UPDATE: Anti-gay pastor still in contention for job in Adams administration

"An Adams spokesperson confirmed Cabrera would not be appointed to lead the Office of Community Mental Health as originally planned, but did not address whether he would be tapped for another job." - Sally Goldenberg POLITICO

Now, Mayor Eric Adams announced that he is considering appointing an Anti-LGBTQI former City Council member Fernando Cabrera to a Faith-Based position!

Please take a moment to let Mayor Adams know that we will not accept an anti-LGBTQI individuals anywhere in government here in NYC!

Read our open-letter from EQNY's Faith-Based LGBTQI Committee Against Fernando Cabrera: https://bit.ly/3rX8RH0

HISTORY:

EQNY learned of this news from POLITICO in a breaking news story.

Historically, Fernando Cabrera has made homophobic and transphobic comments and even used his legislative power to block advancing the rights of LGBTQI New Yorkers. 

"LGBTQI people are more likely to experience mental health disabilities resulting from trauma and discrimination and to have to interact with the mental healthcare system. Additionally, they're more likely to experience poverty and rely on the public mental health resources the City provides. It would be moral negligence to appoint someone who isn't supportive of the LGBTQI community to such a role. It is essential that the Mayor consult the community when considering an appointment." Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán, EQNY Chair of the Disability Justice & Mental Health Access Committee,

Among the disqualifying reasons Cabrera, the senior pastor at New Life Outreach International Church should not be in charge of mental health for New Yorkers:

• Cabrera praised the 'Godly-people' of Uganda's government, which criminalizes the promotion of homosexuality and sentences LGBTQI people to life imprisonment for certain acts (and originally put them to death until international pressure changed sentencing).
• In a video at the time that was later taken down, Cabrera said "Godly people are in government....Gay marriage is not accepted in this country [of Uganda]. Even when the United States of America has put pressure and has told Uganda, 'We're not going to fund you anymore unless you allow gay marriage.' And they have stood in their place. Why? Because the Christians have assumed the place of decision-making for the nation."
• Cabrera appeared on a radio show for the Family Research Council, an activist group fueled by junk pseudoscience that has falsely claimed that the children of same-sex parents suffer from more mental health problems, and is designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate organization.

“Appointing Cabrera will do incredible harm to the LGBTQI community. Our queer youth suffer higher levels of mental health struggles and attempts at suicide. Having him as head of the Office Mental Health is the wrong move and Mayor Adams must not move forward with this appointment.” Marti Cummings, EQNY Advisory Council Member & Activist.

#NotHealthyToDiscriminate // #NoToCabrera