NYC Speaker Christine Quinn Blasts “Dangerous” Carl Paladino For “Damaging” Homophobia

MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer ran a lengthy segment this afternoon about the spate of gay suicides, homophobic bullying and hate crimes recently in the New York, and had as her guest New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is openly gay, to discuss the issue, as well as the controversial statements made by New York gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino to a Jewish group about kids being “brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option – it isn’t.” Oh and then he used homophobia to impugn his opponent, Andrew Cuomo, for bringing his daughters to a “scary” gay pride parade. I had to check the calendar to be sure it was really 2010.

But while the Paladino media tour continues, Christine Quinn is making sure the focus is not only on the spectacle of the messenger, but the damage and danger of the message. Said Quinn:

The thing about a hate crime – it isn’t targeted necessarily at that individual personally. It’s targeted at the community that the perpetrator believes or knows that person is a member of. So the crime is designed to send out a ripple of hate to everybody in that community – that’s why it’s such a cancer in our society.

That said, she had a few choice words for the messenger, too:

Mr. Paladino’s statements are dangerous. They’re outrageous but worse, they’re dangerous…he can say he doesn’t want to hurt people, but he hurt people. He hurt people by saying that people like me were brainwashed, or brainwashers, by saying that my family is less good than anybody else’s family. He can pretend it has no impact, but it has an impact even if you’re an adult and it certainly has an impact if you’re a child. And think of those young men who thought there was no other option than to end their life – that dying was better than being gay. These are the types of hate speech that causes that type of self-loathing to grow in people. So Mr. Paladino can backpedal all he wants, but he did something damaging, and he can’t take it back.

Amen, sister. The full clip is below.