NYC Speaker "appalled" about homophobic comments made by former Dominican Republic president Hipólito Mejía

The blog post I published yesterday has drawn a strongly worded statement from New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito:

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

**For Immediate Release**                                                                                                             

April 6, 2015

 

Statement by Speaker Mark-Viverito

Re: Homophobic Remarks By Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia During a Visit to NYC

New York— “I am appalled that a former Dominican Republic president and a potential future presidential candidate has used a derogatory term that is offensive, inappropriate and hurtful toward LGBT people. President Mejia needs to apologize to the LGBT community in his country and here in New York, where he made this unacceptable statement. Leaders are called to unite people, not divide us. That includes those who invited him here and stayed silent when discrimination occured and even worse, laughed at it. I stand with the LGBT community here, in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, and I will not be silent when bigotry shows its ugly face.”

During a visit to New York City and New Jersey, President Hipólito Mejía made several remarks against LGBT people, including saying that his campaign handlers wanted to change several things about him and tried to convince him to sit "the way a little faggot does." You can read more about this from Blabbeando blog: http://blabbeando.blogspot.com/2015/04/i-wont-sit-like-faggot-for-poll-numbers.html 

Thank you, Melissa!

Reactions:

• Candidate for Dominican Republic presidency: I won't act like a faggot to win polls (Joe.My.God.) 
• Former Dominican president uses anti-gay slur during U.S. speech (The Washington Blade)
• Dominican presidential candidate disparages LGBT people (GLAAD)
• Former Dominican president tells audience he won't act like a "little faggot" (Latino Rebels)
• Dominican Republic presidential candidate makes homophobic remarks while in New Jersey (Latin Post)
• Hipólito Mejía creates controversy over anti-gay comments (El Diario La Prensa)
• Controversy over Hipólito Mejía's comments (Telemundo 47) 
• Former president of the Dominican Republic under fire for anti-gay comment (Latina)

On Twitter:

sad https://t.co/uRyqr4sUiB
— guillermo diaz (@guillermodiazyo) April 7, 2015