Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Christian Celeste Tate for NY Assembly District 54

Candidate Name: Christian Celeste Tate

Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 54

Campaign Website: https://cct4nyc.com/

1. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why do you believe you are best qualified to represent your district?

I am a democratic socialist running for office because the status quo is suffocating us. We live in the wealthiest city on Earth, and yet a quarter of New York families live in poverty. Every year, the wealthy accumulate power while the working class—Black, brown, and immigrant communities especially—are pitted against each other as if there isn't enough to go around. We have the power to build the city we deserve: one where everyone has access to housing, health care, safety, and dignity, but to do it, we need electeds who are present with and accountable to the people they serve.

I have spent countless hours pounding the pavement with my neighbors to build a better future. This includes organizing to help members of my community save their homes from predatory investors; leading campaigns to tax the rich, freeze the rent, and create a public bank; advocating for ADA compliance at Bushwick subway stations (which led the MTA to include full accessibility of Wilson Ave in the 2025-29 capital plan); and standing with Teamsters, Nurses, and Baristas on the picket lines. This campaign is not just about an assembly seat; it's part of a working-class movement to take back our power.

2. What LGBTQ+ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer basis or professionally?

The intersectionality of our movement has been a cornerstone of my organizing since the beginning. I first started organizing at the age of 13 by going door-to-door for President Obama’s first presidential campaign in Virginia. A few years later, I took my first paid job as a street canvasser for the Human Rights Campaign, building support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (a federal ban on workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity). As an adult, I was reactivated into organizing during New York’s BLM protest movement, where I frequently joined the weekly Stonewall Protests, among other movement spaces. Now, as a candidate, I am proud to have been endorsed by Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn and look forward to building with others who see intersectionality as central to our movement.

3. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ+ issues, pro-choice legislation, racial justice, criminal justice have you attended, including rallies specifically against Donald Trump and his policies?

During the BLM protest movement I spent years being out in the streets daily, building community and calling for social, economic, and environmental justice. Since that time, I have joined countless actions and demonstrations protesting police brutality, the

genocide in Gaza, Trump’s imperial foreign policy, the proposed North Brooklyn Pipeline, and more. I have also been arrested twice while resisting ICE’s invasion of our city.

4. In light of the Trump Administration’s war on women, the LGBTQ+ community, minorities and immigrants, what are your plans to organize and combat the Trump agenda?

We are under multiple layers of attack by Donald Trump and his fascist government. Fighting back requires organizing in our buildings, or workplaces, and our schools. Three specific areas I intend to resist Trump’s fascist agenda are: (1) defending our neighbors from ICE, (2) safeguarding access to gender-affirming care, and (3) protecting protesters for Palestinian solidarity.

In terms of defending our neighbors against ICE, I have participated in and organized around multiple ICE Out and Know Your Rights trainings here in Bushwick, and my campaign is currently working to schedule an additional know your rights training in East New York. These trainings bring together hundreds of community members to learn, discuss, and practice how to show up for one another. In addition, we must pass New York for All to prohibit state agencies from collaborating with ICE, Access to Representation to guarantee every New Yorker access to an immigration lawyer in deportation cases, Dignity Not Detention to prohibit immigration detention facilities from operating in our state, and the MELT Act to prohibit law enforcement from concealing their identities while on duty.

When it comes to safeguarding access to gender-affirming care, we have watched institutions like NYU Langone cower in the face of the Trump administration by preemptively limiting access to gender-affirming care, in hopes of avoiding backlash. We cannot allow private institutions (especially those receiving public money) to capitulate to Trump at the expense of our trans siblings.

In terms of protecting protesters for Palestine, students have become the targets of both governmental and institutional retaliation for exercising their right to protest. The fact is, student protest movements have played a central and impactful role in every iteration of our country’s civil rights struggles. I am deeply inspired by the courage that student protesters show and would do everything possible to codify and protect their right to speak out without retaliation.

5. Will you seek or accept endorsements from individuals who oppose LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights?

No.

6. Do you support the unrestricted right to reproductive care and abortion?

Yes, absolutely.

7. Have you hosted, funded or otherwise supported Drag Story Hours in your community?

Not yet but I’m a big fan of the program and would be excited to join a Drag Story Hour in the district!

8. How will you work to enhance protections for immigrants and uphold New York’s role as a “Sanctuary City”?

Upholding New York’s role as a Sanctuary City means doing everything possible to protect our neighbors from deportation and push ICE out of our communities. If elected, I would immediately sign onto New York for All, Dignity Not Detention, Access to Representation, and the MELT Act — and I would leverage the entirety of my platform to advocate for these changes. The violence of the Trump Administration requires more than just quotable speeches. We are in a moment in which our state government needs to be in direct opposition to our federal government in order to protect us.

