We are also pleased to report that the Bias Violence Bill has once again been
passed by the NYS Assembly. All Brooklyn Assembly Members voted for the
bill with the exception of Assembly Member Dov Hikind, who was absent from
the vote.
LID January Meeting
At its January 30th meeting, LID conducted several orders of important
business:
The club almost unanimously voted to endorse President Clinton for re-election.
Several proposed amendments to the LID Constituion were ratified. (The new
constitution will be distributed at the next general meeting.)
LID Board Members for 1996 were elected and are as follows:
President: George Waffle
1st Vice President: Rodrick Dial
2nd Vice President: Beth Robinson
Corresponding Sec: Renee Cafiero
Recording Sec: Lisa King
Treasurer: Mitchell Rothlein
Members-at-large: Monica Barrett,
Jeff Diglio, Peter Fleming, Eileen Foley, Kay Mackey, Derrick Mapp, Clyde Moss,
Joe Presley,
Steve Robles,
Phil Saperia,
Seth Slade,
Stacia Thompson.
Former President Carter Criticizes Republican Campaigns
In a February 23, 1996, commentary in the Los Angeles Times, former
President Jimmy Carter
sharply criticized the Republican candidates for President for the mean-spirited,
anti-gay and lesbian
rhetoric that has characterized their primary races. "We must make it clear,"
Carter said, " that a
platform of 'I hate gay men and women' is not a way to become president of the
United States."
NYC Planned Parenthood Report Card on B'lyn Pols
Planned Parenthood has just released its 1995 report card on Brooklyn
legislators. Elected officials were assigned a pro-choice "+" or "-" on key
legislation or given "0" if they failed to appear for the vote.
U.S. House of Representatives: Two issues came before the House in 1995
which Planned Parenthood tracked. The first, the Title X Family Planning
Program was an amendment to kill the federal family planning program. It was
defeated in the House by 221 to 207. All Brooklyn Congression Reps,
including Carolyn Maloney, Susan Molinari, Jerrold Nadler, Major Owens,
Charles Schumer, Ed Towns, and Nydia Velasquez gave a pro-choice vote. All
Brooklyn members also voted pro-choice to maintain federal medicaid funding
for abortions for victims of rape or incest. Unfortunately, the measure was
defeated by the full House.
NY State Senate: 2 bills, one which prohibited abortions for girls under 16
without written notification from a doctor to both parents, and another which
would have severely restricted state medicaid funding for abortions came before
the State Senate. The full Senate passed the notification bill and the bill to
restrict State medicaid funding for abortions. Brooklyn Senators Martin Connor,
Marty Markowitz, Velmanette Montgomery, and Ada Smith got perfect scores
on both bills. Robert DiCarlo, a Republican representing Bensonhurst/Bay
Ridge, got a negative rating on both bills. Howard Babbush, Nellie Santiago
and Martin Solomon were absent from the vote on restricting medicaid funding.
Carl Kruger missed the vote on written parental notification.
NY State Assembly: 2 bills, one which increased the penalties for blocking
access to health facilities, and another which would have severely restricted state
medicaid funding for abortions, came before the Assembly in 1995. The full
Assembly passed the "clinic safety" bill and defeated the bill restricting state
medicaid funds. The following Brooklyn Assembly members received a perfect
rating on these bills: Peter Abbate, Jr., Frank Barbaro, William Boyland, Jim
Brennan, Eileen Dugan, Daniel Feldman, Edward Griffith, Vito Lopez, Clarence
Norman, Jr., Felix Ortiz, Nick Perry, Jules Polonetsky, Darryl Towns and
Helene Weinstein.
The only member in Brooklyn, Assembly or Senate, to miss both votes was
Assembly Member Dov Hikind who represents Borough Park and parts of
Dyker Heights
and Flatbush. Perhaps as he considers a future bid for Congress,
Mr. Hikind is worried about getting his true views on paper. He certainly
wouldn't want voters to think he's anti-choice . . . Women and pro-choice
Democrats make up the majority of the electorate. Being absent on issues
related to a woman's right to choose cannot and will not give officials like
Hikind a free ride at election time.
