Liz Crowley claims her opponent is anti-LGBTQ, but her record is much worse

In our previous post, we cited the Queens Chronicle article about Elizabeth Crowley's candidacy which quoted her as saying her opponent, Robert Holden, has "a record of taking strong anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ stances" because of items published in the Juniper Berry, the newsletter of the Juniper Park Civic Association, of which Holden is president. Let's examine the anti-LGBTQ accusation this time.

We discovered an Op-Ed about gay marriage written by someone else on Juniper's website and also one by the Bishop of Brooklyn, but they are both clearly marked as opinion pieces. Newspapers print various op-eds all the time (like this one from Crowley), it doesn't mean they endorse the positions presented. There also was a letter to the editor printed in support of gay marriage which criticizes one of the original pieces. Basing her "anti-LGBTQ" accusation on this is a bit weak. We found nothing authored by Holden that broached this topic. A Google search came up empty as well.

Now, let's see what Crowley's record reveals.

Crowley denied that she supported gay marriage when asked about it, tried to dodge a question about it and defended taking money from a renowned white supremacist as per her own 2001 interview with the Juniper Berry - the same magazine she cites as proof that her opponent is unqualified for public office.

Q: In the Queens Tribune you said you support gay unions (marriages), can you tell me why?

A: Sigh...That was Frank [Borzellieri]. I never said that, I said equal rights for all people.

Q: Does that mean you do or do not support it?

A: {No comment} I'd rather not discuss this.

Q: Speaking of Frank Borzellieri, knowing his history, do you think you should have accepted his endorsement money?

A: We have only two things in common...same district and same beliefs. 

Q: So you have the same right-wing controversial beliefs as he does?

A: No, but he wants a hard working city council member. We don't agree on all issues.

Q: But that's not what you just said.

(Mr. Borzellieri, as member of the local school board, pushed for the removal of then-teacher Danny Dromm for being openly gay. Crowley's mother, Mary, was president of the District 24 board at the time.)

- In addition, Crowley is the only candidate in this race with a history of OPPOSING gay marriage.

- She lied to get the endorsement of an LGBTQ political club (then hid the fact that they endorsed her by refusing to put their logo on her mailers).

- She completely avoided answering questions from another LGBTQ club.

- Crowley had the most to gain from a mailer put out to disparage a past Democratic opponent for being openly gay which she never denied. She even went so far as to attack then-candidate Tom Ognibene for joining the victim, Charles Ober, in denouncing it and in the same statement called on Ober to drop his bid for office and unite behind her, which is pretty damn arrogant.

- Ober struck back in a press release.

- A strikingly similar flyer was dropped on people's doorsteps the night before the 2001 election that attacked Crowley's only opponent for supporting gay-friendly candidates, among other things, with the last 3 lines thrown in as a lame attempt at a smokescreen:

Voters in the district were not moved by either cowardly smear attempt and she lost both races.

Liz Crowley: Proud supporter of LGBTQ rights!

Since Crowley has spent most of her campaign complaining that her opponent "lacks Democratic values", we're happy to show you what Miss Crowley, a supposed "real Democrat", believes and practices. Bringing up your opponent's alleged anti-LGBTQ history when your own is this shitty is probably not a wise campaign move, Diz.

Why gay groups and self-described "progressives" have lined up to endorse someone who has a documented 16 year history of homophobia is a good question. Why other liberal candidates would seek a female Trump's endorsement is another. It all just proves what a joke Queens politics is.

#Fauxgressive

Beatdown in Jackson Heights

From CBS 2:

Police are looking for a man who nearly killed a transgender woman in a beating in Queens.

Around 4 a.m. Sunday, the attacker followed the 35-year-old victim — whose given name was Ricardo Sal but goes by the name Kathy — to the front of Sal’s apartment on 93rd Street in Jackson Heights, police said.

CBS2’s Young reported neighbors said some of the transgender or cross-dressing renters in the neighborhood congregate late at night under the elevated No. 7 train tracks.

