Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Gay Officers Action League Ceremony

June 15, 2016

Police Commissioner William Bratton: Good evening. Mr. Mayor, thank you for taking time from your very busy schedule to join with us this evening. An evening of commemoration certainly – commemoration of the too many lives lost in Orlando. An evening of celebration for the many, many gains that have been made since the period of time when Sergeant Charles Cochrane, many years ago, proudly declared that he was a New York City police officer, but he was also equally proud to be gay. Many years have passed since that history-making occasion – as many years have passed since the history-making occasion at the Stonewall Inn. Progress continues to be made, but as evidenced by the hateful act in Orlando, there is so much more that needs to be done. And I commit as Police Commissioner for the City of New York, in my capacity, that we will continue to do all we can to ensure that everybody feels welcome in this Department and that everyone who lives, works, or plays in this city, or visits here feels comfortable approaching a New York City police officer, knowing they will be treated equally – with compassion, with care, and with attention.

As the police, it’s part of our job to protect the rights of all of our citizens. And as a Department, it’s certainly our job to protect that right for our own members. It’s true that much has changed since GOAL was founded more than 30 years ago by Sergeant Cochrane and several of his colleagues. It’s a very different New York City, and it’s a different New York City Police Department. GOAL’s decades of work advocating for the rights of their members, fighting for equality, and promoting tolerance has been vital – essential to these advancements. But as they say, the more things change – the more they seem sometimes to stay the same. In simple terms, that means the work continues. In simple terms, that means there’s much more work to be done. And as we continue that work, I want you to know that you have my full support and the full support of my administration – those of you who have come out, to use that term; and those of you who seek to keep to yourselves, your particular preference, as is your right.

It’s impossible to measure the importance of equality, fair treatment, and feeling comfortable in the workplace. Because of this, we have fully committed to ensuring that all of our members not only have a voice, but that they have a voice that is heard, accepted, and understood. It’s this level of inclusion and not demographic statistics that makes us truly diverse as a Department, and as a city, and as a nation. And this diversity [inaudible] is our greatest strength because the more we represent the communities we serve – the more we look like them, the more we empathize with them, the more we are them – then the closer we get to a city and a Department that is safe and fair everywhere for everyone.

I’ve been dealing with these issues for most of my police career. In 1976 – at the urging of Bob Wasserman, one of the consultants that is continuing to work with us – Bob and I have had a close working relationship for over 40 years. He has been one of my mentors. He has been committed, totally, to the issue of equality for everyone. And at his urging, as a young sergeant assigned to the Police Commissioner’s Office, I was reassigned down to Police District 4 – the South End, Fenway, Back Bay area of Boston. And those of you in the gay community recognize those neighborhoods because that was then and is today the heart and soul of the gay community in Boston. 1970s in Boston – as here and in the rest of the country – were not a good time for gays. And in Boston, the tensions between the Boston Police Department and the gay community were, to say the least, very tense. My role as the first liaison to the gay community – and I believe that I was the first one in the country of any Police Department – was to begin to try to understand the issues and begin to try to address them. I worked very closely with then Barney Frank, a Deputy Mayor, before being elected to Congress; with Steve Brill, an investigative reporter for one of the gay newspapers in the city, to work on those issues – to try to bring cops and gay community closer together. And we made progress. We made progress to the extent that one of the highlights of the year in Boston became eventually the softball game – between the Boston Police Department and the gay community in the Fenway area of Boston. Progress – not accomplishment – but progress.

I have close personal affiliation with the gay community through my own sister. Pat joined the U.S. Army – suffered great discrimination in that organization – met her lifelong partner, however – out of the negative came the positive. Two of them left the Army – worked in the Post Office for many years – where particularly Pat’s partner suffered tremendous, tremendous harassment because she was gay. The usual – notes on the locker, different things being done to her vehicle. And I can still recall passionately – as Police Superintendent in Boston, working with U.S. Postal authorities – investigating the many acts committed against her while she was in that organization. I was also quite pleased when Pat and Val were able to finally be married – one of the first in Massachusetts when that state – one of the earliest states to pass laws allowing gays to be married.

So I’ve had a lot of exposure both professionally and personally to the issues that so many of you experience and continue to experience. And based on that experience, I will remain committed to ensuring that – in my capacity as Police Commissioner – not only your rights as police officers or civilian members of this Department, but your rights as citizens of this country are protected, and guaranteed, and fought for. That’s my promise. That’s the promise of this leadership team that I have assembled around me. And that’s the promise of this Mayor who has committed himself to equality for all – a progressive agenda that some still resist around this country. But all resistance eventually will fail – as it should – because the cause is just, the cause is righteous, and the cause is something we all need to embrace. Thank you for being here this evening with us.

[Applause]

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good evening, everyone. It is a real honor to be with you this evening. And it would be an honor any time, in any year but there is a special meaning this week of why it’s so important that we gather together in solidarity.

I want to thank the leadership of this department first of all. What you just heard from Commissioner Bratton, I can describe many ways but one of the ways that immediately comes to mind is the word enlightened. It is the kind of leadership we need in the public sector, in the private sector, in all elements of American life – truly recognizing what each and every person has to offer and recognizing that discrimination against one of us is discrimination against all of us. So I think it’s crucial that we have a Commissioner whose heart and soul believes in equality for all. Let’s give him a round of applause and thank him.

