Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Hosts and Delivers Remarks at LGBTQ+ Pride Reception

June 7, 2022

Stefan Ringel, Senior Advisor to the Mayor: Happy Pride. We are so proud to be here at Gracie Mansion, which Mayor Adams has rebranded the People's House, to celebrate the beautiful diversity of our LGBTQ+ community. Give yourselves a hand.

Ringel: Our city is a beacon for LGBTQ+ Pride and progress. From the board room to the ballroom, we are leaders, and we are on the front lines. This is the home of the movement for LGBTQ+ rights, the home of Stonewall, the birthplace of Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Tom Duane and too many other heroes and sheroes to name. The spirit of the movement is alive and well in this space tonight with all of the amazing advocates and community champions gathered here, as well as the great representation of our community in this administration. And I just want to shout out a few who are here with us.

Ringel: Please make some noise. From the Unity Project, Ronald Porcelli. From the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, Hassan Naveed. Our new TLC Commissioner and Chair, David Do. Our Commissioner for the Department of Probation, Ana Bermúdez. Our Commissioner for the Office of Labor Relations, Renee Campion. Our Commissioner from the Department of Finance, Preston Niblack. Our President and CEO, I believe, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Miss Lindsay Greene. Senior Advisor and our Communities Liaison at Community Affairs Unit, Patrick Kwan. And I can't forget the CEO, the Chief Efficiency Officer, Miss Melanie La Rocca. And I also want to briefly shout out some of our elected officials who are here. People have been flowing in and out, but please welcome Assembly Member David Weprin and State Senator Luis Sepúlveda.

Ringel: Now all of this is possible because of the ally that I get to introduce now. As Mayor Adams would say, "He's not a new friend, he's an old friend." He has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in fights we cannot forget or take for granted. From marriage equality to GENDA and more. And there is so much more that we will do together. Under his leadership, City Hall is working every day to build a safer, healthier, and more inclusive city for all of us. I am so proud to introduce our friend, our ally, our mayor, Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. When I came inside and I heard the music, I said, "Out of all the events we have had here, no one parties like this community." You know that? You know how to set it off and enjoy yourselves. And the rule was clear. You have to have a short program because you are not trying to let anybody get in the way of enjoying yourselves, and we know that. We got the message. We got it clear. Just want to bring up two of our electives that's here and have them bring greetings. My good friend, brother, senator from the Bronx, Senator Sepúlveda. Senator?

[…]

Mayor Adams: And my good friend, Assemblyman Weprin.

[...]

Mayor Adams: Thank you, brother. And in my brevity, I want to thank just a real friend who has been with me throughout this entire journey, Stefan. Stefan has been a friend, a partner, a person… Not that type of partner, Stefan.

[Laughter]

Stefan Ringel: Only if you're asking.

[Laughter]

Mayor Adams: But let me tell you this. 18 years old, 18 years old, one of the most significant moments in my life was when I was 18, and I stood there traumatized. And it planted the seed of everything that I did, when I learned about Harvey Milk. When I learned an elected official in San Francisco was assassinated merely because of his lifestyle, I did not understand it. And it was a different time when you go back then in 1978. 1978, you were targeted. You were attacked. You could not state who you were. And the death of Harvey Milk had such an impact on my life, but I did not understand why would someone have that much hate just because a person wanted to express themselves, just because they wanted to express themselves.

Mayor Adams: And I went on this lifelong journey being with [inaudible] and the Police Department, disrupting [inaudible] calls, fighting on behalf of those who targeted LGBT community members. Harassed in different parts of the city, standing up on behalf of that, assigned to the Sixth Precinct. And watched young people on Christopher Street, who their family members threw them out because they were trans or because they decided to live who they felt they should have been. And I used to talk with them, go down to the park.

Mayor Adams: When people used to try to harass them, I would sit there as an officer and communicate with them and tell them, "You always had a friend in the Sixth Precinct." And then sent down with Lambda, Stonewall, Jim Owles, and stated that when I go to Albany, you are not going to have a more dedicated fighter. And I promise you we will get marriage passed when I get to Albany. And communicating with Tom Duane and others, as we mobilized and found the votes to finally allow you to say that you should have the right to marry who you love, and we passed that legislation because of the commitment of people like Tom Duane.

Mayor Adams: We fought so hard, fought so hard, and I'm clear on this. I'm not new to this in your community. I'm true to this in your community. I'm true to it. And it's not because I want to be elected. It's not because I want to hold a title. It's because my life changed as an 18 year old boy. I'm still on the journey of living in the spirit of those who died before us to state, "We can be in this place right now." And I'm not going to always get it right. I am perfectly imperfect. There are times I'm going to drop the ball. There are times when I could have done it better. There are times I could have used a different method, but my imperfection should never be traded for my dedication. Never.

Mayor Adams: You will not have a mayor that is going to be there more for your community than Eric Adams, than Eric Adams. And your celebration today here in The People's House, it's only one of many. We're going to be rolling out things that are unprecedented that impacts your community. We're going to be looking out for those runaway LGBTQ members of your community. We're going to really lean into those Black and brown members of the transgender community that have been ignored for so long.

Mayor Adams: We're going to be active as we mobilize this community to be well represented and heard and listened to. This is our moment. This is our moment. I could not believe that now we are not pressing our face up against the window watching people sit down at the table of opportunity. We are now at the table. One of your own is the mayor of the city of New York fighting on your behalf that we fought together for so long.

Mayor Adams: So I thank you for being here tonight. I thank you for coming out and saying that we have Pride in this city, and it doesn't matter what they do in other places.

Mayor Adams: We're going to show Texas that, not here. We're going to show Florida, not here. We're going to show the international communities, not here. Here in New York, we are happy to say we are gay. And if you don't like it, you better get over it because we're going nowhere as we stand up for our rights and the rights of those members of the gay community in this city. Let's enjoy this great city of New York and let's stand strong. Love you.

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