I believe that uniting as New Yorkers to protect one another in the face of fascism is the most important challenge we face today. However, acting as a Sanctuary City/State requires more than just fighting unjust deportations. Immigrant New Yorkers deserve access to the same supports and protections that all New Yorkers do but, too often, our governments use documentation status to limit access. We must extend social spending, strengthen labor protections, and adopt Coverage For All to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the healthcare, benefits, and labor protections they deserve.

9. Do you support New York becoming a Transgender Sanctuary State?

Yes. As attacks on LGBTQ+ people, and especially trans people, continue to escalate at the federal level, New York needs to step up to fill the gaps. In Albany, I will always stand up against the dehumanization of trans and gender non-conforming New Yorkers. I’ll support legislation to create a gender affirming care fund, ensuring trans healthcare remains accessible across our state. I will also champion the decriminalization of sex work and the Gender Identity, Respect, Dignity and Safety Act, to ensure trans folks facing incarceration are placed at facilities reflecting their gender identity.

10. If elected, will you commit to supporting legislation that raises taxes on the richest New Yorkers and large corporations in order to fund the services and investments our communities need?

Yes. We are watching first-hand what happens when our society prioritizes the hoarding of wealth over the working class. The same working people who build this city and make it vibrant are being pushed out because they simply cannot afford to stay. Whether we are talking about housing, healthcare, immigration, transit, climate, or safety, the conversation is the same: we have the power to build a city that works for working

people, but to build that city we need to tax the rich. In the wealthiest city on Earth, we need the rich to pay their share so that working people can thrive.

11. How will you represent the most vulnerable, including individuals experiencing homelessness and asylum seekers? Have you ever opposed any shelter in your district?

I have never opposed a shelter in my district because caring for the most vulnerable in our society is central to my politics. I believe wholeheartedly that none of us will be free until all of us are free. That belief is rooted in an understanding that we do have the resources to care for each other and we cannot provide for some at the expense of others. This applies to all of us, especially the homeless, asylum seekers, and undocumented neighbors. I am a Democratic Socialist because I believe that the wealth of our society should be shared by all people. That’s why I support universal housing, healthcare, childcare, and dignity.

12. Will you sponsor and support legislation which will ensure that state and local resources are not used to facilitate or cooperate with federal immigration enforcement (New York for All Act) to prevent the funneling of people into ICE custody, and the sharing of sensitive information with ICE?

Absolutely. I was a field lead during last fall’s pressure campaign to push Governor Hochul to call a special session to pass both New York for All and Dignity Not Detention. I would immediately sign onto these bills, as well as Access to Representation and the MELT Act, and leverage the entirety of my platform to advocate for them. These are not only common-sense pieces of legislation, they are past due. The violence of the Trump Administration requires more than just quotable speeches. We are in a moment in which our state government needs to be in direct opposition to our federal government and I believe that, collectively, these four bills are the bare minimum of what our state must do to protect New Yorkers from Trump’s fascist agenda.

13. To advance safety and justice, New York must address our archaic sentencing and parole laws. Do you support the following key legislation: 1) Second Look Act (S.158/A.1283), which would allow judges to review and reconsider excessive sentences by considering if incarcerated people have transformed while incarcerated or based on changes in law and norms; 2) Earned Time Act (S.342/A.1085), which would strengthen and expand “good time” and “merit time” programs in prison that encourage personal transformation and reunite families?; 3) Marvin Mayfield Act (S.1209/A.1297), which would eliminate mandatory minimum sentences, thereby allowing judges to consider individual factors in a case?; 4) Elder Parole (S.454/A.514), which would allow incarcerated people over age 55 who have served 15 years the opportunity to go before the parole board?

Absolutely. New York has the 16th highest incarceration rate in the world and imprisons Black and Latine residents at 8x and 3x the rate of white residents, respectively. In

addition, New York disregards the human rights of people in its custody: incarcerated New Yorkers are subjected to forced labor and denied basic rights, such as the right to a speedy trial and legal restrictions on the use of solitary confinement. Our approach to incarceration has not made us safer. Instead, it has fractured communities of color, undermined the validity of our justice system, and cost us inordinate sums.

I support the laws outlined above (as well as complementary bills, such as Fair and Timely Parole) because New Yorkers deserve a justice system that is measured, trustworthy, and humane. We should do everything we can to decarcerate those who don’t pose a threat to society, respect the rights of incarcerated New Yorkers, reform our approach to sentencing, and support those reentering society.

14. Do you oppose the death penalty?

Yes. The death penalty is an archaic, ineffective, discriminatory, and expensive way to respond to harm. There is no place for state-sanctioned executions in our society.

