On Friday, the New York Times endorsed 3 openly gay candidates for New York City Council.

The 3 candidates were featured last week in an On Top Magazine story that detailed the record number of openly gay candidates running for a city council seat in the Big Apple.

Our story discussed the six openly gay candidates that have been endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Fund, a group that promotes openly gay elected officials, a record number for a single city. But Vice President Denis Dison also pointed out that the New York City Council is unusually large, consisting of 51 members.

“We have in the past endorsed 3 of 5 members of the West Hollywood City Council,” Dison told On Top Magazine.

The paper endorsed Daniel Dromm to fill the district 25 seat currently held by Helen Sears. It's Dromm's freshman run at politics after serving 24 years as a public school teacher in Queens. “Though Councilwoman Helen Sears has made efforts to expand her services, the district deserves more energetic representation,” the Times said.

James Van Bramer is the very out district 26 candidate who is running on a decades-old record of gay and AIDS activism and an impressive resume of grassroots organizing.

“James Van Bramer has done good work for the borough's enviable library system and has the independence and energy the Council needs,” the paper reasoned in its endorsement.

Van Bramer is comfortable with being the gay candidate, as opposed to being the candidate who happens to be gay. “Part of being openly gay in politics,” he told Gay City News, “is bringing the full truth of who you are to everything you do and everyone you meet. And in the end, people embrace equality and justice, I think, certainly in this district.”

Editors also endorsed district 29 candidate Lynn Schulman, a former top hospital executive taking her first stab at politics.

“There are two top contenders to replace Councilwoman Melinda Katz, who's running for comptroller. … Ms. Schulman argues more powerfully for better access to schools and more affordable housing and health care. We endorse Ms. Schulman.”

All 3 candidates are Democrats and must first win a September 15 primary election to proceed to the November general election.