I knew I was gay in second grade, back in 1992. It wasn’t something children admitted back then. This was before “Will & Grace,” or “Ellen,” and even before President Bill Clinton’s disastrous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. So, I shut the closet door for 20 years.
Working from that closet, I got involved in politics and helped then-Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi in 2003 launch a campaign to “Fix Albany,” in 2005 in re-election, and in 2006 run for governor. Over those years, as a special assistant charged with the candidate’s day-to-day logistics and campaign operations, I got to know Suozzi and his family.
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During that time, I searched for LGBTQ mentors to help me come out and also make a difference at the same time. For a long time, there were few to be found. While I could not accept myself, I understood that Suozzi was a values-driven Catholic on gay marriage and choice, and that common sense dictated that the greater good could involve a moderate approach to get things done.
So I stayed put. Suozzi lost his run for governor to then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
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Last month, I attended a career day in Queens. I spoke to first graders and shared that they could be anything they wanted when they were older by working hard because they are unique and supported. I told them like me, they might one day elect people they admire to elected office. Hopefully one of them will step up like Suozzi has done many times.
But if one of those kids someday has the strength to come out, they need to know they will be seen, not erased. Had I happened to share that I have a boyfriend (I didn’t and I don’t), the closeted kid in the class might learn earlier than I did that LGBTQ folks can be themselves and succeed.
But had I done that in Florida today, it would have become a school-wide controversy, and likely be illegal.
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I was shocked to read last week that when Suozzi, now running against Gov. Hochul in the June 28 Democratic primary, was asked on ”Bernie and Sid In the Morning” about the reprehensible law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, he plainly expressed support, saying, “I think it’s a very reasonable law not to try to get kids in kindergarten to be talking about sex[ual orientation]…it’s just common sense.” In a later tweet, Suozzi claimed to be against the Florida law — but simply against kids being taught about sex in their early elementary years.
But that’s a dishonest dodge. Public schools don’t teach kids about sex in those years; the claim that they do is right-wing hysteria. What does happen sometimes, and what the law will prevent, is schools supporting children and families who are different so they are not tormented or isolated. The law is an answer to a problem that does not exist, effectively erasing gays’ existence from public schools. That’s what makes it so cruel.
On the day that Suozzi made his comments, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released a report about the lack of mental health services in our schools. What he revealed is the tip of the iceberg. According to state government, nearly 60% of LGBTQ youth feel unsafe in school and most hear homophobic or transphobic slurs, often coming from staff. These LGBTQ kids need support to help them thrive; we should remove the stigma so they feel accepted in the first place. It is pure common sense to advocate for the common good and create a healthier state for every New Yorker.
Suozzi and I are both moderate Democrats and agree that the biggest areas where Albany needs correcting are the economy and improving quality of life. The way to fix that is to confront those problems headlong, not engage in distracting and divisive culture wars that are rooted in fever dreams about “groomers” in our public schools.
In 2009, Suozzi was quoted in the New York Times saying, “[G]ays and lesbians have suffered too long from legal discrimination, social marginalization and even violence. They are entitled to clear recognition of their equal status as citizens of a country that is founded on the principle that we are all inherently worthy.”
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In the coming days, I hope he thinks hard about how the trans, lesbian, bi, gay or queer kid in the class to whom I recently spoke might feel about his words. I told them that by being authentic and working hard, they would change our state for the better, no matter what. I hope Suozzi would tell them the same, and not defend the indefensible.
Albert is the CEO of Malbert Media, a political media strategy firm. From 2003-2006, he worked on the campaigns of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. He serves on the Victory Fund Campaign Board.
