New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson Calls On Ruben Diaz To Resign Over Anti-LGBT Comments

The New York Post reports:

Council Speaker Corey Johnson said Monday that Bronx Councilman Ruben Diaz Sr. should step down for making an inflammatory remark about the gay community. “I think he should resign. It’s not up to me, but I think what he said is totally unacceptable,” Johnson said during a press briefing in Albany, where he testified on the state budget.

Diaz was quoted in an interview on a Spanish language radio program — picked up by NY1 — saying the city council is “controlled by the homosexual community.” “And him doubling down on those comments and saying he’s the victim clearly shows how out of touch he is — no level of contrition. I think that he should resign,” said Johnson, who is openly gay.

NY 1 reports:

Over the weekend, many City Council members and elected officials asked Díaz for an apology, including his own son, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. When Díaz Sr. refused, many began calling for his resignation, starting with Queens Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer.

“What he was saying is that while there’s five openly-gay members of the City Council right now out of 51 — less than 10 percent — we have somehow amassed far too much power,” Van Bramer said.

City & State has compiled a long list of Diaz’s history of anti-LGBT statements and actions. Many of these incidents were reported here on JMG at the time.

.⁦@NYCSpeakerCoJo⁩ says ⁦@revrubendiaz⁩ should resign. Adds that he has “some regrets” about working with Diaz, including giving him a Committee Chairmanship. Says Diaz used “vicious, Trumpian language” and will likely face some form of punishment. pic.twitter.com/mOhMljK4M5

— Zack Fink (@ZackFinkNews) February 11, 2019