PARADES CONTINUES
Our citywide call for inclusive St. Patrick’s Day parades continued this year.
I wrote letters to several parade committees, including those that oversee the Staten Island, Brooklyn (Park Slope) and Manhattan St. Patrick’s Day parades. In each letter, I expressed my extreme disappointment and concern that the Irish LGBT community still isn’t being allowed to march openly in a respectful and identifiable way. I also expressed hope that we could begin a respectful dialogue and find common ground, so that all of us can celebrate together and walk side-by-side as we do every year in Sunnyside, Queens, at the St. Pat’s for All Parade.
In an historic move, Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore officially met with Irish LGBT New Yorkers. This is the first time in history that the Irish Government has officially taken a meeting with the LGBT Irish. His message was clear: “Exclusion is not an Irish thing,” and was proud to say he supports an inclusive St. Patrick’s Day parade.
As reported in the Irish Voice, foreign minister Eamon Gilmore said it best:
“What these parades are about is a celebration of Ireland and Irishness. I think they need to celebrate Ireland as it is, not as people imagine it. Equality is very much the center of who we are in our identity in Ireland.”
You can read more about our fight for more inclusiveness by clicking on the links below:
* http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2011/03/18/gay_city_news/news/doc4d8114aed13a5869325140.txt
* http://www.gaycitynews.com/articles/2011/03/18/gay_city_news/news/doc4d83c90b36a9f486919930.txt
You can also read the letters I sent to the parade committees in Brooklyn Park Slope and Staten Island.
SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 16th CITY COUNCIL PRIDE EVENT
Pride Month is fast approaching. Please mark your calendar for Thursday, June 16th at 5:30 p.m. as Council Members Rosie Mendez, Daniel Dromm, Jimmy Van Bramer and I host our 2011 Pride Celebration. Invitations to be sent out shortly.
WHITE HOUSE AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE STOP DEFENDING DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT (DOMA)
This past February, we achieved a major milestone in our fight for equality with the announcement that the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice will no longer be defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Like many Americans, I was happy to see President Obama and Attorney General Holder take this historic and long overdue step on behalf of the LGBT community.
While we have much more to accomplish, we should be proud that our community has come together to successfully advocate for what is right for America. Congress should waste neither its time nor its limited resources trying to protect this discriminatory law.
UPDATE ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN
As reported by Capitol News this past week (http://www.capitaltonight.com/2011/04/quinn-in-albany-continues-same-sex-marriage-lobbying) meetings with the Governor’s office on marriage equality are continuing.
We’re very hopeful that in the near future, New York will pass Marriage Equality, allowing LGBT couples, many of them with families, to legally marry and access all the rights and privileges.
We will be hosting marriage equality panels in all five boroughs to rally folks and build support for our campaign. We will keep everyone posted and alert you to any actions you can take to help us achieve marriage equality once and for all.
IMPORTANT VICTORY IN TRANSGENDER MARRIAGE LICENSE CASE
On March 8, 2011, we achieved an important win in our fight for equality when the City Clerk’s Office announced that it is was implementing guidelines to ensure that transgendered New Yorkers aren’t discriminated against when applying for a marriage license with their partner.
This case stems from a complaint my office received from a transgender opposite sex couple who was refused a marriage license by the City Clerk’s Office.
In addition to implement new guidelines, the City Clerk’s Office will also be providing training for staff.
I want to thank the City Clerk Michael McSweeney and his office for moving quickly to ensure that other transgender couples won’t face this type of discrimination. I also want to thank the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund for the critically important work they are doing to help make our city devoid of discrimination.
STATEMENT ON LACK OF COMPANY-WIDE TRANSGENDER POLICY AT WALMART
While our city continues to take steps to protect the rights of all New Yorkers, Walmart has shown yet again it’s a poor fit to do business in NYC.
The world’s largest retailer no only excludes transgender people in its non-discrimination policies, but they also don’t voluntarily offer domestic partner benefits to its LGBT employees, only doing so when required to by state law.
Walmart’s lack of inclusion in its diversity policies are the very antithesis of what we in NYC want and expect from our corporate partners.
2nd ANNUAL RESPECT FOR ALL WEEK
Our second annual “Respect For All Week” (RFA) was a huge success!