“They’re in the Roosevelt Avenue, you know?” a neighbor said. “Then they like to get some drunk guys, you know what I’m saying?”

The assailant followed his victim home to a gate on 93rd Street, which leads to a small basement apartment. The attack was quick as it was violent.

Police late Tuesday did not know the motive and were still looking for a suspect.

Neighbors said the attack was only the most recent and violent in a series of incidents linked to the overnight street activities along the Roosevelt Avenue strip.

“I’m not surprised, it’s always happening,” one local business owner told 1010 WINS’ Al Jones. “At night time…it’s really dangerous over here.”

So if this regularly occurs, why hasn't anything been done about it?

Report: Lynch donors attempt to stoke anti-gay sentiment

view this map on LittleSis

From Progress Queens:

After a published report raised questions about the conduct of a politically-active Brooklyn couple, Debbie and Naji Almontaser, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Spanish Harlem) and Councilmember Jumaane Williams (D-East Flatbush) attended an event at the home of the Almontasers on Wedesnday evening.

The conduct of the Almontasers was questioned in a report about the couple's political work on behalf of the campaign of Rebecca Lynch, a former aide to Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-New York City). Ms. Lynch is campaigning to replace former Councilmember Mark Weprin (D-Bellerose) in the New York City Council. (Mr. Weprin stepped down from his post to accept a position in support of the Cuomo administration.)

On behalf of the Lynch campaign, the Almontasers were engaged in alleged activities that were intended to incite homophobia against the campaign of Ms. Lynch's chief rival, Ali Najmi, according to the news report written by Duncan Osborne and published by Gay City News. The Almontasers have reportedly taken issue with Mr. Najmi's pro-equality stance in respect of the LGBT community, and the Almontasers have reportedly been invoking Mr. Najmi's pro-equality support in an attempt to stoke a backlash directed at Mr. Najmi from conservative Muslims, according to the accusations.

The Gay City News report was published on Thursday, July 30. Six evening later, on Wednesday, August 5, Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and Councilmember Williams attended an event at the Brooklyn home of the Almontasers.

Well that's not very progressive, now is it? Actually, I don't think these folks even understand what that word is supposed to mean.

DeBlasio to be grand marshal for Queens pride parade

From the Queens Courier:

Mayor Bill de Blasio will make history in Jackson Heights next month as the first New York City mayor to serve as a grand marshal in the 23-year span of the Queens Pride Parade.

De Blasio will join APICHA Community Health Center as grand marshals of the 23rd Queens Pride Parade, which will be held on June 7 and runs from 89th Street and 37th Avenue down to 75th Street.

“When I founded the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee over 20 years ago, I was hopeful that we would increase the visibility of the LGBT community in Queens in a positive and impactful way,” Councilman Daniel Dromm said. “Having the mayor of the City of New York as our Grand Marshal shows just how far we have come.”

De Blasio became the first mayor to march in the parade last year, and even marched in 2013 while still serving as Public Advocate.

“The mayor’s presence is an acknowledgment that the LGBT community in Queens and throughout the city is visible, welcome and included,” Dromm said.

I wonder how many Memorial Day Parades these 2 will be marching in this year.

Knowing what's important

Immigrants! Gays! Food! Gays!

(I also like the outdated shot of Queens Center.)

Compare this to Van Bramer's video, which mentions none of the above:

Pols upset over advertised blackface drag performance

From the Queens Chronicle:

Offended may be too soft a word to describe the reaction Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) had when a staffer showed him a poster he saw on Roosevelt Avenue promoting a comedy show last weekend featuring performers in black face and dressed in drag.

“It’s disgusting and offensive,” he said at a press conference outside the Boulevard restaurant “It’s racist, homophobic, transphobic and doesn’t belong in this community.”

The posters were placed all over Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Corona promoting “Recarguesa de Risa,” a comedy show led by Colombian comedian El Mono Sanchez this past Sunday at Boulevard at 82-22 Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights.

