Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Annual LGBTQ+ Pride Reception and Holds Ceremonial Signing of Executive Order 32

June 22, 2023

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3UODe1MN-g

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much. Know what? No one does it like pride. I think this is the largest group we've had here at Gracie Mansion every year. This is such a real moment for me, and I should say surreal because of just the years of being part of this movement. I just took a picture with the GOAL officers, many of them are young, many of them don't recall what it was like when the early members of GOAL, long before marriage was respected, long before we were dealing with some of the battles that we've won. Those earlier officers from the gay officers actually had to stand alone and very few members were willing to stand with us. 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement in my organization at the time, we would join GOAL and be there side by side.

And the inspiration, many people just don't know, the inspiration for me came a long time ago when I first learned about Harvey Milk in San Francisco when he was killed because he wanted to fight on behalf of what he thought was right. And they planted the seed, and that seed was nurtured over and over and over again. And one of the most significant moments I had in the State Senate was the ability to argue for the marriage bill on the senate floor and being there so that we were able to move it forward. And I don't know, I heard he was here, but I really want him to come up here, a real pioneer, friend, Tom Duane, former Senator Tom Duane. Where's Tom? I know he's around somewhere. Come on up, Tom. Come on make your way up here. Come on. Come on up. Show Tom around. Pick that up for Tom. Hold on. He's going to show you the way, Tom.

Former State Senator Thomas Duane: A hundred percent perfect on queer stuff. A hundred percent perfect. An ally beyond.

Mayor Adams: Tom was such a fighter in the State Senate. And you have to remember, this was a Republican controlled Senate. He was fighting for marriage, fighting for gender, fighting for funding, fighting for AIDS research. Fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting, fighting and fighting for queer, fighting for just... You had to be there. I was in awe of watching him in Albany. And when you think about those early pioneers, sometimes we forget them. Tom wasn't new to this, he was true to this. And there's so many, you go back and you watch them. The city of Stonewall, the city that fought for us to get here. Yes, we have a long way to go, but let's not kid ourselves, we have victories because we were willing to kick some ass to get those victories that we have right now.

And then you look at my administration, the people who are around me are at the cornerstone on what I believe. Renee, come up for a moment. Come on up, Renee. I don't know what I would do without Renee. Renee negotiated all of our contracts, and she was able to get fair wages for city workers who have been denied for so many years. She was able to make sure tax dollars were used appropriately, but at the same time make sure our city workers can be able to put food on the table for their families. She did it during tough economic times. And all of the contracts, you were seeing, 97 percent ratification because she was fair to them. We had one mission, we're going treat our civil servants with the dignity and respect that they deserve. And it's because of Renee.

And where's Hassan? Hassan, come up for a minute, Hassan. Hassan is doing something that is so dear to me. We are so divided. We're the most diverse city on the globe, but the reality is we don't even know each other. We walk by each other. We are afraid of each other. We see certain things and we automatically retract. Hassan is doing our breaking bread, building bonds. A thousand dinners across the city, 10 people at a minimum at each dinner, all coming from a different walk of life, different lifestyle, different setting, and they're doing something revolutionary. They're talking to each other. They're learning from each other what it is to be a member of the LGBTQ+ community, what it is to be a person that wears a kufi, a yamaka, hijab, a turban, what it is and what it means. And he's leading that and he's showing people how to live together. Thank you, brother. And Stefan was right, we were together for 10 years in Borough Hall, he came to me to City Hall, he was really side by side throughout my entire journey as the borough president.

But I found another person in city government that I just love his spirit, his energy, his dedication. Patrick, come on up, Patrick. Patrick brings his A game every day. He fights on behalf of the AAPI community. He fights on behalf of your community that's here. He's committed, he's dedicated. These authentic people who are in government, I'm blessed to have them around me. I'm blessed because they are so focused on the agenda that's important. And I just really appreciate you, brother. You came in and you've just been a superstar ever since. Thank you so much.

I just wanted to touch on some, and the rest that are behind us. Come here for a minute, Dr. Katz. Dr. Katz navigated us through Covid, navigated us through monkeypox, made sure all the asylum seekers are getting the help they deserve, H&H Hospitals, dealing with the urgency and the care that we need, focus and discipline, put in place our plant-based program at Health and Hospital, just bringing everything. He was in the previous administration. I said, "Dr. Katz, I need you, man. Come on, be a part of this team." And we are so blessed to have you here. Thank you for what you are doing every day. Just wanted to highlight some of the team members and what they bring and really just want to thank them. I'm so proud. New York City is the largest LGBTQ+ community in the country. Anyone who's living in Florida needs to get their ass back to New York where they will be loved, they will be appreciated, and they have the right to say gay. We say gay in New York City.

