By Eric W. Schoen
The 5th Annual Yonkers Pride Festival took place last weekend in downtown Yonkers. Congratulations to Steve Cruz and those involved for a wonderful, fun event. One Yonkers City Councilman, Anthony Merante’s comments before the event were not only ignorant but should be considered insulting to every Yonkers resident.
Councilman Merante said that kids should stay away from the LGBTQ+ Pride Festival. His comments: LEAVE THE KIDS OUT OF THIS EVENT- I strongly feel that children do not belong in this environment. If a parent wants to teach their children about the LGBTQ community that is certainly fine but children’s activities at an event with “Drag Queens” is not. Drag was created as a bawdy art form with both innuendo and explicit performances for adults. Regardless of there being music, face paintings and bouncy houses adjacent to this event, kids should not be included at an event with Drag Queens!
Nothing in law forced children to attend the event. Children attend with their parents. If the parents do not want their children to attend the event they simply don’t bring them. I have enough confidence in the parents of children in Yonkers to make that decision. They certainly don’t need Mr. Merante to be the one giving them motherly advice.
And I don’t know where Mr. Merante gets his information from. Merante’s comments: ‘Drag was created as a bawdy art form with both innuendo and explicit performances for adults.’ I attended the event on Saturday and there were no ‘explicit performances for adults.’ Maybe he got his definition of drag from a conservative talking points memorandum or an 18th Century encyclopedia. Nothing could be father from the truth.
Mr. Merante voted for the City of Yonkers budget. City funding including monies from the City Council Majority Leader’s funds (he did vote for the current Majority Leader) partially paid for the event. If he was so concerned about that he should have as the CPA that he is have brought the issue up during budget negotiations. Not at the last minute attempting to ruin an event that takes place in many communities in Westchester.
This is the second controversy Merante has been involved with in less than 2 months. St. Ann’s Church had wanted to rent out their empty school to the former Leake and Watts organization to provide a place for learning for immigrant young people, many of them treated poorly in their countries of origin. Staffing ratio would have been 2 young people to 1 adult. The young people would have had background checks to make sure they were not involved in any illegal activities in their country of origin.
And St. Ann’s Church would have received $500,000 for rental of the school, money desperately needed. All of my friends who go to that church tell me of the need for funds by the church. And the building would not sit vacant. All of those staff members would have spent money for food, etc. in the Midland Avenue shopping district. The church pastor was a big supporter. And yet again, we see Mr. Merante rallying the troops against it
The sad thing is that this episode occurred during and around Holy Week where we pray for those in need and to help the hungry and homeless. Enough pressure was put on the Pastor of the church and the Archdiocese to kill the proposal.
Now you have to understand a little of what’s behind Merante’s comments. He has the desire to run for higher office and for some crazy reason feels these moves are going to help him achieve his goal. Yonkers as a whole is very different than the Yonkers of 30 plus years ago that fought the Housing Desegregation case. He would like to be Mayor when current Mayor Mike Spano’s term ends. Or City Council President if the current City Council President, a nice lady who has been very quiet in the 5 months since her inauguration decides that instead of her current 4 year job she wants to be on the Yonkers City Court when and if there is a vacancy after the election in November.
How this works for those who do not know is that the Mayor appoints a judge to fill the remainder of the term if a member of the Yonkers Judiciary gets elected or appointed to a higher level court. Which may be the situation come November. If the Mayor appoints City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy to fill the vacancy on the Yonkers City Court, he will also have the opportunity to fill the City Council President seat. If he fills the City Council seat from current City Council members, he will be able to fill their seat too!
After his ignorant statements about the Pride Festival I doubt Mr. Merante will receive the appointment from Mayor Spano. But he can run for the office when the election for City Council President takes place.
And you never know. Merante has been a ‘loyal puppy’ to Mr. Spano during his tenure. You never know what’s going to happen in Yonkers.
That is if he hasn’t run for Mayor in the interim. What can I say. Remember you read it here first kids, you read it here first!
Anthony Merante owes an apology to the hard working parents in Yonkers who he insulted. And to the Yonkers Pride Committee. And to Drag Queens who he insulted with his archaic comments. There is no room at the inn for elected officials who are ignorant. That everybody can agree on!
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In this paper last week, our distinguished Editor Dan Murphy referred to Congressman Jamaal Bowman as ‘well known in Yonkers and having participated in the community for years.‘ I respectfully disagree with him. As Mayor Spano said to me before he had his tiff with Bowman, ‘Who is this guy? Where did he come from?’ He certainly has not been active in the Yonkers I live in or since his election to office!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen on the Westchester Rising Radio Show alternating Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, WVOX.com click listen or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
