Anthony Weiner To Voter Who Called Chris Quinn A ‘Dyke’: ‘It’s Okay, It’s Not Your Fault’

Former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner is under fire for his response to an elderly voter who used homophobic and misogynistic language. Weiner reportedly told a voter he was asking to sign a petition that “it’s okay” and not her fault that she called New York City Council Speaker and mayoral candidate Christine Quinn a “dyke.” Weiner, whose combative nature won him both endearment and distain from voters, apparently wasn’t able to muster the courage to have a genuine conversation with the elderly woman.

UPDATE: Listen: Voter Calls Quinn A ‘Dyke,’ Weiner Defends His Record On LGBT Rights

In a lengthy profile of the NYC mayoral race, The Washington Post reported that “no one in the race has the political capacity to relate to people like Weiner, who makes it a point to relate to everyone.”

“You a registered Democrat?” he asked an elderly woman wheeling a shopping cart by him.

“I am,” she said. “And I’m not voting for uh, what’s her name? The dyke.”

“Okay. I just need you to sign the petition to get me on the ballot,” said Weiner, who then noticed the incredulous reaction of a reporter and added, “and you really shouldn’t talk that way about people.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” the woman said.

“It’s okay,” Weiner responded. “It’s not your fault.”

The Post seems to say that Weiner was going to ignore the anti-gay comment until he “noticed the incredulous reaction of a reporter,” and then tried to say the right thing without offending the voter.

In the process, many others are now offended.

Paul Schindler at Gay City News, a local New York City paper and the largest LGBT newspaper in the U.S., quipped, “Perhaps in his view, homophobes are just born that way.”

In a joint statement issued this morning, New York State Assemblymember Deborah Glick and State Senator Brad Hoylman decried “Weiner’s lack of moral courage” in the “face of voter’s homophobic, misogynistic slur,” noting they “are appalled by the account in the Washington Post of Anthony Weiner’s unacceptable response to a prospective voter’s homophobic, misogynistic slur in reference to Christine Quinn.”

“Weiner’s response to this blatant display of homophobia is completely inappropriate and extremely alarming. There is nothing ‘okay’ about homophobia and it’s never ‘okay’ to condone bias-based slurs or hate speech of any kind.

“The voter’s use of the term demonstrates the challenges women candidates and lesbians in particular face, and Weiner’s failure to swiftly and firmly condemn her language demonstrates his lack of moral courage.

“We demand an immediate apology from Mr. Weiner on behalf of LGBT and women New Yorkers.”

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorse Quinn, offered this statement:

“No, Anthony, it’s not okay,” Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said. “If he can’t stand up to these repugnant views as a candidate, he certainly won’t do it as mayor. LGBT New Yorkers should demand that Weiner categorically reject these views no matter what audience he’s in front of, especially when people use slurs to refer to the only openly gay candidate in the race.”

 

Image by Chavivaaaa via Instagram