Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Crystal Hudson for City Council District 35

Candidate Name: Crystal Hudson

Office Seeking Election for: New York City Council District 35

Campaign Website: https://www.crystalforbk.com

Campaign Social Media Handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalforbk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crystalrhudson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chudchud

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

I am a gay Black woman and proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I am one of the first out, Black queer women to serve on the New York City Council, and I am proudly the co-chair of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus in the City Council.

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?

Though I do not believe members of hate groups should be permitted to join the City Council caucuses, I do not believe the Republican Party is a hate group and do not support ejecting Republicans from the Caucus. Much like other groups, including the Democratic Party, the Republican Party is not a monolith in which all members agree to the same belief systems or principles. Though some members are white

supremacists, homophobes, racists, and oppose nearly everything I stand for, others are Republicans because they believe in smaller government but still a government that addresses the root issues facing our nation. I cannot speak for Council Member Carr, but I can say that he should remain in our caucus. Council Member Carr has been an invaluable member of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus, attending all of our meetings, providing substantive feedback, acknowledging where he may differ, and supporting legislation that increases support for LGBTQIA+ folks in New York City. He has fought for funding for LGBTQIA+ community centers in Staten Island (one of the most difficult boroughs for LGBTQIA+ folks to live given rampant conservatism and religious extremism in some neighborhoods), supported groups like Drag Story Hour, and been one of the leading advocates within the Council calling on Yeshiva University to recognize Yeshiva University Pride Alliance (noting his experience as a gay man at a conservative, Catholic college). We need more Republicans like Council Member Carr who are open-minded advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community and who can work at addressing rampant homophobia and transphobia in the most conservative parts of the Republican Party.

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.

Throughout my career and during my time in the Council, I have been one of the leaders in fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights in New York City and nationally.

? Legislation: I have introduced a number of bills in direct support of the LGBTQIA+ community in my short time in the Council. I was the lead sponsor of the Council’s Mpox response legislation and am co-prime sponsor on a number of pro-LGBTQIA+ bills, including legislation to create an LGBTQIA+ older adult advisory board. I am also working on legislation to create a ballroom laureate program, expand data collection of LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers using city services, and require all City agencies to recognize “X” gender markers. In the coming months, the LGBTQIA+ Caucus will be finalizing a policy agenda that my team wrote in coordination with co-chair CM Tiffany Cabán’s office and advocacy groups that will further outline my policy proposals in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.

? Funds Allocation & Organizational Support: I have allocated tens of thousands of dollars in my local discretionary funding to LGBTQIA+ organizations like Brooklyn Community Pride Center, SAGE, AVP, Rainbow Heights Club, and more, and advocated for the Speaker to fund a number of organizations like HMI, Ali Forney Center, and more. I also successfully established the Pride at Work Initiative as a member of the Budget Negotiating Team to fund organizations working to get more queer folks into union jobs and enhanced the LGBTQ Senior Services in Every Borough Initiative to provide more support for GRIOT Circle and SAGE. I worked directly with these organizations and many others to support these funding efforts and advance their policy proposals.

? Organizational Affiliations: I am a current Board Member of Lambda Independent Democrats (LID). I was a Victory Empowerment Fellow with the Victory Fund; and when I worked in the WNBA, I spearheaded the team’s LGBTQ outreach in partnership with the Human Rights Campaign.

? Pride & Rallies: I have marched in Brooklyn, Queens and New York City Pride every year for many years, including last year as a member of the New York City Council. As an out and proud gay teen growing up in New York City, I always found refuge at New York City pride celebrations. I have also held and attended a number of rallies, including a recent rally to launch the aforementioned Pride at Work Initiative.

? Employing Openly LGBTQIA+ Individuals: Two of my six staffers are members of the LGBTQIA+ Community. One identifies as non-binary, and another identifies as bisexual. I have also hired, supervised, mentored, and coached LGBTQIA+ individuals in previous roles in government and the private sector.

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, Mayor Adams has given only token acknowledgment to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community and does not appear to have a firm grasp of the issues facing our community. He has yet to re-establish an Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, underfunds the Unity Project, has supported the NYPD’s efforts to establish an LGBTQIA+ resource app for police officers even though the queer community is deeply opposed to law enforcement, and botched the city’s response to Mpox by prioritizing wealthier, white areas when Black and brown gay men were the primary population impacted in summer 2022. His biggest support for the LGBTQIA+ community has been the investment of $6.7 million into LGBTQIA+ resources as a win, but his policies, especially around policing, continue to disproportionately target and harm LGBTQIA+ New Yorkers.

