City Council Speake Gifford Miller looked pleased as he greeted
people at the Pride March down Fifth Avenue.
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By JAMES WITHERS
Friday, July 01, 2005
Breaking with 15 years of tradition, Empire State Pride Agenda has decided
to give its support in a primary race. An hour before the march down Fifth Avenue,
ESPA announced it would back City Council Speaker Gifford Miller in his race
for the Democratic mayoral nomination.
“Gifford Miller has earned this endorsement,” said ESPA Executive
Director Alan Van Capelle “No one can question Miller’s commitment
to LGBT rights. At every opportunity, Gifford Miller has seized his moment and
led this community. He has used his position in unprecedented ways to aid this
community.”
Van Capelle pointed to a number of Miller’s initiatives. In 2004, for
example, Miller cosponsored the Equal Benefits Bill, which would require city
contractors to provide similar benefits to employees in domestic-partner relationships
that they do for employees’ spouses. Mayor Bloomberg vetoed the bill,
but the City Council overrode it. Currently the bill is now making its way through
the courts.
“You don’t have to convince Gifford that our community faces discrimination
everyday,” Van Capelle said. “He gets it and he’s willing
to do something about it.”
Van Capelle did note that all of the candidates in the Democratic field —
Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields, former Bronx Borough President
Fernando Ferrer and Queens Congressman Anthony Weiner —all had excellent
records on gay issues. They have all come out in support of same sex marriage.
In a dream field for gay advocates, however, he said Miller stood out. “Gay
people know what is not like to have friends,” Van Capelle said. “One
candidate in this race stands above the others in his commitment.”
The ESPA endorsement was welcome news to Miller, who in a recent Quinnipiac
University poll lags behind front runners Ferrer and Fields. “I’m
so proud to have ESPA support,” Miller said. “This is a huge boost.
I’m very humbled to have this endorsement. It is a validation of the work
I have been doing over the past ten years in the City Council.”
Miller repeated what he has often said in the past — that gay rights
are part of the larger civil rights struggle in the city and country. “We
have to acknowledge our city, state and country systematically discriminates
against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people,” Miller said.
“I want to live in a city where everyone has equal rights.”
Miller also offered harsh words for Bloomberg on the subject. “Unfortunately
this mayor has not stood up,” Miller said. “There is no excuse for
not being a leader. I want to lead a city where every single New Yorker has
equal rights.”
Democratic consultant Ethan Geto sees the ESPA endorsement of Miller as good
politics. “The Empire State Pride Association’s support for Speaker
Miller follows the smartest rule in effective politics: reward your friends,
punish your enemies,” Geto said in an e-mail.
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| Fran Drescher, here with
Speaker Gifford Miller, came to the City Council’s
chambers to celebrate Gay Pride on Thursday, June 23. (Photo: Daniel Luhmann) |
“ESPA, State Sen. Tom Duane, Councilmembers Chris Quinn, Phil Reed,
and Margarita Lopez and other gay leaders and activists are supporting Gifford
Miller because he championed all of the core causes of the LGBT community,”
Geto added. “There has never been a political leader in New York who has
done more to advance the economic security, health care and civil rights of
gay New Yorkers than Gifford Miller.
“ESPA’s endorsement of Speaker Miller shows that when politicians
really deliver for our community we will reward their courage,” Geto said.
“A lot of influential people pressured ESPA to stay neutral, but ESPA
showed they have the balls to make a tough choice and the smarts to make the
right call.”
For their part, the other Democratic candidates took the endorsement in stride.
Caught along the parade route, Fields, Ferrer and Wiener all congratulated Miller.
They each said that, while they would have liked the endorsement, they would
continue to seek gay voters’ support — and would continue to work
for gay rights. Some pointed to endorsements from other gay political organizations.
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| At left, Alan Van Capelle announced
ESPA’s endorsements of City Council Speaker Gifford Miller
(speaking) for mayor at his group’s Chelsea’s office on Sunday,
June 26, while Councilmember Christine Quinn and State
Senator Tom Duane looked on. |
In other endorsement news, on June 22 Out People of Color Political Action
Club gave their support to Ferrer. The group noted his work on gay issues and
social justice concerns.
“Importantly for members of our club, which has a firm commitment to
a progressive political agenda, Freddy has also articulated a broad vision of
social and economic justice as well as LGBT rights,” said co-president
Doug Robinson in a press release.
On Thursday,. June 30, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund had planned a press
conference at City Hall where it would be announcing its endorsement of out-gay
Sean Maloney in the 2006 New York State attorney general Democratic primary.
It also planned to support Lopez for Manhattan Borough President; Rosie Mendez
for New York City Council (District 2); and Patrick Murphy for New York City
Council (District 4).
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