The Journey to End Violence and Hate

In June of 2007, I was the LGBT Liason for the first openly gay Speaker of the New York City Council.

One is my responsibilities included creating, organizing and executing the annual June Gay Pride Month Celebration in the Chambers of City Hall.

That year three men (Michael Sandy, Edgar Garzon and Rashawn Brazell) were victims of hate crimes and killed for being gay.

We decided that Pride Celebration would focused on eradicating hate and discrimination, and I created this video for the event which was displayed on a huge screen in City Hall.

We had invited the families of the three victims, as well as a local LGBT Alliance formed at a high school in the conservative Borough of Staten Island.

It was moving for most to watch the video, and it was one of my greatest accomplishments in my tenure in New York City government.

This video came from my heart, and from the pain stemming from my own coming-out process — which was incredibly difficult and full of shame...Lots of times I feel I’m still recovering from it.

On the heels of George Floyd’s death, I feel incredibly sad that we can’t seem to overcome hate and violence based on what a person looks like, or who they love...

“You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
-Maya Angelou, Still I Rise

Music: Beautiful by Christina Aguilera