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Citywide Candidates Take on LGBTQ+ Issues

Jun 1, 2021 | 5:00 pm

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(From left) Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Art Chang, Kathryn Garcia, Zachary Iscol, Brad Lander, Fernando Mateo, Alex Pan and Reshma Patel

As we mark Pride Month, Roosevelt House is pleased to present the third in a series of 2021 Zoom election events, designed to give young and first-time voters the opportunity to explore policy issues with those running for office in the June primaries (Primary Day is June 22). We continue with an event co-presented by the Roosevelt House LGBTQ Policy Center featuring individual discussions with candidates seeking nomination for Mayor and Comptroller. All candidates for these offices were invited; tonight’s featured guests are the ones who accepted our invitation.

As New York voters choose new leaders to guide our city back from its most challenging period in modern history, equity and respect for sexually and gender diverse New Yorkers remains essential to our core values and collective future. To help guide us in choosing the next mayor and comptroller, student representatives and other members of the Hunter community will pose questions to participating candidates on the issues they believe most directly impact New York’s vast and varied LGBTQ+ community.

Erin Mayo-Adam, moderator, is the Director of the Roosevelt House LGBTQ Policy Center, an assistant professor in Hunter’s Political Science Department and the Human Rights Program, and the author of Queer Alliances: How Power Shapes Political Movement Formation. Her research focuses on American politics, law and society, and political theory—bridging scholarship on social movements, public policy, intersectionality, gender, sexuality, migration, and labor politics.

Participating Candidates:

Art Chang is a candidate for mayor, technologist, and finance executive who co-founded the online voter engagement platform NYC Votes as a member of the Campaign Finance Board.

Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, comptroller candidate, is a former longtime financial journalist for CNBC. She ran against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a congressional Democratic primary bid last year.

Kathryn Garcia, mayoral candidate, managed operations at the Department of Environmental Protection under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and most recently served as Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation for Mayor Bill de Blasio as well as his pandemic food czar.

Zachary Iscol is a candidate for comptroller and former Marine who has worked on veteran mental health issues through his nonprofit Headstrong. He also co-founded the armed services-focused media site Task & Purpose. Until late January, he had been a candidate for mayor.

Brad Lander is a candidate for comptroller currently serving as the City Council member representing the 39th District, including Brooklyn neighborhoods Carroll Gardens, Park Slope and Kensington. Previous to government work, he directed a community planning center at Pratt Institute.

Fernando Mateo is a republican candidate for mayor, President of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, spokesperson for the United Bodegas of America, and former restaurant owner.

Alex Pan is a comptroller candidate and college student at Denison University. The son of immigrants and a lifelong New Yorker, he is the youngest candidate to make a citywide ballot in New York City history.

Reshma Patel is a candidate for comptroller, the president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club of Manhattan, and board member for an advocacy group for South Asian New Yorkers called Chhaya CDC. She has worked in public finance, e-commerce and data analytics.