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.