Former New York City
Mayor Edward I. Koch
-- elected in 1977 after a primary election (with Bella
Abzug, et al.), a run-off election (with Mario Cuomo) and the general
election and tenured January 1, 1978 to
December 31, 1989 -- is happily shown with STONEWALL
Veterans' Association
("S.V.A.")
President Williamson Henderson at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual &
Transgender ("GLBT") Community Center on West 13 Street in Manhattan,
New York, on Thursday,
October 22, 1998. The occasion was for sponsor PRIDE
Democrats'
"General Election
Candidates' Forum". The event was the follow-up to the hugely
successful,
largest-ever candidates' forum, also sponsored by PRIDE
Democrats, on Thursday, August 27, 1998. At that
time, Mayor Ed's busy
schedule
had him elsewhere in America. However, the Mayor personally told
Williamson 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 STONEWALL Veterans' Association, 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.V.A. Honorary Male
Chairperson since the beginning of the organization. On
occasions, he has also been the S.V.A. Honorary Project Chairperson.
Mrs.
Helen Henderson, Mayor Ed Koch and Williamson Henderson
[Photo in 2000 by Miss
Jodi Getman]
Back to the PRIDE Democrats Candidates' Forum, Mayor Ed was, of course, the big star of the show and every candidate
so
acknowledged. 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 attended. Candidate
speakers
included: Judge Karen 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) N.Y.S. Comptroller; Sandra Frankel (in a 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 Lees,
un-openly-Gay McManus Democratic Club
President Carl Manzano, openly-Gay former
N.Y.C. Department of Transportation Commissioner and
current Tax Commissioner (both in Mayor Rudy's administration)
Christopher Lynn, a longtime supporter of the IQKNY, and openly-Gay
S.V.A. non-supporter
Christine 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 Williamson
Henderson and both forums were hosted by PRIDE and S.V.A.'s President Williamson. 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 Alphonse "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 truly special.
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