Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Chi Ossé for City Council District 36

Candidate Name: Chi Ossé

Office Seeking Election for: New York City Council District 36

Campaign Website: www.chiosse.com

Campaign Social Media Handles: @chiosse

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? YES

2. If you answered “yes” to the first question, do you believe members of hate groups should be permitted to join the City Council LGBTQIA+ caucus? Do you believe the Republican party is a hate group? If you answered yes to both questions, do you support ejecting Republicans from the caucus? YES YES

3. What work have you done on behalf of the LGBTQ community? This can include endorsing LGBTQ candidates, drafting or advocating for legislation directly benefiting the LGBTQ community, working with LGBTQ organizations, allocating funds to LGBTQ organizations, marching in Pride parades, attending rallies/protests/press conferences in support of LGBTQ issues, and/or employing openly LGBTQ individuals.

I’ve endorsed lgbtq candidates, marched in pride parades, and rallied against hate crimes in my community and in this city.

4. Has Mayor Eric Adams met the needs of the LGBTQ community? Please include “yes” or “no” in your answer, and explain your answer. NO

5. Would you demand that the Mayor re-institute its office of LGBTQ affairs, with its leader being a member of the LGBTQ community chosen in consultation with the City Council LGBTQIA+ Caucus? YES

6. Have you made requests to the Office of the Mayor to demand inclusion of LGBTQ community in city administration and on city boards? Can you give examples? YES

7. Do you support reparations for slavery? YES

8. Do you oppose all efforts to weaken bail reform? YES

9. Do you support closing Rikers Island? Do you support the administration’s plan to open borough-based jails? YES, NO

10. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all jails and prisons, including city jails, and do you support Intro 549 (regarding solitary confinement)? YES

11. Will you publicly call on the governor to use her clemency power for the many incarcerated New Yorkers who can safely return home? Will you tweet out your support for this or issue a public statement? Would you be willing to be critical of a governor who does not exercise their power to grant clemencies and commutations to those worthy of release? Have you ever spoken out in such a way? YES

12. If elected, will you include in your office’s newsletter instructions for your constituents on how their loved ones can apply for clemency? YES

13. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? When did you do so last? YES

14. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? If so, do you support full decriminalization, including decriminalizing purchase and facilitation? Will you commit to opposing the Nordic model, which continues criminalizing purchase and facilitation while decriminalizing sale? YES

15. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary City”? YES

16. Did you support legislation, which passed, to allow non-citizen New Yorkers to vote? Do you support the appeal of the case in which the law was held unconstitutional? YES

17. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces in your district? YES

18. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals? YES

19. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health response calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement. YES

20. Should law enforcement "Vice Squads" be eliminated? YES

21. Should the Gangs Database be abolished and do you / will you co-sponsor Intro 360 on the subject? YES

22. Do you support the Progressive Caucus’s requirement that members support cutting funding to NYPD in favor of alternative safety infrastructure? YES

23. What concretely have you done to improve access to reproductive healthcare? If elected, what more will you do? Be specific. YES, co-sponsored Shahana Hanif’s bills.

24. Do you approve of Mayor Adams’ approach to sweeping homeless encampments? NO

25. Do you commit to speaking with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses? YES

26. Do you commit to speaking personally with liquor license applicants and license holders before opposing any bid for a liquor license? Likewise for an applicant seeking your support? YES

27. 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 rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose? YES

28. Do you commit to removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle?YES

29. Who did you support for Mayor in the 2021 Democratic primary? Did you make an endorsement in the general election? NA

30. Are you currently a member of the Progressive Caucus? If you are not currently an incumbent, will you join if elected? YES

31. Do you believe the Progressive Caucus should have qualifications to ensure that its members are actually progressive? Please explain. YES, we recently had some members leave because we made commitments to divest from NYPD in the next budget.

32. If you are a sitting Councilmember, name three votes you took in the City Council that differed from the position of the Speaker. The most rev\cent budget vote is the biggest vote of the year, and I differed from the speaker.

33. The rules of the City Council often make it difficult to get a hearing and/or vote on bills of which the Speaker does not approve. Would you support, and introduce if necessary, legislation that could force the City Council to print, introduce, hold hearings on, and hold votes on legislation. YES

34. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations? YES

35. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations who donated funds to any of Donald Trump’s campaigns? YES

36. With the continued boycott of Equinox fitness on the basis of owner Steve Ross’ support of Donald Trump and institution of “Don’t Say Gay” policies in his residential buildings, do you commit to opposing his application for a casino? YES

37. If you receive the Jim Owles endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements? YES