[Applause]

And the extraordinary leadership team he has assembled, I want to thank First Deputy Commissioner Tucker and Chief O’Neill and all of the leaders of the NYPD who are here, who share those values and who act on them every day in real and meaningful ways – in ways that are being felt all over this city.

Just a quick aside, I had the honor today of being at Bushwick Houses in Brooklyn. And meeting some of the new NCO officers who are implementing the neighborhood policing strategy and hearing from community residents what it means to them to know the officers in their community, personally and how important it is to them to have that relationship. That is another form of enlightenment and moving forward as our police and our community bond further in this City. I want to thank everyone who is here. Special thank you to Detective Brian Downey, the president of GOAL. Thank you for your leadership, Detective.

[Applause]

And a congratulations in advance. We have a real radio star present. Congratulations to Elvis Durand for the award he will receive.

[Applause]

I just want to speak to you for a couple of moments as I said it’s a time we have to reflect deeply on. And a simple point this evening is to focus on the word pride because it perfectly embodies so much of what we are talking about this evening. There is extraordinary pride running through GOAL. There is pride professionally because all of GOAL’s members are members of the NYPD. And there are in every part of the world, in every field there are people who boast about being in the best organization in that field. Except when we talk about the NYPD it’s not a boast, it’s a fact. This is the finest police force in the world.

[Applause]

And the tradition of this department goes back to 1845 and it’s deep and it’s real and it uplifts us every day. Now at the same time, members of GOAL or members of what I think is unquestionably the most vibrant LGBT community anywhere in this nation and I would argue anywhere I the world. And a community that not only has so much accomplishment to its name but a community that deserves particular credit for what started the modern LGBT civil rights movement at Stonewall Inn in 1969. If we want to know the birthplace of LGBT rights in America—right here in New York City and for that we are proud.

[Applause]

Commissioner talked about Sergeant Charles Cochrane. And it’s so important to remember that visionaries get lauded later on, and we talk about their accomplishments – and in a sense they become part of the mainstream but at the time, it’s never easy. When Sergeant Cochrane had the vision for GOAL, he felt a powerful pride and a dual pride – as I mentioned – a dual pride in being a member of the NYPD and being a member of the LGBT community.

And to act on that pride came with real sacrifice – the discrimination it brought on was intense. The anger and frustration he had to face down was overwhelming – the fortitude and bravery he had to show. It is a reminder of the fact that there are always people who will resist change, some with words or God forbid as we saw in Orlando, some with acts of violence.

And everyone who stands up for their identity and for their own rights runs that risk that they could be victimized. But that doesn’t stop people from standing up. And Sergeant Cochrane is such a great example.

The first GOAL meeting – it was just 11 people – just 11, gathered together at St. Joseph’s Church in the Village. There was not strength in numbers – it was the few who were willing to stand up and be proud and be out in the open.

And I remind you of the environment back then. Sadly, there were bomb threats made against the gathering. A gathering of police officers actually required police protection just to have their meeting.

But what’s happened over these decades – today the GOAL chapter here goes 2,000 members across the region from a variety of law enforcement organizations – and I say congratulations for that. And there are 20 GOAL chapters nationwide.

[Applause]

And these decades later, no one need doubt where the leadership of this department stands, as I noted. Every member of GOAL knows the Commissioner and his leadership team have your back.

Now, we all have a mission ahead. At the end of this month, there’ll be one of the great events in this city each year – the Pride Parade – extraordinary event. And event that’s quintessentially New York. And I’ve said, and the Commissioner has said, we expect this to not be a moment where people live in fear or worry whether they should be there, we expect this to be the greatest outpouring of support for the LGBT community this city has ever seen.

We expect it to be the biggest parade this city has ever seen for Pride.

[Applause]

And we will all be part of creating that welcoming atmosphere. I expect people to come from all over the country, even more than usual in solidarity to make sure this parade is a great success.

I also want you to know that Sergeant Cochrane’s extraordinary contributions will never be forgotten – and to ensure that we remember what he achieved, we’ll honor him – the NYPD and the whole city will honor him on Friday, renaming the corner by St. Joseph’s Church, the corner of Washington Place and Sixth Avenue – Sergeant Charles H. Cochrane Way.

[Applause]

So, there’s a lot to do. There’s a lot to stand up for. There’s a lot to prepare for. Everyone has an opportunity to show all New Yorkers that even with the threats directed at us from around the world, we all will keep each other safe. And the NYPD will always be there for their fellow New Yorkers.

And when it comes to the Pride Parade, we all need to put in that extra effort to make sure all the preparations are there and it is the biggest and the best ever – and to show people they never need be afraid.

I always say that terrorists and those who commit hate crimes, they’re trying to engage in psychological warfare. They’re trying to change us. They’re trying to change our values. They’re trying to undermine our lifestyle. They’re trying to alter our democracy.

It’s up to us to reject that. It’s up to us not to be intimidated. And we believe in an inclusive society, and we will ensure that that society is protected.

Finally, remember a great American who told us something so essential – and it is one of those phrases that needs to be invoked in times of trouble to remind people of the path we’re on. And I had the honor of using this phrase very recently when the right of all Americans to marriage equality was affirmed by our Supreme Court.

And this – these are really immortal words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he said, “The arc of the moral universal is long but it bends towards justice.”

Let that thought always uplift us and energize us for the work ahead.

Thank you all for all you do and God bless you.

[Applause]