15. Do you support outlawing solitary confinement?

Yes. Solitary confinement is internationally understood to cause long-term psychological consequences, with wildly exacerbated effects on young and elderly people, as well as those with mental and physical disabilities. The United Nations has even condemned extended use (15+ days) of solitary confinement as torture. This reality led New York to pass the HALT Solitary Confinement Act in 2021, which placed limits on the allowed use of solitary confinement in state prisons. However, that legislation has yet to be implemented by the Department of Corrections. I do support outlawing solitary confinement and, in the meantime, we must immediately implement the HALT Solitary Confinement Act.

16. Do you commit to visit constituents who are incarcerated? Will you work to secure the release of individuals who have demonstrated sincere remorse, worked toward rehabilitation and are not deemed a threat to society?

Yes, absolutely. Decarcerating our society is a key part of the work I hope to contribute to in the Assembly and I commit to using the entirety of my platform to decarcerate those who don’t pose a threat to society. This includes passing the sentencing reform package from the Communities Not Cages coalition (outlined in question 13 above), as well as The Fair and Timely Parole Act and the Elder Parole Bill. We also need to hold our ground where we’ve made recent progress, such as bail reform and Raise The Age legislation.

17. Do you commit to make applications for clemencies available to your constituency including a link to an application in a constituent newsletter? Will you submit it to our club?

Yes. Per the answer above, decarceration is a central priority of mine and I will do everything possible to help incarcerated New Yorkers to safely and successfully reintegrate into society. This includes circulating applications for clemencies and using my office to advocate for those applications.

18. Did you rank Andrew Cuomo on your Democratic primary ballot in 2025? Who did you support for mayor in the 2025 Democratic primary and general election?

I ranked Zohran Mamdani first in the 2025 mayoral primary (followed by Brad, Zellnor, Adrienne, and Michael Blake) because he presented a thorough understanding of the material conditions facing our city and did an exceptional job presenting an alternative to the “lesser of two evils” trap. Zohran’s primary campaign was a uniquely mobilizing force in our city and I am proud to have been a part of it.

19. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of scores of people with AIDS, excused city council members who voted against the gay rights bill and was blatantly racist, would you support and sponsor a bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge?

Yes. Ed Koch’s slow and neglectful response to the AIDS epidemic contributed to racist and homophobic stigmas and led to the preventable deaths of thousands of New Yorkers. The former Queensboro Bridge is an iconic landmark and it should have a namesake that reflects its social, economic, and historical contributions to our city.

20. What is your legislative remedy to secure the building of low and moderate-income housing around the state?

My long-term vision for social housing in New York is a Social Housing Development Authority that builds, purchases, renovates, and manages housing across the state. I believe that to be the most scalable way to address the housing crisis directly. In the near term, I think that we can build momentum towards that long-term vision by investing in current social housing projects and their stewards. We should be fighting for additional acquisition funding for CLTs alongside a fully-funded TOPA. Together, those near-term wins would create tailwinds for both tenant organizing and successful social housing conversions. The more proof points we have for successful social housing right here at home, the closer we get to making the SHDA a reality statewide.

We also need to continue fighting for generational, state-level investments in NYCHA, while continuing to push the federal government to fully fund public housing.

Furthermore, we need to expand Good Cause protections and defend rent stabilization, we need to adopt a flip tax to discourage speculative investment, and we need to add cease and desist zones throughout the state to stop developer harassment.

21. Will you refuse donations from AIPAC, SolidarityPAC, police and corrections associations, the fossil fuel industry, and the charter school industry?

Yes and we also refuse donations from real estate developers.

22. Do you support removing criminal penalties for consensual commercial sex work between adults? Also known as Cecilia's Act for Rights in the Sex Trades (S2513 Salazar / A3251 Forrest).

Yes, absolutely. Sex work is work! Furthermore, the criminalization of sex work often makes sex workers less safe (even when criminalized under the Nordic model), by exposing sex workers to law enforcement who are often abusive towards sex workers and are unlikely to help when someone is in a situation that is legitimately dangerous. The decriminalization of sex work will protect workers by extending labor protections, limiting discriminatory policing practices that target trans New Yorkers, de-escalating conflicts with police, and increasing access to basic social services for sex workers.

23. There is an effort to have mandatory inclusion of the New York State proposal that would require public schools to teach about the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, commonly described in the bill text as an “insurrection.” Do you support this proposal?

I would support requiring public schools to teach about the January 6 insurrection because it was a powerful and defining moment in our country’s past and continues to shape our present political climate. At a time when there are ongoing efforts on the right to whitewash, downplay, and even erase uncomfortable parts of our history, mandating instruction on the insurrection would serve as an important counterweight.

24. What additional information would you like the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision?

None. Thank you so much for your time! I would be honored to carry the JOLDC endorsement and build together throughout (and beyond) this campaign.

25. If you receive our endorsement, do you agree to identify the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club on all appropriate literature and electronic materials?

Yes, proudly!