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. I firmly believe we need a centralized Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs (which CM De La Rosa is attempting to codify through Int. 719) to ensure the Administration has dedicated, well-resourced staff that is consistently supporting the LGBTQIA+ community and working to ensure all queer New Yorkers are aware of the city’s resources in support of our community. The City Council’s LGBTQIA+ Caucus would be well positioned to identify and suggest a head for that office who understands the community and its diverse needs.

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?

When the current Mayor first came into office, I submitted some names for folks I thought might be good additions to the Mayor’s Office, which included folks from the LGBTQ community. I have also voted to appoint members of the LGBTQ community on city boards, as a member of the Rules Committee. And I have rallied against the appointments and hiring of homophobes in the Administration.

7. Do you support reparations for slavery?

Yes. Part of my signature proposal, A Black Agenda for New York City, focuses on this. I support the citywide truth and reconciliation commission focused on race and reparations. And I believe that reparations can take many forms and not solely a direct cash transfer. My proposal includes a number of forms of reparation that are focused on cash transfer, including a basic income program in zip codes with the highest rates of gun violence and a baby bonds program, but also focused on investing in building Black wealth by establishing support structures, like a pipeline for non-law enforcement union jobs and supporting community home ownership to build Black wealth.

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

Yes. The right wing media echo-chamber succeeded in convincing folks that bail reform has resulted in rising crime — both parts of which are false. Our city is not seeing the rising crime that extremists purport is occuring, and bail reform has only ensured New Yorkers are not wrongfully detained pre-trial. A Brennan Center study from last year found “no clear connection between recent crime increases and the bail reform law.” We must work to decarcerate our jails and prisons, and bail reform is one way to ensure that folks charged with a crime are truly deemed innocent until proven guilty and not forced to await trial in jail and see their life destabilized.

9. Do you support closing Rikers Island? Do you support the administration’s plan to open borough-based jails?

Yes, I support closing Rikers Island. As Rikers moves to close, I also support the installation of a federal receiver to address rampant negligence and unsafe conditions for people in custody. In November 2022, I joined six other Council colleagues in calling for a federal judge to appoint a receiver for Rikers Island. Simply put, Rikers needs a receivership because the Department of Corrections has unsurprisingly shown its incompetence in promoting the well-being of people in custody. People incarcerated at Rikers have told stories about being rejected requests for sick call, no access to showers or fresh air, being surrounded by roaches and rats, bags used as toilets, plastic sheets used as blankets, and overcrowded cells. It’s clear the current leadership cannot ensure the safety and well-being of those currently incarcerated. My support for a receivership does not mean I support keeping Rikers open. But while it remains open, those who are currently incarcerated have a right to safe living conditions and basic services, which they currently do not have.

Additionally, I now support the plan to open borough-based jails. Though I am an abolitionist and oppose the use of jails given that they are not actually focused on rehabilitation and instead punishment,

I understand that we won’t be able to do this overnight. As we work toward reducing the number of people incarcerated and eliminating the need for jails, we need to establish high-quality, safe facilities for those currently incarcerated that work to increase resources for people while they are detained and help them when transitioning home.

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, and I have been a proud co-sponsor of Int. 549 since its introduction. Solitary confinement is blatantly unconstitutional, ineffective, and harmful for people in custody — as it is proven to cause a number of mental health problems in folks placed in solitary confinement. It is long past time for the city to abolish this inhumane practice.

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, and I have already signed a letter urging the Governor to use her clemency power to release a number of New Yorkers. I have been the main supporter of the Elder Parole Act and Fair and Timely Release Act in the New York City Council, sponsoring the resolution in support of these bills and recently holding a joint hearing on this topic with my committee (Committee on Aging) and the Committee on Criminal Justice. I would be willing to use social media or issue and criticize a governor who does not actively work to reduce our jail and prison populations, though I have not done so yet.

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. My office issues a weekly newsletter in which we share a number of resources, events, and information on what my office has been up to over the past week. I would be proud to include instructions for how folks can apply for clemency and spread awareness.

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

Yes. I visited Eastern Correctional Facility in late November 2022 with representatives of Bard Prison Initiative to meet constituents and people in custody who participate in BPI’s programming. I am currently working on a visit to Rikers in the coming months so that I can speak directly with constituents who are detained.

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, I support the full decriminalization of sex work, including purchase and facilitation. The Nordic model fails to recognize that sex work is work and that some folks, especially Black and brown trans women, turn to sex work as a means of earning a stable income in a transphobic, racist, capitalist economy. I also want to ensure that our City continues to work to safeguard children (especially youth of color and Black girls) who are disproportionately trafficked from group homes and foster care. I will unapologetically protect young people who are trafficked into sex work without question, ensuring that our City provides safe housing and support to young people seeking stability and financial resources to survive.

