Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club’s Leadership Promoting Homophobia, Racism, Misogyny, Bullying, Campaign Violations, Intimidation, and the Middle Finger to the Homeless and People with AIDS

Regrettably, Hell's Kitchen Democrats' leadership has become marred by homophobia, racism, misogyny, and a hostile stance towards the homeless and those with AIDS. They have fostered an environment rife with hatred, bullying, physical and verbal harassment and have even resorted to illegal campaign tactics, all in service to the divisive agendas of a select few leaders whose bigotry and racism have brought shame to the Democratic Party.

The leadership’s deliberate efforts have been aimed at making unhoused individuals and those with AIDS feel unwelcome and unwanted in their community. Below are instances of how they've transformed into the most conservative Democratic Club in New York while having a lesbian president and a gay male district leader at the helm.

Homophobia

Homophobia has found a home within the club, as evidenced by their hand-picked female district leader, who made disturbing claims that gay individuals engaged in COVID parties to spread the disease and opposed the application of a gay bar, arguing that it should be denied due to the presence of schools in the neighborhood. This is akin to Ron DeSantis opposing school children being “exposed” to LGBTQ+ people. Similarly, the club's former president has expressed a desire for liquor licenses to be granted to bars catering to a non-LGBTQ+ “demographic.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dZOSan86bU&t=7278s

Here is part of what’s on this recording where she accuses the LGBTQ+ community of having COVID parties. Note her now co-leader is on the community board where she made these homophobic comments and did not speak out. Instead, he anointed her as his co-leader. “... Also, COVID parties. The thought of it just makes me nervous. We live in an incredibly elderly community. I think just about 60% of our population is over the age of 60. I’m not sure that everybody would be really excited about COVID parties."

Their club's president and male district leader exploit their LGBTQ+ identities to create an illusion of support and respect for the community. However, being a member of the LGBTQ+ community does not absolve you from supporting homophobic individuals. The club’s leadership has bad mouthed veteran activists who led the fight for Gay Liberation at a time when discrimination was rampant and employment nearly impossible for people who were publicly out of the closet. Many of our board members and supporters are responsible for writing the nation’s first gay rights bill and activating the modern gay rights movement. Many were being brutalized by the police and bigots, suffering arrests and losing families and employment. Hell’s Kitchen leadership's homophobia and clumsy attempts to tarnish our work have led to a surge in goodwill and the addition of new board members to our club.

To add insult to their attempts to appear involved in the struggle for the issues of concern to LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, they hold their fundraisers in gay venues. Isn’t their district leader fearful of the COVID parties?

Party Disloyalty

Party disloyalty is evident as their most recent former president openly boasted about receiving payment for her social media work from Curtis Sliwa, the racist right-wing Republican candidate for mayor. She and the current female district leader even announced their intention to spend election night at Sliwa's "victory" party. While the former president claims payment for her campaign efforts and a connection to Sliwa's sister, there is no record of such payment with the campaign finance board, leaving room for individual interpretation and assumptions. There is also no record of an “in-kind contribution for the services she told people she provided. We are not claiming violations of campaign finance laws or non-reports of income as required by Manhattan Plaza to determine rent charged.

Racism and Bigotry Against Housing for the Homeless and People with AIDS

Their stance against transitional housing in Hell's Kitchen for the unhoused and those with AIDS has exposed elements of racism and bigotry. This contradicts the positions of elected officials, including Borough President Mark Levine, former Speaker Corey Johnson, and Council Member Erik Bottcher, who supported the housing, leading to its approval despite the vocal objections from the former and current Hell's Kitchen presidents. Notably, the club's male district leader also opposed the project at the community board. The faculty will be built.

In June 2021, the city renamed a local park after Lorraine Hansberry. Hansberry was a playwright and writer who died in 1965. She was the first African-American female author to have a play performed on Broadway. Her best-known work, the play “A Raisin in the Sun,” highlights the lives of Black Americans living under racial segregation in Chicago. While civil rights leaders applauded the change, the former president of Hell’s Kitchen and president of Manhattan Plaza objected. The city renamed the park as part of its efforts to fight systematic racism in the city. Obviously not of concern to the former president of Hell’s Kitchen. The city accepted suggestions on names from the public through a public process for a period of a year— Ms. Hansberry’s name was, in fact, recommended. Hell's Kitchen's former president led the opposition, once again demonstrating that they are out of sync with the community’s brand support for racial justice. The park was renamed after Lorrain Hansbury.

They've also voiced opposition to housing for people without homes in the West 30s, sending a clear message that they are unwelcome as neighbors; it is worth noting that the majority are people of color. In stark contrast, we stand in unwavering support of people without homes and their housing needs. We stand with people needing and requiring housing. We work with activist organizations to oppose these self-serving, heartless politicos causing suffering to homeless people, including children forced to endure trauma and turmoil.

Recently, a business heralded by one of the world’s foremost Black civil rights leaders held an informational asking residents of Manhattan Plaza to support a venue that the firm was putting forth in conjunction with two other firms. The firm conducting the event is Black-owned and managed; a famous female Black chief provided and cooked food on the premises. Most of those in attendance running the event were Black and Brown. The former president of Hell’s Kitchen Democrats and current president of Manhattan Plaza Tenants Association was quoted in the neighborhood press as referring to the event as “Predatory.” Racists have called people of color predatory and predators for centuries. In addition, she called the event a “surprise attack.” We wonder if she would have this terminology if it were white people setting up an informational in a storefront nearby. Demonstrating again the blatant racism within the leadership of Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club. That tenant association president claims to speak for Hell’s Kitchen; however, when she ran for City Council, she came in second to last. She not only lost Manhattan Plaza as a whole but lost the building in which she lives.