During RFA week (Feb. 14-18), we called on advocates and schools to combat bullying and bias-based harassment by providing training and programming. While this one week highlights the critical need for tolerance and understanding, we must encourage this positive behavior all year round, and I would like to thank everyone for continuing to make this a priority in their daily lives.
With our collective leadership, the NYC Department of Education has expanded on our commitment to the RFA mission by:
- expanding school safety teams to include an RFA liaison to help address harassment, intimidation and bullying;
- identifying and formally recognizing schools with strong programs about diversity and anti-bullying; and
- establishing a best practices manual for principals on harassment, intimidation and bullying.
You can read more about RFA week and these new expansions by clicking on the links below:
* http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/mediarelations/NewsandSpeeches/2010-2011/rfaweekrelease021811.htm
* http://www.qgazette.com/news/2011-02-23/Front_Page/Ferreras_Visits_Local_Schools_In_Show_Of_Respect_F.html
* http://www.queenscourier.com/articles/2011/02/22/news/top_stories/doc4d641f81efd53766005149.txt
* http://foresthills.patch.com/articles/respect-for-all-week-at-forest-hills-high-school
* http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/02/18/wide-ranging-anti-bullying-effort-underway-at-nyc-schools/
* http://www.wnyc.org/articles/wnyc-news/2011/feb/18/city-schools-expand-anti-bullying-initiative/
* http://www.ny1.com/content/news_beats/education/134236/doe–city-to-step-up-anti-bullying-programs/
* http://gothamschools.org/2011/02/18/as-city-expands-anti-bullying-effort-union-warns-of-backsliding/
For more info about Respect for All, including next year’s RFA Week (February 13-17, 2012) and ways to get involved in these efforts, please contact Carlos Menchaca in my office at (212) 488-5646 or cmenchaca@council.nyc.gov.
I TALK BECAUSE: NATIONAL WEEK OF PRAYER FOR THE HEALING OF AIDS
The “I Talk Because” HIV/AIDS Awareness campaign continues and during the National Week of Prayer (March 6-12) for the healing of AIDS, we were able to hear from some of our City’s clergy and lay leaders.
+++ See Reverend Butts Talk About HIV/AIDS because…
http://www.youtube.com/user/Italkbecause#p/c/25F5B0E06341FBC6/71/pFTX3jdqnzw
Why talk about HIV/AIDS to the people in your life? We know that open and honest conversations can help prevent new HIV infections and reduce the stigma attached to people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, over 100,000 New Yorkers are living with HIV/AIDS, and thousands don’t even know they’re infected.
Join the conversation! Film and upload your own testimonial. Let us know why it’s important for you to talk about HIV/AIDS with the people in your life.
1. Begin your video with “My name is _________ and I talk about HIV/AIDS because…….”
2. Upload your video to YouTube today.
3. Email the URL of your video to italkbecause@gmail.com.
For more info, call Carlos Menchaca at (212) 788-5646.
SUPPORTING THE HARVEY MILK STAMP
A growing grassroots movement is currently underway to honor the late Harvey Milk with an official commemorative stamp.
As the first openly gay person elected to public office in the U.S., Harvey Milk blazed the path that made it possible for so many openly gay public officials, including myself, to serve in office. His refusal to back down and accept second-class status continues to inspire generations of Americans across the country.
If you’d like to join this campaign, feel free to use my letter of support to draft your own and send it to:
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee
c/o Stamp Development
U.S. Postal Service
1735 North Lynn Street, Suite 5013
Arlington, VA 22209-6432
For additional information, call the National Campaign Director at 602-469-6310
or email harveymilkstampdir@cox.net.
LOOKING AHEAD
Whether combating hate, building inclusiveness or continuing our fight for marriage equality, we still have our work cut out for us if we’re going to build on the progress we’ve seen this year, and I look forward to working with you on these and other fronts in the weeks and months ahead.
In the meantime, please feel free to contact our new LGBT and HIV/AIDS liaison, Carlos Menchaca if my office can be of any help to you. Again, you can reach him by phone at (212) 788-5646 or by e-mail at cmenchaca@council.nyc.gov.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council