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

I am the daughter of Jamaican and Honduran immigrants, with deep roots in Brooklyn that span across three generations. My commitment to immigrant communities is one that centers the lived experiences of immigrants, including those who have been here for the majority of their lives. I am deeply committed to ensuring that New York City remains a sanctuary city to the fullest extent possible, including supporting the appeal of the recent court case that overturned the city’s non-citizen voting law, expanding language access in city agencies including through a citywide interpreter bank, ensuring local government does not cooperate with ICE and federal immigration authorities, and funding support services for immigrant communities like CUNY Citizenship NOW! to provide free immigration legal services for immigrants seeking citizenship or the Immigrant Opportunities Initiative to provide legal services for recent immigrants.

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, I was a strong supporter of Int. 1867 and provided testimony in support of its passage when it was going through the legislative process in 2021. I also strongly support the appeal of the case and support all efforts to ensure this bill becomes law.

Immigrant communities define our city. New York’s true culture is a multicultural one — defined by the New Yorkers who have moved to our city from across the globe for generations as well as the Lenape who wrongly saw their land falsely “purchased” by the Dutch nearly four centuries ago and the thousands of enslaved Africans who were taken from their homes and forcibly brought to New York.

Immigrants clearly already contribute to the various arms of civil society, providing goods and services, paying taxes, and volunteering for civic organizations.

Green card holders are essentially non-citizens in name only, and many are in the process of applying for full citizenship. They deserve the ultimate tool in civic engagement: voting. This isn’t an unprecedented concept. Non-citizens were eligible to vote in local school board elections for four decades in our city

before the State Legislature disbanded it when establishing mayoral control. And non-citizens are currently eligible to vote in the participatory budgeting process in the council districts that utilize the program, including mine.

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

Yes, I support the establishment of more supervised drug consumption sites, including in my district. And I believe the city must abide by the fair share principles and ensure the equitable distribution of city services.

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

Yes. Police are not above the law and must be held accountable when they violate the rights of people in our city.

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, I support removing police from all scenarios. Fundamentally, I support demilitarizing and working to reduce funding for the NYPD and moving it to community-oriented public safety groups. We must end qualified immunity once and for all and amend the City Charter to remove discretion over police discipline from the Commissioner and put it in the hands of the Civilian Complaint Review Board. I am working with my progressive colleagues in the Council on these issues, but, as the recent exodus from the Progressive Caucus has shown, we have a lot of work to do in convincing our colleagues that this is the best course to take. Two of the bills I have introduced to date (Int. 538 and Int. 256) work toward forcing the NYPD to report on its potentially illegal activities so we have a better sense of what officers are doing. (I am also working with the Center for Policing Equity to write and introduce legislation that will prohibit the NYPD from responding to certain low-level traffic stops.)

Even with a former cop as a Mayor, I have already worked to achieve equity in these areas while on the Council. During budget negotiations, I was part of the team that removed 500 corrections officers from the Department of Corrections budget and fought to not add a single NYPD officer to the ranks. I also led the charge in the Council to stop the Department of Corrections from digitizing all mail and stripping people in custody of a basic source of humanity. I will continue to stand with my colleagues in calling out every injustice by NYPD officers and corrections officers and work tirelessly to reallocate our City’s resources from these racist institutions to proven, community-based solutions.

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

Yes. Vice Squads have been an NYPD tool used to surveil the LGBTQIA+ community for decades, especially Black and brown trans sex workers. We need to move away from policing and prosecuting victimless crimes, and the disbandment of vice squads, including the racist NYPD Vice Squad, is the first step in doing so.

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

Yes, and I have already co-sponsored Int. 360.

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

Yes, and I signed the statement in favor of reducing the “size and scope” of the NYPD. (I expound on this answer in question 31.)

23. What concretely have you done to improve access to reproductive healthcare? If elected, what more will you do? Be specific.

Simply put, we must ensure that every person seeking an abortion in New York City has access to it. The fight for reproductive justice is one where the struggle for racial equality, gender equity, and economic liberation converge to underscore the plight of Black women, Black LGBTQIA+ folks, and poor and working class people across the country.

The biggest obstacle to this is funding, as we have state and local legislative bodies that have firmly declared their support for the right to choose. To do that, we must continue to provide robust support for nonprofits like Planned Parenthood that provide free or low-cost reproductive healthcare. I’m proud, as a member of the Council’s Budget Negotiating Team, to have voted for and supported the first abortion access fund in the nation, which will ensure anyone who comes to New York for abortion or related care can receive the treatment and recovery they need at little or no cost. New York City must continue to advocate for nationwide access to reproductive rights, as right now one-third of people of reproductive age seeking an abortion cannot get access in their state and are forced to travel for the care they need. I am also proud to have helped support the passage of the Council’s response to the Dobbs decision, including bills to make abortion pills free at city clinics, create a private right of action for interference in obtaining reproductive health services, and establish a public information campaign about deceptive “crisis pregnancy centers”

In that vein, we also need to work toward shutting down Limited Service Pregnancy Centers (aka Crisis Pregnancy Centers). They use deceptive tactics that mislead folks and discourage them from seeking the care they want. And we must continue to support people seeking abortions by funding escorts and upholding the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

24. Do you approve of Mayor Adams’ approach to sweeping homeless encampments?

No. This inhumane tactic fails to address the root issues many New Yorkers with mental illness face, especially inadequate mental health care and related wrap-around services like housing and food access.