At the press conference last Friday outside Boulevard, where he was joined by Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst), the NAACP, Queens Pride Committee and other area officials, Dromm tore up one of the posters.

Ferreras rejected assertions that the show was not offensive, but common for Sanchez, a popular comedian in Latin America. She noted that while Sanchez’ humor is commonly known in the Latino community, it is not a good representative of that culture to the outside world.

“This is not a Latino thing, because when people walk through here from any culture or any community, they would be appalled to see this,” Ferreras said. “For someone who does not read Spanish, has no idea what this is, you see these faces. What does this say to us and what does this say to the community? It’s disgusting.”

So this offense was committed by one of the vibrant and diverse among us and not by an Archie Bunker? Wow.

Lucho's out of luck?

You may remember the name "Lucho's" from a post about the problem location back on 9/7/2010, with a follow up post on 9/13/2010. Well, they apparently lost their lease (gee, I wonder why) and now have to apply for a new liquor license for their new location. CB2 is expected to tell them to take a hike tonight.

To be continued.

Astoria & Forest Hills: Please move there!

From the Daily News:

Astoria is poised to become the city’s next ‘gayborhood’ with the opening of three bars and dance clubs that could turn the increasingly desirable neighborhood into a destination for the LGBT community in Queens.

Icon, which boasts a white leather bar with Swarovski crystals, and Static Lounge, which is holding a ‘Men of Astoria’ calendar contest, became the newest bars on the block when they burst onto the scene in December.

Elixir opened in May with musical theatre trivia contests and speed dating. And Albatross, a dive bar with drag karaoke and a pool table, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

“The demand for more gay bars has been strong for a while,” said T’ai Chu-Richardson, who belongs to the LGBT networking group Out Astoria, which boasts a whopping 1,260 members on its Facebook page. “It’s been a growing gay neighborhood for the past four or five years.”

Sky-high Manhattan rents have priced many members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community out of Hell’s Kitchen and Chelsea, he said. And they’re moving to Astoria because of its cheaper rents and close proximity to the city.

From the Daily News:

A quiet, central Queens neighborhood is going from suburban to chic with a slew of upscale restaurant and trendy bar openings.

The new Forest Hills establishments are slowly helping the neighborhood compete with the dining and drinking scenes in Brooklyn, Astoria and Long Island City.

And while the restaurants aren’t pushing culinary boundaries, they have become a draw for the increasing number of young professionals in the area who don’t want to trek into Manhattan for a night out.

Gays in Astoria! Trendy restaurants in Forest Hills! Wow! Perhaps finally the "right" people will inhabit Queens! Move over working class people and immigrants!

Actually it seems to me that a gay population has always resided in Astoria and Forest Hills has always had a restaurant scene. So what the hell are these articles about? I think it has to do with shilling for real estate interests.

Will the tweeders support a homophobic, misogynistic regime?

From the Queens Chronicle:

He’s the deputy prime minister of a backwards Arab nation that lives under Sharia law, oppressing women, gay people and the foreign guest workers who make up nearly 90 percent of his hometown’s population.

He’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, a monarchy that won’t even allow Israeli citizens to cross its border, and a member of the royal family in his home principality, oil-rich Abu Dhabi.

And he’s the man to whom Mayor Bloomberg is reportedly about to essentially give more than a dozen acres of Flushing Meadows Corona Park, for free, so that Major League Soccer can build a stadium for a team the sheikh would own.

This is a plan that absolutely must be stopped.

From the Queens Chronicle:

The UAE’s record has the two gay members of Queens’ council delegation vehemently opposing the sheikh’s ownership of the franchise and stadium.

“I urge my colleagues in the City Council and elected officials across the state to join me in saying that New Yorkers will not do business with a murderous regime and we will not sell, trade or giveaway our public assets to those who discriminate and participate in human rights abuses,” said Councilman Danny Dromm (D-Jackson Heights).

Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) noted the sheikh’s wealth while also blasting his human rights record.

