Former New York City
Mayor Edward I. Koch
-- elected in 1977 after a heated primary election with Bella
Abzug, Herman Badillo, Percy Sutton, Abe Beame, et al., a run-off election with Mario Cuomo and the general
election. Ed Koch was tenured as NYC mayor from January 1, 1978 to
December 31, 1989. He is happily shown in above photo with STONEWALL
Rebellion Veterans Association
("S.R.V.A.")
founder and director Willson Lee Henderson at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual &
Transgender ("G.L.B.T.") Community Centre ("GLBT Centre") on West 13 Street off Seventh Avenue in Manhattan,
New York, on Thursday,
October 22, 1998. The occasion was for sponsor PRIDE
Democrats of New York City's
"General Election
Candidates' Forum". The event was the follow-up to the hugely
successful,
largest-ever candidates' forum, also sponsored by PRIDE
Democrats and ci-sponsored by the S.R.V.A. on Thursday, August 27, 1998. At that
time, Mayor Ed's busy
schedule
had him elsewhere in America. However, the Mayor personally told
Willson to "....let him know
when you have your next event and I'll be there!" True
to
his word, here he is: Mayor-for-Life Edward I. Koch! See
the 'terrific' photo above. And, "How's he doin'?" Great!
The forum was co-sponsored
by the legendary STONEWALL Rebellion Veterans Association ("S.R.V.A."), the Gay Men of African Descent
("GMAD"), the
Imperial QUEENS & Kings of Greater New York ("IQKNY"), Asians &
Friends, the
G.L.B.T. Political Coalition "GLBT/PC"), Gay & Lesbian Hispanic
Americans
("GLHA"), the
Millennium Triangle Democratic Club ("MTDC"), the Stonewall Car Club
("SCC") and others --
a very real diversity! Mayor Koch is the one and the
only S.R.V.A. Honorary Male
Chairperson since the beginning of the organization in the Summer of 1969. On
occasions, as requested, he has also graciously been the S.R.V.A. Honorary Project Chairperson.
Mrs.
Helen Henderson, Mayor Ed Koch and Willson Henderson
[Photo in 2000 by Mayor Ed's executive secretary Miss
Jodi Getman]
Back to the PRIDE Democrats of NYC Candidates' Forum, esteemed Mayor Ed Koch was,
of course,
the big star of the show and every candidate
so
acknowledged that reality! And what greater and
internationally known Democrat
in New
York City history than Mayor Koch? None! And, yes it was
part show biz. The
members of the Imperial QUEENS attending did not come in tuxedoes!
In fact, Mayor Ed was first welcomed by the grand Duchess
Rayette of IQKNY. Plus,
it was media savvy; several journalists, including the NYX and the Gay
New York Blade News, attended to do a story. Candidate
speakers
included: Judge Karen S. Burstein as the dynamic surrogate
speaker
for U.S. Senate general election candidate Charles Schumer; Eliot
L. Spitzer for N.Y.S.
Attorney General; H. Carl
McCall for (re-election) as N.Y.S. Comptroller; Sandra Frankel (in a festive red
dress) for N.Y.S. Lieutenant
Governor; and four candidates for the New York City Council 3rd
District,
namely, openly-Gay district leader/Stonewall vet Aubrey L. Lees (also a future Stonewall vet president of the S.R.V.A.); un-openly-Gay Midtown Democratic Club
president Carlos 'Carl' Manzano, openly-Gay former
N.Y.C. Department of Transportation commissioner and
current Tax Commissioner Christopher Lynn, a longtime admirer of the IQKNY (both Gay gentlemen in the administrations of Mayor Rudy Giuliani); and
openly-Gay,
S.R.V.A. non-supporter
Christine C. Quinn. In this Council contest,
Mayor Ed endorsed Chris.... Lynn! Due to a hectic election
schedule, Mayor Ed's longtime
colleague and friend Peter Vallone, Sr., missed this one; however, he
was
the first of the 24 candidate speakers at the August 27 event.
Both forums
were sponsored by PRIDE Democrats under the leadership
of Willson
Henderson and both forums were hosted by PRIDE chairman and SRVA's
president Willson. By the way, which candidate
did Mayor Koch speak on behalf of? He didn't come just
to be nice and
have chicken soup (we didn't have any). The Mayor spoke candidly,
very
effectively and rather sincerely for the re-election of his
longtime friend U.S. Senator Alfonse "Al" D'Amato and, crossing party
lines again, for Republican
N.Y.S. Governor George Pataki. Mayor Koch is a quintessential New
Yorker and is unequivocably unique and quintessentially special. |
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