Virginia M. Apuzzo, one of the founding members of Lambda Independent Democrats and co-chair of the club in 1979, has been appointed Assistant to the President for Management and Administration. The post makes Apuzzo the highest-ranking openly lesbian or gay person ever to serve in a federal government position.
In this capacity, Apuzzo, Associate Deputy Secretary of Labor since September 1996, will direct all the management and administration functions of the entire White House complex and will have oversight responsibilities for all of the agencies of the Executive Office of the President.
There are 18 assistant to the president positions on the president’s senior staff and the position offers access to the President through weekly meetings. In addition, assistants to the president meet daily with the White House Chief of Staff. The President's lesbian and gay liaison, Richard Socarides, told the Washington Blade that the position means Apuzzo will "probably have the president's ear whenever she wants it." The appointment does not require Senate approval.
"We are thrilled," said LID President Rodrick Dial. "Even though Ginny has not lived in Brooklyn for a number of years, her legacy remains. She was instrumental in putting the Brooklyn lesbian and gay community on the political map, and we will always be grateful for her eloquent leadership and the trails she blazed."
In 1978, Apuzzo ran as an openly lesbian candidate for the State Assembly in a Boerum Hill/Ft. Greene district. Running with L.I.D. backing, Apuzzo ran third in a field of 4. In the November election, she garnered more votes on the Liberal line than the Republican candidate.
She was elected a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980, serving on the Platform Committee, and again in 1984. She was the first recipient of L.I.D.'s Brooklyn Lambda Award in 1983.
Before joining the Clinton administration, Apuzzo was President of the New York State Civil Service Commission and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Civil Service. From 1991 to 1994, she was Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.
Between 1985 and 1991, Apuzzo served as Deputy Executive Director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, and from 1986 to 1989, she served concurrently as Governor Mario Cuomo’s liaison to the lesbian and gay community. From 1983 to 1985, Apuzzo was Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Primary a Mixed Bag for LID
Brooklyn had some of the most heated city council primaries in the city this year, and LID backed two winners, while three of our other endorsed candidates each lost hard fought races.
In the contest to succeed Sal Albanese, Bay Ridge attorney Joanne Seminara-Lehu won a narrow primary victory and now faces a hard fought general election against Republican Martin Golden. Golden was the chairman of the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day Parade who refused to let an Irish lesbian and gay contingent march in the borough’s parade. This is a district the Republicans are all out to win, and our votes, dollars and volunteer time could make a big difference in November.
Tracy Boyland’s victory in the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Enoch Williams was particularly sweet. L.I.D. worked hard to defeat the homophobic Williams in the past and we’re delighted to have Boyland, the daughter of longtime L.I.D. friend Assemblyman Frank Boyland, as his successor.
No primary loss was more heartbreaking than that of Adele Cohen in her race to unseat Councilman Howard Lasher. Cohen, who has run three times before with L.I.D. backing, came within 4 points of upsetting Lasher, but fell victim to nasty last minute race baiting. One L.I.D. volunteer reported that on primary day Lasher’s own father was calling Cohen a “lesbian” at a polling site and pointing to people within "those gay clubs that support her" as evidence.
The contentious primary for the seat of retiring Councilwoman Joan Griffin McCabe was won by Sunset Park district leader and community activist Angel Rodriguez. Eduardo Castell, who ran with L.I.D. backing, finished a close third in the contest and ran particularly well in parts of the district with high concentrations of lesbian and gay voters. While we are disappointed by Castell’s loss, we are heartened by the fact that all five candidates in this primary sought L.I.D. support.
Incumbent Mary Pinkett barely broke the 50% mark in her primary match up against two opponents, including L.I.D.-backed Erroll Louis, who finished second with 30%.
L.I.D. supported both city wide primary victors, Ruth Messinger and Mark Green.
Our attention now turns to the November 4th general election, with our priorities the Seminara-Lehu and Messinger races. In addition, the fall ballot will see the historic inclusion of openly lesbian attorney Debra Silber as a candidate for a borough wide civil court judgeship. Silber had no primary opposition.
If you are interested in working with L.I.D. on either of these campaigns, call us at 361-3322. You can contact the Messinger campaign in Brooklyn directly by calling borough coordinator John Beam at 768-8872. You can contact the Seminara-Lehu campaign directly at 562-6639. If you volunteer on either campaign, make sure to identify yourself as an L.I.D. member or friend.
With Friends Like This . . .
One of the major disappointments of the mayoral campaign has been the cowardly desertion of 40 Democratic elected officials to the Giuliani campaign. As we went to press, thirteen elected Brooklyn Democrats had jumped ship. Particularly disheartening were the moves by two who have consistently run with L.I.D. support: Congressman Ed Towns (our 1997 Brooklyn Lambda Award winner) and State Senator Ada L. Smith.
To add insult to injury, the New York Post reported on October 1 that Greenpoint/Williamsburg district leader Steve Cohn -- one of the state party's 13 vice chairman and secretary of the Brooklyn Democratic party -- has raised at least $5,000 for Giuliani. The Post also reported a $1,800 donation from Cohn to Sen. Al D'Amato (who has been honored by Cohn's Senecca Democratic Club). Cohn also has contributed to the campaign of Attorney General Dennis Vacco.
These defections cannot go unnoticed. It is crucial that you raise your voice and express your deep disappointment for their moves. Whatever their motives, these elected officials sent a signal that political expediency is more important than our party's ideals. Let them know you will remember this disloyalty at election time.
L.I.D. took part in a demonstration outside the Courts Street offices of Congressman Ed Towns on September 30th to protest his decision to endorse Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the November election.
The protest drew more than 50 people on only a few days notice and received coverage in the Daily News and on New York 1. It was organized by members of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats and the community group ACORN.
Brooklyn Delegation Opposes
Needle Exchange Ban
The Brooklyn Congressional delegation was unanimous in its opposition to a successful House amendment banning federal funding for any needle exchange program in the country. The amendment, passed by a 266-158 vote on September 11, was attached to the $270 billion Labor-Health and Human Services appropriations bill.
Since 1988, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has had the discretion to implement federally sponsored needle exchange programs. This amendment, if it becomes law, would remove that prerogative.
The Senate version of the appropriations bill does not include the measure and, as we went to press, the conference committee had not yet agreed on final language. No Brooklyn legislators are on the panel, but let your voice be heard by urging the President to speak out against inclusion of the amendment in the final appropriations bill.
You can call the White House at 202-456-1111. And don't forget to write and thank your member of Congress for this important vote. Thanks to Reps. Maloney, Nadler, Owens, Schumer, Towns and Velazquez.
Slope Liaison Gets NYPD Honor
Officer Carlos Crespo, who serves as liaison to the lesbian and gay community in Park Slope's 78th precinct, received the New York Police Department's Medal of Valor in September, the first openly lesbian or gay officer so honored.
Crespo was stabbed and shot in 1995 while confronting an attacker who lunged at a fellow police officer in northern Manhattan. Crespo is a member of Gay Officer's Action League and has been a member of the force since 1991. We congratulate him on this groundbreaking achievement.