“The potential swapping of public parkland to a family wealthy enough to purchase the vacant land necessary to construct a stadium is deeply troubling,” Van Bramer said. “To do so with the member of a royal family from a country that actively prosecutes gay men, under threat of the death penalty, for having consensual sex is appalling.”

The vast sums of money involved can be tough to process. But here’s one context that may help: Sheikh Monsour has enough cash on hand to rent 13 acres of Flushing Meadows Corona Park for over four billion years if the city and MLS agree to the $1-per-year fee previously reported in Crain’s.

Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst), whose district includes the chunk of the park affected by the proposal, declined to comment about the potential owner. Ditto state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst), who would likely call the project up to Albany to approve the alienation of replacement parkland.

But Dromm and Van Bramer jumping ahead of Ferreras on the matter breaks with the common councilmanic practice of deferring to the presiding lawmaker. It leaves Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) in the odd bind of being AWOL on an LGBT and women’s rights issue.

The speaker’s office did not respond to requests for comment after being given Dromm and Van Bramer’s statements.

Well this puts the tweeders in a bit of a bind, doesn't it? Note that the main outrage is not alienation of public parkland to benefit the bottom line of a billionaire, but rather the policies of a country on the other side of the world. Speaks volumes about our elected officials. Hey, whatever works.

Ending the year with a bang...

From the NY Post:

Anthony Weiner proposed a threesome with texting pal Traci Nobles and a man, according to a new report.

The Queens Democrat made the suggestion in the midst of his texting and tweeting adventures that eventually forced him to resign his congressional seat in June, RadarOnline.com reported today.

The revelation came from conversation excerpts that Radar obtained from Nobles' proposal for a tell-all book.

After proposing a threesome, Weiner told Nobles, "I'm not really talking about other chicks... How about with another guy?"

"Hmmmm, haven't done it before," Nobles said.

"It can be hot," Weiner replies.

"Are you turned on by other guys?" Nobles asked.

"Well it depends on the guy, but generally yes," Weiner said.

What will Christine do?

From Crains:

For Ms. Quinn, political calculations can be the toughest part. She's a former tenant activist with a progressive past, but her alliance with the mayor raises questions about what her path to victory might be in 2013.

She enjoys support from the business community, which is largely responsible for the $3.2 million in campaign cash she has collected in the past four years. Mr. Bloomberg is certainly a fan—a Democratic consultant said (disdainfully) that the mayor's team thinks of the speaker as staff—but as his popularity sags, his imprimatur could become a hindrance.

Still, the mayor can help Ms. Quinn behind the scenes. A Democratic insider said that former Bloomberg campaign manager Bradley Tusk, a consultant for Walmart, is telling some clients to get on board with Ms. Quinn. (Mr. Tusk said only that he's setting up meetings for his education reform clients with Ms. Quinn.)

The speaker has been moving to cast herself as independent of Mr. Bloomberg. But even if she bucks her business supporters by opposing Walmart's attempts to open a city store and backing living wage and paid sick days, insiders said, the most crucial labor unions and the Working Families Party would still support Public Advocate Bill de Blasio or Comptroller John Liu for mayor, should either one run.

Instead, campaign experts said, Ms. Quinn must assemble a patchwork of constituencies: small business, gays and lesbians, women, building trades, tenant activists and African-Americans. Smoothing Walmart's arrival would help her with the building trades and some black voters, who want the jobs the retailer would bring.

In other words, she has to tweed.

Woodhaven gang attack a hate crime

From the Daily News:

The beating death of a teen at a Queens party by a pack of brutes screaming anti-gay slurs is being investigated as a hate crime, police said Tuesday.

Anthony Collao, 18, a recent high school graduate from Long Island died Monday at Jamaica Hospital after being taken off life support, cops said.

He was beaten "within an inch of his life," after being chased down Saturday night outside the Woodhaven birthday celebration by a pack of party crashers, police said.

The five suspects forced their way into the party - which was advertised on Facebook - and refused to pay a $7 cover charge.

Once inside the house - an abandoned home on 90th St. with no electricity - they began busting windows and picking fights, witnesses said.