Misogyny

On two occasions, one of the club's founders subjected the former female district leader to offensive language, calling her a c***. Regrettably, the Hell’s Kitchen Democrats remained silent and continued their political association with the individual. The former female district leader also had to contend with graffiti on her apartment door.

Elections

Contrary to the values of the Hell's Kitchen community, these regrettable actions bear the same self-interest that drove the club to oppose the candidacy of Congressmember Jerry Nadler, the long-standing Democratic icon who overwhelmingly carried the district. Nadler won the community with 90% support, unlike the Hell’s Kitchen candidate, who secured only 16%. In Manhattan Plaza, the numbers reflected a similar trend, with 74% backing Nadler and just 14% supporting their candidate.

While it's well within their right to oppose a progressive figure like Jerry Nadler, making derogatory statements about his health and continued tenure was underhanded and immature. Moreover, their candidate against Assembly Member Tony Simone ended up in last place, signaling a significant disconnect from the district's values.

Our club continues to have the strong support of Congressmember Jerry Nadler, and we are damn proud to have it.

Judicial Elections

Their claim of victory in the race for judicial delegates deserves clarification. We supported ten individuals running for judicial delegate positions and secured victory for seven while they won six. This clearly shows that the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club’s values have stronger public support than the values of the Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club. The leadership of Hell’s Kitchen, with its racism, homophobia, and disregard for the disenfranchised, is not who civil rights and criminal justice advocates want choosing our State Supreme Court judges—quite the opposite.

Last year, their number one candidate for Judicial Delegate was Liz Crotty. Crotty received endorsements from current and former police officers, including four unions representing New York Police Department sergeants, lieutenants, captains, and detectives when she ran for Manhattan District Attorney the previous year. All these law enforcement unions endorsed DONALD TRUMP for president. Only known racist unions endorsed Donald Trump for president. Crotty ran a law and order, racist campaign for Manhattan District Attorney. She was also the only Manhattan District Attorney candidate refusing to sign a letter organized by Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club urging the governor to release elderly people from prison.

Attempting to Corrupt Elections

In one instance, the male district leader submitted names to Manhattan County, submitting appointments to the county committee without obtaining the consent of those individuals. This is a crime in New York City, and, fortunately, the Manhattan County Democratic Party, when alerted, intervened and removed these names in compliance with election laws.

In another instance, the male district leader engaged in inappropriate conduct by questioning an elected delegate from a neighboring district about her presence in a certain seating area, which was unwarranted and improper. This incident, involving a woman of color who is also an officer of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club and is active in criminal justice reform efforts, underscores their troubling politics and suitability for judicial candidate selection. The meeting was open to the public, and their offending male district leader was neither a delegate nor an alternate and had no business questioning anyone, especially a woman of color, about her choice of seats.

Our person putting literature under doors in Manhattan Plaza was harassed on two different occasions causing the young woman to break into tears, cower next to the wall, and call her parents and security for help. Both times the men screamed obscenities at her, charged at her, and intimidated her (on the first occasion, the man tried to physically grab at her backpack). In the second incident, the man said, "I'm a Hell’s Kitchen Dem.” On this occasion, the man hunted her down, floor by floor, until he reached her on the 5th floor. He lives on the 20th floor.

Note; Manhattan Plaza has allowed delivery door-to-door of political materials during elections for decades. If annoyed with too much paper under the door, residents call security or management the next day. NEVER has ANYONE chased a person who is simply doing a job. This particular delivery person grew up at Manhattan Plaza and is a resident.

This practice has been approved by management as a tradition of this politically active residency. Yet, the former Hell’s Kitchen president, who lives in Manhattan Plaza, promotes outward and aggressive goon tactics meant to inhibit free speech. Her mother was captured on film removing (stealing) our literature placed under Manhattan Plaza’s doors.

On Election Day, their lead judicial candidate was found campaigning in a restricted area, violating election laws, a matter documented by Politico's online video coverage.

Insignificant Leaders Craving for Attention

Each year, the governor invites a select group of LGBTQ+ leaders, elected officials, and people of her choosing to march with her in the annual gay pride march. The Hell’s Kitchen District leader was not invited or asked to march by anyone associated with the governor; he crashed the march. Just to appear significant, he had the gall to disrespect the governor. We suggested to the governor's staff that next year they tighten up security.

Their club president attends fundraisers, and when the candidate faces the audience to speak, she stands behind the candidate to give the appearance of importance and make it appear as though she is more important than everyone else who is in the audience. Just an example of their continued gaul.

In Conclusion

We will continue to be at the forefront of the fight against racism and misogyny and the fight for criminal justice and LGBTQ+ equality. We will remain one of the most well-respected and influential Democratic and civil rights clubs in New York. We will also continue to call out and stand up to people and organizations who exploit us, whether it be the Log Cabin Republicans, the leadership of Hell’s Kitchen Democratic Club, or their two district leaders. Racism, homophobia, bullying, and hate have no place in Hell’s Kitchen or ill-suited members of the Democratic Party.

Allen Roskoff
Jim Owles President
Co-author Nation’s First Gay Rights Bill

Louis Cholden-Brown
Jim Owles Vice President
State Committee Member

Chris Marchitello
Jim Owles Vice President

Sheila Rule
Jim Owles Officer
Author, Criminal Justice Advocate

Mindy Rosier
Jim Owles Board Member
Candidate for Judicial Delegate