Gay Officer Assigned to 78th Precinct
LID was pleased to learn that an openly gay officer, Officer Carlos Tony
Crespo, has been assigned to the 78th Precinct in Park Slope and will serve as a
liaison for the lesbian and gay community. Officer Crespo requested the
assignment and we look forward to providing you with a chance to meet him as
soon as he assumes his post. Officer Crespo distinguished himself in the media
over a year ago as a "hero cop" when he stepped in front of knife-wielding
assailant to shield another officer in the 24th Precinct in Manhattan. He was
stabbed and has spent much of the last year recovering from his wounds.
Diaz Resigns from CCRB
We are happy to report that the unapologetically homophobic Rev. Ruben Diaz
officially resigned from the City's All Civilian Complaint Review Board on
February 16th. You will recall that his reappointment for a new 3 year term on
the CCRB was thwarted last year when he failed to get the votes he needed on
the City Council. That successful vote of no confidence was engineered by City
Council Member Tom Duane, who fought to make sure that the reappointment
was defeated, despite support for Diaz among the Bronx Councilmembers.
Now, alienated from his core supporters within the Bronx Democratic Party after
an unsuccessful race by his son, Ruben Jr., for State Assembly, Diaz is stepping
down. He is also under investigation for improper campaigning at a polling site
during his son's race. Now Jr. and Sr. Diazes are, mercifully, out to pasture.
Foreman Resigns Post as AVP Director
LID would like to take the opportunity to thank Matt Foreman, the Executive
Director of the NYC Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, who recently
announced he will soon resign from the position he has held for the last five
years. Matt's work city-wide has been impressive, but he has been particularly
effective in Brooklyn -- whether it was in the case of the lesbians who were
attacked at the Purity Diner in Park Slope, in the rash of rape cases in Prospect
Park, or in the ongoing case of Sylvia Lugo, who was brutally murdered
in Boerum Hill, he has always been helpful to LID as we dealt with law
enforcement and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. We wish him well.
Congratulations to Bea Hanson
LID is happy to congratulate Bea Hanson, the Director of Client Services at the
NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project and a resident of Williamsburg, on
her selection as one YWCA of Brooklyn's 1996 Women of Influence. Bea
oversees the counseling and advocacy services AVP provides to survivors of
bias crime, domestic violence and sexual assault, trains HIV/AIDS service
providers who must deal with violence against lesbians, gay men and people
with HIV/AIDS, and has published a groundbreaking resource manual discussing
issues of violence and discrimination in the lives of people with HIV/AIDS.
Lunch With Lambda Honorees Chosen
The 1996 Lunch with Lambda Honorees were chosen at the last meeting of the
LID Board. This year we will honor Dick Dadey, Executive Director of the
Empire State Pride Agenda with the Peter Vogel Award. Other awards will be
given to Cathy Cohen, an Asst. Prof. of Political Science & African/ African
American Studies at Yale and founding member of Black AIDS Mobilization;
Debra Silber, a longtime LID member and outgoing member of the City's All
Civilian Complaint Review Board; and the Brooklyn Touch AIDS Ministry,
which provides communal meals to PWA's in Brooklyn.
LID Rocks the Block in St. Patrick's Day Parade
As mentioned last month, LID voted to endorse the Irish Lesbian & Gay
Organization's (ILGO) protest march on Saturday, March 16th. In addition, we
are organizing a group as part of ILGO's plan to "rock the blocks" along the
official parade route. LID will meet at 11:15am on March 16th on the east side
of 63rd Street and Fifth Avenue. We will hold signs and show support for
ILGO as the parade passes by. The blocks from 42nd Street to 86th Street will
be filled with lesbian and gay activists showing similar signs of support. Since
the parade begins at 11:00am it is important to be at 63rd Street no later than
11:15am. If you plan to join us, please call George Waffle at 718. 361-3322.