Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Reception Celebrating LGBTQ2+ Pride Month

June 3, 2025

Mayor Eric Adams: To the 600 strong that's here tonight, you must not have gotten a memo to boycott, you know? It’s good to see you and good to see you all here. This community, we have gone so far back. I'm not new to you, I'm true to you. 

The experiences we have had together, not only during my days as Brooklyn Borough President, but when I became state senator and now the mayor of the City of New York. We've had a long, long battle to get here. I remember the fights as we went and fought for pride and wanted to ensure my commitment before going to Albany that we were going to be steadfast in stating that pride would get passed and marriage would get passed in Albany. I left Albany with marriage being secure and other important issues that you found significant. 

And then we go back to my days as a captain in the Police Department in the 6th precinct on Christopher Street, when young men and women who were forced to leave their homes when they decided to enjoy their lives in their natural state, they would go down to the park right off the water and they were being harassed repeatedly until we stood up and stated that as executive officer of the 6th precinct, you're not going to target the young people who are finding a safe space that they can coalesce and be together. 

And then now here as the mayor of the City of New York, look at the people behind me. These are the leaders of my administration and they're part of the LGBT+ community. [Everyone] from labor to TLC to deputy mayor, my senior roles. And they bring to the table those things that are important to them and important to this community. 

When I look at what we did last year, which was so important, we launched the Summer Youth Employment Pride Program, which connects thousands of LGBTQ+ young people and youth to welcoming and affirming work opportunities, career exploration, events, [and] special programs. 

And then we have made a historic $2.8 million dollar investment into our LGBTQ+  curriculum and education programs and we're making them available online for free to be used by any and everyone. And public safety, that's very important. 

Public safety, as the commissioner has stated, we have not allowed our hate crime units to downgrade crimes. You come in, you report it, we investigate it, and we acknowledge the way it is because the only way you can end the problem is to be honest and forthright on that problem. And problem that's what we have identified repeatedly. 

And New York City continues to make real progress in ending the HIV epidemic. And we are proud of our successful campaign to protect New Yorkers from impacts. And we're proud to embrace the community inclusivity within our laws, policies, and services in the ranks of our city government. 

From running a high-profile ad campaign when Florida decided to make your community attempt not to acknowledge themselves, we went to Florida and did a major campaign that said, Don't Say Gay law, we would not stand for it. We said say gay if you're gay and be proud of it. 

And what about that victory on Staten Island? Talking about getting it done. Refused to allow you to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade on Staten Island. And what do we do? We created our own parade. And finally they relented and you were able to march and show your Irish pride as members of the gay community and able to march. And our groundbreaking executive order for transgender. 

[Crosstalk.]

And so, to our groundbreaking appointment. Between Commissioner Tisch and Camille, my chief of staff. 

[Crosstalk.]

And then our appointees, you know, I cannot thank them enough. They are close advisors and committed public servants. 

When I think about my good friend Commissioner Renee Campion and how she has been able to settle  98 percent of our contract. David Do over at New York City Taxi Limousine, Housing Development Corporation, Eric Enderlin, Brooklyn Navy Yard President Lindsay Greene, New York City Health and Hospital CEO who was sitting down with me when I was running for office, Mitch Katz. 

Just the entire team and I just want to acknowledge them because they are committed. My D.M.s that are here, Randy Mastro, he's not a part of the LGBTQ community, I'm just acknowledging him. Camille Joseph Varlack, my chief of staff and deputy mayor for Administration. 

And my get it done in Albany in Washington, Deputy Mayor Tiffany Raspberry, Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for Communications, Suzanne Miles-Gustave, deputy mayor for Health and Services, and Jessica Tisch as I acknowledge. 

And then my staff, my LGBTQ+ staff, Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeffrey Roth, Ryan Merola, chief of staff to the police commissioner, Bill Heinzen, deputy chief counsel, Office of the Mayor, and the money man, Preston Niblack, commissioner of [] Department of Finance, David Do, commissioner at TLC, Julian Sazo, LGBTQ+ liaison, Ronald Porcelli, director of New York City Unity Project, Elijah Hutchinson, executive director, Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, Kathleen Corradi, Citywide Director of Rodent Mitigation, she got the rats out of here, Joel Rosenthal, deputy [communications director], Office of the Mayor, Jayson Littman, director of Events, Office of the Mayor, Zachary Nosanchuk, deputy press secretary, and Michael Nolan, chief strategy officer, [deputy mayor for Strategic Initiatives]. 

Let me end with this, and why my commitment is so deep on this issue. Growing up, I had a good friend who lived his entire life afraid to come out and express himself. The pressure got so hard for him, it's so difficult, and on two occasions he tried to take his life, and it just really invoked how serious this is, and many people don't realize what many of you have gone through, the challenges, not only from the outside world, but even from some of your family members. 

And you had to stay strong, and you fought hard, and I think about the Tom Duane's of the universe, who was up in the state senate and constantly lifted people up. That's why this work is not only professional, but it's personal. 

That we have to make sure that we never go back, and so when you see some of these legislative ideas and policies that are taking place across the country and across the globe that want to push you backwards. 

We have to be forceful and fortify ourselves and say we're never going back to the state of being depressed, uncertain, afraid to identify ourselves. So I come in the spirit of Harvey Milk, a fighter in San Francisco that his life was taken away by a hateful thought. 

That's the spirit that we must come in. Never again should we force anyone to allow us not to be who we are. Express yourselves and be who you are, and don't give a [] if no one can accept it but you. Congratulations to Pride. Keep being prideful.

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