Dear all:
On October 27th, a group of gay and straight New Yorkers held a protest against Christine Quinn at a pre-election rally at the LGBT Center. As usual, we asked NYers to take a critical look at Quinn's shameful record - her campaign & budget corruption, her contemptible human rights and humane voting records, her betrayals of her constituents, her dirty back room deals, including her role in the term limits fiasco, and, as someone recently posted on a blog, "her abandonment of even the pretense of progressive politics."
New people joined our ranks in response to the news this week that Quinn received the lowest score of all Manhattan Council Members on the 2010 Human Rights Report Card published by Equality Justice: http://www.dnainfo.com/20101025/harlem/east-harlem-councilwoman-gets-on-human-rights
Among the many politicians who took our information and/or looked at our posters were U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, U.S. Congressman Jerry Nadler, NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, NYS Assembly Member Deborah Glick, and Andrew Cuomo's running mate Robert Duffy. We also had the chance to thank community activist Yetta Kurland, who is leading the fight in the courtroom and on the streets to restore a much-needed hospital at the St. Vincent's site. Quinn, who should be leading this fight for her West Side constituents, was virtually silent in the months leading up to the hospital closure (see last picture). Is that because the real estate developers who are planning a high-rise condo for the site have given her $29,700 in campaign contributions?
By all measures, this protest was a success. A few highlights:
1. Dozens of people, several of whom were skeptical of us, wanted to engage with us about why we were protesting Quinn. After speaking to us, most took our information.
2. Many people said they already agree with us: "I don't need your handout. I know all about her."
3. A few people suggested that they're willing to excuse her record simply because she's gay.
4. Two people commented that this is the second protest against Quinn they've seen in the past few weeks.
4. Oddly, one person who supports our cause said, "If you want to see her voted out of office, you need to start campaigning against her right now." And here I thought we've been doing that....
While we have not yet begun contacting the press, our protests have been covered in a couple of popular blogs:
Thanks to all of the New Yorkers who participated in this protest, and thanks to anyone else who made it to the end of this long message...
On behalf of the organizers
