Christine Quinn

Gay City News

“Because she is a lesbian, I think the majority of people in the community find her very important and vital, but other people feel that civil liberties are being trampled.”

Gay City News

“As former head of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project and as the council member for the West Side district where many of these (false prostitution) arrests took place, Christine Quinn should have called for an end to these arrests when they were first reported, in October 2008.  Instead, she was virtually silent until February 2009, when activists threatened to hold a protest at the Mayor’s House, a move that would embarrass Quinn and the Mayor.  It was her desire to prevent this protest, not her concern for the victims, that drove Quinn to call a meeting with representatives from the gay community –  a meeting that clearly did not solve the problems.”

Behind the Smile

In public, Christine Quinn waves a rainbow flag at gay pride events and pumps her fists in the air at marriage rallies. In fact, she leverages her sexual orientation at every turn, except when she’s being exposed for corruption. In private, she has worked against us when it has served her politically.

Village Voice

In 2009, Christine Quinn refused to endorse the three LGBT candidates running for NYC Council in 2009.  When two of these candidates won anyway, Quinn stated, “I’m very excited about the fact that we’ve doubled the size of our caucus.”

ACT UP

“The same Christine Quinn who claims to speak for the queer community is now attacking the very civil rights gains that have made it possible for her, an out lesbian, to become speaker. Did the Stonewall veterans ask the police for a permit in 1970 when they held NYC’s first Gay Pride Parade? Quinn betrays those who fought hard for civil rights by allowing and supporting police violations of basic tenets of the Constitution.”

NY1 News

Only one LGBT bill has been introduced at City Hall since Quinn became Speaker in 2006.   Instead of advocating for meaningful legislation to protect LGBT youth, Quinn pushed a bill through the Council that requires the City Clerk to tell LGBT couples registering as domestic partners where they can get married.  Quinn did not support or schedule a hearing for the bill that would create a LGBT youth services division within the Dept of Health, even though “This is a bill that would deal with a lot of everyday issues that LGBT youth face.”

Towle Road

Gotham Gazette

While publicly criticizing the St. Patrick’s Day Parade for excluding gay people, Quinn  funds the parade with tax dollars behind the scenes.   The law states that the City cannot fund groups that discriminate, but Quinn defended the funding when exposed.

DNA Info

“Quinn scored the lowest (on the human rights report card) amongst the Manhattan council members, with a C+ overall. Quinn got a D when it came to housing and a C for justice issues.”

Village Voice

Quinn removes pro-tenant advocates from Council’s Housing Committee: “Gone from the committee were a trio of stalwart pro-tenant council members, Manhattan’s Gail Brewer, Brooklyn’s Letitia James, and Queens’s Melinda Katz. In their place were two of the council’s three Republicans.”

The Real Deal

“Affordable housing — something Community Board 2 has repeatedly requested be part of the agreement– is one place Quinn has backed off. “It’s not going to happen,” a source familiar with the negotiations.”

NY Times

“A prominent support of the legislation, Gloria Steinem, said ‘Speaker Quinn had a chance to really improve the lives of working women, especially low-income women, and chose not to.'”

NY Observer

“Ms. Quinn is someone that I thought would be an advocate for people, but it turns out that she is more interested in trying to position herself for a run for mayor.” – Norman Seabrook, head of Corrections Officers Union.

NY Observer

“Ms. Quinn killed a bill that would require small businesses to offer their employees paid sick leave, even though a majority of the Council-those members to whom Ms. Quinn owes her job-supported it. Afterward, her potential 2013 rivals excoriated Ms. Quinn for turning her back on working people.”

www.yourname.com

“Not passing the (sick pay) bill disproportionately affects immigrant and low-income workers, often forcing them to choose between taking care of their sick children or being terminated.”  – Lawyer Bryan Pu-Folkes

Metro

“City Council Speaker Christine Quinn cooled the debate over a sick leave bill on Thursday, effectively killing it before it came up for a vote . . . The NYS Paid Sick Leave Coalition, a supporter of the bill, called Quinn’s move a ‘stunning abandonment of working mothers and parents and the progressive women who have supported her from day one.'”

NY Times

“Quinn described the living wage bill as “the most impactful living-wage law in the United States.” But . . . by her office’s estimate, just 400 to 500 low-wage workers a year will benefit.”

NY Times

“Christine Quinn, already facing skepticism over her handling of legislation that would raise wages for some private-sector workers, has decided to add an exemption for one of New York’s biggest pending developments, Hudson Yards (a Related development).  Related . . .  employees have donated $34,200 to Ms. Quinn’s campaign.”

NY Daily News

“Despite having enough votes to pass Speaker Quinn, who has mayoral aspirations, has not allowed the (sick leave) bill, introduced by Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), to be voted on.”

The Riverdale Press

“The battle to require businesses that receive city subsidies to pay their workers a living wage . . . has ended with a whimper. Council Speaker Christine Quinn has gutted the bill. . . In the time-honored manner of politicians, Ms. Quinn and the proponents of the measure that would have extended a decent wage to retail workers are hailing this travesty as a compromise.”

NY Observer

“She chose to try to have it both ways. In an attempt to appease skeptics of the “living wage” concept, she will exempt employees of businesses that rent space in subsidized buildings. But workers in businesses that receive city subsidies or employees of contractors and subcontractors working on subsidized developments will have to pay the higher wage. ~ The result probably will please nobody and exposes Speaker Quinn as a weak politician who will look to cut deals rather than stand up for principle.”

New York Times

“In theory, a sizable majority of the City Council supports sick days. In reality, few of this often emasculated body will buck the Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, particularly as she has a case of the mayoral fevers and much desires the endorsement of Mr. Bloomberg. ‘I really don’t think this is a good idea for small businesses at this time,’ Quinn says. ‘But the economy has not yet turned the corner and we’ll put them in harm’s way.'”

New York Daily News

Quinn “comically spent months nipping and nibbling on the bill to the point where just 400 to 500 low-wage workers in the city annually will be affected, by her own estimate.”

The Gothamist

“Street vendors have already received support from 36 of the 51 council members—all they need is a vote to lower the fines. For reasons unknown, Quinn has delayed the vote on this legislation, which vendors have been working nearly six years to rectify.”

The Indypendent

“Was [labor’s] outrage over Quinn’s allegiance to Bloomberg and the business lobby on the sick days bill all for show? Now Quinn can sleep soundly at night knowing that shoving her thumb in the eyes of low-wage workers has caused no political consequence.”