The teens also flashed gang signs, yelled slurs and scrawled epithets in red marker on the walls, said the two party hosts.

[NYPD Commissioner Ray] Kelly said there were roughly 45 people at the party, including the five suspects.

Cops quickly caught up to four of the suspects - Alex Velez, 16, of the Bronx, and Nolis Ogando, Christopher Lozada and Luis Tabales, all 17 and from Queens - arresting them soon after the incident.

Lozada was caught wearing the victim's Atlanta Braves baseball cap, and the others were covered in blood, sources said.

And a 5th suspect was arrested after posting about the attack on Facebook.

69th Street gay hooker update

Following up on last Monday's post:

"WOW! This Friday night (9/10), I saw 4 hookers but they kept walking and there were no open negotiations between them and johns. Last night (9/11), I saw one male hooker running fast past my block, maybe from the police. The car traffic in search of hookers was really non-existent. Also, officers visited my property last night around midnight to check on things. A captain and a detective visited my home and property Friday afternoon. I was advised by them to post NO TRESPASSING signs about the property because the hookers, when they get to court, claim they did not know they were on private property. How stupid are some judges anyway? I reassured them I would press charges if they are found on my land. I have voice-mailed the officers to tell them what I have written here. I hope next weekend will be as good and perhaps even better. The captain and his officers, to this point, have done a GREAT job! And thank you for all your advice and concern; your website, I am sure, was the reason we have received such efficient action. THANK YOU SO MUCH!" - anonymous

69th Street is gay hooker heaven!

"There is a bar on 69th Street between 38th and Roosevelt Avenues (eastside of street) called LUCHOS. This is a disgusting hole and a flourishing source of prostitution on the weekends mainly. After midnight on Friday and Saturday, the surrounding streets are swarming with ugly, cheap whores (mostly men in cheap wigs). They are turning tricks in our yards and driveways. I bet a lot of you have wondered where all those used condoms are coming from. Well, now you know. The cops are counting on most of us to be asleep and not notice. The community board (bored) claims not to know a thing about it. So what else is new? What do they do anyway? The most infested areas are 38th Ave., 65th St., 64th St. and along Roosevelt Ave. Woodside's got enough problems without this horror."

Saturday:
"I am quite sure this revolting problem has been existing longer than I know. I stood in front of my house for 5 hours (2am to 7am) last night and the only squad car that drove by was the one I requested from 911. They checked an alley that I told them about and came up empty-handed. They said they would come back shortly; they NEVER came back. But here's the TOPPER: after the cops left the alley and drove away, 4 to 6 hookers and johns emerged from said alley! The cops did NOT search thoroughly and were outwitted again. This caliber of "serve and protect" sucks. What a horrible joke. In the meantime, my property value has decreased $200,000 due to this activity. Who would want to live here? Even I don't."

Sunday:
"Last night, we took steps to lock this alley (it had gates pushed back out of sight). My neighbors are basically good people but most are too old, too frightened and too foreign (by this I mean they can not speak English). Again, last night, I had to call 911 because a very large male approached me and attempted to mace me. When the squad car arrived, they would not exit the car and when I said I could probably identify him and I saw where he went (toward Luchos), they told me they were not going to follow up on this and when I ASKED they gave me an incident report. I've seen tougher librarians. You know, at first I was enraged at the hookers but now it's the cops who are really to blame for this.

Even though this activity does not really begin until after 1 am, they drive by my driveway at 8:30 pm or 11 pm and flash a light towards it and spend all of ten seconds or less. I can not put into e-mail how I feel about them. From 11:30 pm to 4 am, one squad car drove by; my 911 car arrived at 4:30 am. The former car drove by at a speed that wouldn't facilitate an arrest or surveillance. We have been abandoned. Oh, by the way, the aforementioned alley is city property according to some longtime residents. I guess the city is in the hooker business.

Barrage the 108 precinct with phone calls at (718)784-5411 and demand this diseased dump be shut and plowed under!" - anonymous

Now, now, this place sounds like a regular family establishment based on this review.

