‘Woke’ Democrats, including AOC, want to strip former Mayor Koch’s name from 59th Street Bridge
A slew of prominent “woke” Democratic politicians including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez want to remove the name of the late ex-Mayor Ed Koch from the 59th Street Bridge — but foes are blasting the move as “cancel culture out of control.’’
The push for the name change is being propelled by the Jim Owles LGBT Democratic Club, whose leader, Allen Roskoff, despised Koch for his belated response to the AIDS crisis.
The club has sent out a questionnaire to pols seeking its endorsement — and one of its queries asks, “In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to re-name the former Queensboro Bridge?”
“Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?” the questionnaire adds, referring to whether the pol would be OK with his or her support being made public.
Those signing onto the cancel-Koch cause along with AOC include state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli; city Public Advocate and gubernatorial candidate Jumaane Williams; Congressional Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Grace Meng and Hakeem Jeffries; Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine; and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg named the bridge after former mayor Ed Koch in 2011.
Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council had renamed the span connecting Manhattan and Queens the “Ed Koch-Queensboro” bridge in 2011, about two years before the irreverent ex-mayor — who greeted New Yorkers with “How’m I doin’?” and referred to himself as “a liberal with sanity” — died.
But Roskoff says Koch was a closeted homosexual who didn’t do enough to advance gay civil rights, including during the AIDS crisis, and therefore doesn’t deserve the honor.
Roskoff acknowledged to The Post on Friday that his case against Koch is personal.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez initially did not answer the bridge question in the questionnaire, but an aide later clarified she supports renaming the bridge.
“Two of my lovers died in my arms from AIDS. I hold Koch partially responsible,” he said. “Ed Koch early on refused to recognize the AIDS crisis.”
One of his lovers who died was Jim Owles, whom the political club is named after.
But a former top Koch aide slammed the attack on his ex-boss — and said any pols buying into the claim were guilty of shameful pandering.
Councilmen Robert Holden praised former mayor Ed Koch and said that “cancel culture is out of control.”
“What would Ed Koch say to this? He’d call them a bunch of wackos,” said former Koch Press Secretary George Arzt, repeating a trademark zinger often uttered by the former mayor.
“Boy, some people will do anything for an endorsement.”
Ocasio-Cortez was among those who didn’t answer the question on the lengthy questionnaire, but a rep said Friday that was an oversight.
Congresswoman Grace Meng wrote that she would “gladly consider” renaming the bridge in the questionnaire.
“We do support renaming the bridge,” an AOC rep told The Post.
Some other prominent pols, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, dodged and finessed or didn’t answer the question on the questionnaire, either.
“Gov. Hochul does not seek opportunities to rename bridges like some of her predecessors, though she would be supportive of the city’s efforts if a bill is introduced with community support,” her office said in the questionnaire.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli also responded to the questionnaire saying he’d support renaming the bridge.
Hochul was referring to her predecessor, disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who renamed the new Tappan Zee Bridge after his father, former three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Sen. Chuck Schumer skipped the questionnaire query. He was unable to be reached Friday by The Post.
Williams boasted on the questionnaire that he voted against the Koch bridge renaming when he was a Brooklyn councilman. The resolution passed 38-12 at the time.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said he is “open” to renaming the bridge.
Some foes to the move expressed surprise that elected officials who represent areas where Koch was very popular — the East Side of Manhattan and Queens — want to cancel him.
Queens city Councilman Robert Holden, whose district overlaps with Meng’s, slammed the congresswoman for disrespecting Koch and expressed dismay that DiNapoli turned on him.
“This is outrageous. The cancel culture is out of control. If Meng is joining the cancel culture, maybe the voters should cancel her,” Holden said.
He said it’s easy to “cherry pick” from Koch’s 12 year-record as mayor, adding, “No one at the time cared more about the city than Ed Koch.
“He worked very hard to help the city.”
Meng responded in the questionnaire, “I would gladly consider supporting city efforts to rename the bridge.
“I welcome any outreach to my office with the specifics and proposed names for this purpose.”
Maloney added, “As a federal representative, I have no jurisdiction over this, but I would be in support of renaming the former Queensboro Bridge.
“Yes, I authorize the use of my name for this purpose,” said Maloney, whose district includes the span.
Jeffries said he was “open” to the name-changing, too.
But former Brooklyn Councilwoman Diana Reyna, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, voted for the Koch bridge renaming then — and said she stands by it now.
“The renaming was done after a long, public process and debate. I would oppose efforts to repeal that legislation,” she said in her response to the political club.
Still, Brooklyn city Councilman Chi Osse said he’s involved in discussions about introducing a resolution to strike Koch’s name from the bridge.
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is not seeking opportunities to rename bridges, but would be “supportive of the city’s efforts.”
Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
“I do support Allen in his efforts to do this,” Osse told The Post on Friday.
Roskoff said Manhattan Councilman Erik Bottcher has agreed to co-introduce the resolution.
Bottcher declined a request for comment by The Post.
The Koch bridge naming caused a minor stir at the time it was instituted.
A year later, former Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. proposed legislation to take Koch’s name off the 59th Street Bridge, although only because he didn’t think the Queensboro Bridge should be named after anyone — just like the Manhattan or Brooklyn bridges. Vallone said another structure should have been named in Koch’s honor.
The push to replace Koch’s name on the bridge also came up during a recent meeting that LGBT activists and reps on the council had with Mayor Eric Adams.
City Hall had no immediate comment to The Post on the issue.
The cancel-Koch movement comes amid a campaign to remove the Christopher Columbus statue from Columbus Circle over complaints the famous explorer slaughtered indigenous residents of the Americas.