The NYPD is wrongly harassing folks with mental illness and sending them to hospitals for a short stay where they are unlikely to receive the true support they need.

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

Yes. I have already done so by speaking with restaurant operators around the proposed permanent Open Restaurants program and a bill to lift the cap on marketing fees imposed by third-party delivery companies. I will continue to engage restaurant and nightlife industry representatives to understand their perspective before making a decision on any policy impacting the hospitality sector, and am actually in the process of scheduling a roundtable with local small businesses in my district to address this very issue.

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. To date, I have not weighed in on any liquor license applications (as this is under the purview of community boards to recommend to the State Liquor Authority), but I would certainly ensure I speak to all applicants or holders before supporting or opposing a license application.

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, I would support a bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge. In lieu of Ed Koch’s willful refusal to support New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS and documented racism, I would support renaming the bridge to honor a Black or brown queer New Yorker with a history of fighting homophobia, transphobia, and racism in New York City like Marsha P. Johnson or Sylvia Rivera.

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

Yes. I support removing the statue and the renaming of Columbus Circle & any other streets or public sites named after Columbus.

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

I endorsed and ranked Maya Wiley as #1 in the 2021 Democratic primary. I did not make an endorsement in the general election.

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

Yes, I am currently a member of the Progressive Caucus and am one of the 20 Council Members who signed the Caucus’s new Statement of Principles.

31. Do you believe the Progressive Caucus should have qualifications to ensure that its members are actually progressive? Please explain.

Yes. Though I believe the Democratic Party should be a big tent group to advance broadly progressive ideals, the point of a caucus is to organize an ideologically homogeneous body to fight for common goals. The Progressive Caucus for years has included individuals who oppose basic progressive tenets like police reform, alternatives to incarceration, and environmental sustainability. A more compact, ideologically homogeneous caucus will be able to put forth strong legislation and a unified front in opposing this administration.

32. If you are a sitting Councilmember, name three votes you took in the City Council that differed from the position of the Speaker.

1. Police Pension Bill: In May 2022, I abstained on a home rule request for a bill to sweeten police pensions for long-time officers, believing that we should not incentivize officers to remain in the force as many long-time officers are those who operate under the entrenched racism within the department. As a result of my vote and the votes of some of my colleagues, the bill was defeated. I was personally retaliated against because of my vote. As reported in the New York Times, “More than a dozen Council members abstained from voting on the measure, including Crystal Hudson, a left-leaning Brooklyn councilwoman. Not long after the vote, she was removed from the Council leadership team, a group of Council members who advise Ms. Adams and help implement her agenda.”

2. Local Conditional Release Commission: In December 2022, I abstained on three votes for members of the Local Conditional Release Commission. I believe that we should only have individuals who actively seek to decarcerate and release folks from prison on the city’s parole board. Though these individuals had extensive qualifications and the Speaker’s support, I could not support their nominations. A few of my colleagues followed me lead on this vote and also abstained.

3. Ninth Street Rezoning: In September 2022, I abstained on a land use item in District 39 that facilitated the construction of residential, mixed-use space in a manufacturing and commercial area. While I supported the intent of the rezoning, I abstained after learning that the number of affordable housing units was reduced because of local opposition to increased density. I firmly believe that we have a housing crisis in our city and that we cannot afford to sacrifice opportunities to construct affordable housing.

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.

No. The Council has finite resources that necessitate the prioritization of legislation to ensure it receives robust consideration, deliberation, and comprehension by the Council, Council staff, and members of the Administration. If we forced the Council to hear and hold votes on every bill without drastically increasing the staff and capacity, the Council could pass incomplete, potentially harmful legislation that the Council does not fully understand and that the Administration ignores or fails to properly enact. I would, however, support amending the rules to lower the supermajority co-sponsorship threshold for which a bill is forced to be heard from a supermajority (34) to a simple majority (26).

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

Yes. I have refused funding from individuals and PACs representing real estate or law enforcement historically and will continue to do so in this election. This statement is indicated on my website’s “Our Principles” page: https://www.crystalforbk.com/our-principles.

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, I broadly oppose all applications for casinos in Times Square as I believe casinos are predatory institutions that prey on low-income Black and brown folks by luring them with the hope of

life-changing money and keeping them in the casinos as much as possible to extract every dollar they can.

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.