Audience: [Chants.] We say gay. We say gay. We say gay. 

Mayor Adams: [Joins in chanting.] We say gay. We say gay.

That's right, DeSantis. We do it here in New York. And this is the city of Stonewall. This is the city where we fight for what we believe is right and we protest, and we do it loudly. Everything from Act Up to all of our different organizations. And there's nothing wrong. We should never stop fighting. Never. Listen, we don't mind that we are engaged. People say to me all the time, and I'm going to say this over and over again, they said, "Being the mayor of the City of New York is the second most difficult job in politics." I say, "When does the hard part start?” I know what hard is. Hard is being gay in your city, when you’re denied the right to love someone you love. Hard is being assaulted and attacked and beat and abused. Hard is being a young gay man in Brooklyn and murdered because of who he was. I know what hard is. Hard is what you have gone through over and over and over again. I know all I have to do is be dedicated and committed. I may be perfectly imperfect, but no one can tell you I'm not dedicated to the city that I love, the city that I adore and the city that you're very much a part of.

We love our community. We want you here. We want you to do business here. We want the nightlife here. We want you to be part of the energy of this great city. And I am just really proud of what this administration is doing and continue to do.

And we have taken major steps. We have a whole list of things we want to do, including launching our SYEP Pride and our Summer Youth Employment Program. Empowering our young people. I'll never forget as a captain in the 6th Precinct, and executive officer on Christopher Street, watching those young people walk down Christopher Street going to the park on the west side, many of them were thrown out of their homes because they decided to tell their parents who they were and they were discarded. And they used to stop in at the 6th Precinct and talk to me, and I would go down to the park and give them advice and instruction, and our relationship that was developed that's why we are doing the SYEP, Summer Youth Employment for our young people who are a part of this community. We're investing nearly $6.7 million in new and expanded services to provide support and care to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, especially our youth. 

And making sure all New York City Public School students learn the community history with our Hidden Voices: Civics for All project. So important. Many of our young people, they don't know about a Harvey Milk. They don't know about a Tom Duane. They don't know about a Stonewall. If you don't tell the history, you're bound to repeat it in the future. And we want to make sure that history is known and shared.

And I'm really proud tonight. One of my heroes was a man named Bayard Rustin. Bayard Rustin was special. He is hidden in the history books of the Civil Rights Movement. And if you go read Parting the Waters, the book about Dr. King and the civil rights struggle, and you see the role that he played, we are proud tonight that we're joined with his partner Walter. I know Walter's here somewhere. Walter, your partner touched me, his commitment and his love and what he represented. That's the part of history that we need to share in our school system so people know it. Also, the history of folks like Edie Windsor who secured the landmark Supreme Court case for marriage equality. Her partner Judith is here with us as well. Judith, if you're around, thank you.

And we're continuing. Tonight we're really proud, and I want to personally thank Stefan for bringing this to our attention, but tonight we are doing a ceremonial signing of Executive Order 32, which reaffirms New York City's commitment to standing up for justice and against discrimination. Dozens of states have passed laws that restrict access to gender-affirming care. Well, you know what? Those states are not New York State. New York City, this order that we're signing would ensure that no city resources are used to cooperate with these laws or detain individuals for providing or receiving gender-affirming healthcare. With this executive order, we say clearly, "New York City stands with our trans community." Listen, we know gender-affirming care is essential, and it is a decision for families and their doctors, not right wing politicians.

We want to sign this to send a strong message of where we stand. This community is so important to me on so many different levels, on what we have gone through over the years. When I look over my greatest moment in public life, if it was standing with GOAL while I wore a blue uniform, if it was fighting with Tom Duane to get the right marriage equality bill, or if it's with Stefan Ringel in Borough Hall funding many of the initiatives, or if it's here as the mayor. We've just begun. No matter what I do in public life, I will never forget those like Harvey Milk that poured into me that we have the right to allow people to have the right to live the life that they deserve. Thank you for who you are, what you have done, and what we will do. Thank you very much.

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