It was even featured in NY Magazine!



I can just see the 2 local council members, Jimmy Van Bramer and Danny Dromm (of the progressive caucus), leading a protest to close this place down, can't you?

VIBRANT! DIVERSE!

I didn't make this up, I swear!

Indeed!

Gay activists cause ruckus at Addabbo party

I found this video funny. Not because LGBT activists infiltrated Joe Addabbo's birthday fundraiser to raise hell about his "no" vote on gay marriage, but because

1) They were surprised that he voted no in an overwhelmingly conservative Catholic district
2) They would rather have a Republican in there than Addabbo, who might be persuaded to change his mind down the road
3) They actually think they had something to do with the dumping of Hiram Monserrate
4) They wanted to embarrass Addabbo in front of his father, a former congressman, who they were hoping would be there. (He died in 1986...)

Video found on NBC

They'll have a gay old time...

From NY Magazine:

Local gay-club impresario Nestor Romero opened the Music Box in 1993, three years after he introduced his across-the-way favorite Friend’s Tavern. Because the layout is identical and the congenial bartenders are similarly inclined to greet you with a handshake and a smile, patrons freely amble between one bar and the other, interrupting their chatter only for the looming rumble of the elevated train overhead. Such is gay life in the well-traversed southwest pocket of Jackson Heights.

Wow, it sounds like gay Mayberry, doesn't it? They forgot to mention that on weekends, Spanish boys take their pants off at 12 midnight and 2am like clockwork.

Something not right about Right Rides

From the Daily News:

RightRides provides women, and LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer] individuals free rides home on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:59 p.m. to 3 a.m. in all boroughs, except Staten Island, Reid explained.

Here's a screenshot from the organization's website:

Could you imagine if someone started a free car service that only picked up straight men? There'd be protests by NOW and a parade of rainbow flags past their house. How do these fine folks determine who is gay and who isn't? They don't service Jackson Heights, which has the most "LGBTQ" in Queens (BTW: when did they add the Q onto the end of that?). And what kind of stupidity is it to say "many women and LGBTQ people don't have the extra funds to take a taxi" when they apparently have enough money to spend the night on the town (note this service is only available on Fridays and Saturdays)? Does assault not occur on any other nights of the week?
Back in my barhopping days, I made sure to reserve enough of my spending cash to either get a cab home or split the cost of tolls and parking with the designated driver for the evening. Furthermore, of all the women I know who live throughout this vast city of ours, I don't know any that has gotten her ass kicked coming home from a bar. But then again, people who grow up here tend to develop street smarts and common sense and are not the target demographic of RightRides.

And if you're thinking, well it is silly, but to each his own, this group is a registered 501c3 charity and is therefore eligible for and has applied for government grants. If they want to make sure a vulnerable population is protected, perhaps they could provide armed escorts for livery cab drivers or low-income people who have to work late.

Richmond Hill residents disturbed by Forest Park trash

From NY1:

Jorge Martinez says that while taking his six-year-old daughter for a walk through Forest Park it is normal to come across condom wrappers amongst the flowers and trees. He says over the years, this kind of trash has become part of the landscape.

“It's absolutely outrageous,” Martinez said.

For years, Martinez, like many other residents here, has been angry about the illegal sexual activities. But when his daughter began asking questions, he decided to fight back. He started a letter writing campaign, sending 200 of them to residents and local leaders calling for a bigger crackdown on the offenders.

“On any given night, you can see 10, 12, 15 people randomly going around the park and doing, you know, this type of activity,” said Martinez. “You can identify them. You can definitely tell.”

Okay, it's time for a reality check...

This has been going on for decades at Forest Park.
This activity also goes on 24 hours a day, not just at night. The woods of Forest Park are a gay cruising spot, similar to Central Park's Ramble. The Parks Dept. and police do nothing about it because if they started busting people they would be accused of discrimination, police brutality, etc. Be happy you only saw the wrappers. I don't even want to describe the things I've seen left behind in that park.