Former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn clarified her assertion that Cynthia Nixon wasn’t fit to be governor of New York because she was an “unqualified lesbian.”
In a four-part Twitter statement, Quinn didn’t quite apologize, but said that her intention has been misinterpreted.
To be clear, Cynthia Nixon’s identity has no bearing on her candidacy and it was not my intention to suggest it did. I want to be clear about that. I would never, EVER, criticize someone because of their identity. I’ve experienced it time and time again, and would never support it or condone it. As a lesbian who ran one of the most high profile races in the country, i know what that’s like. And I know it’s imperative that we encourage more members of our community to run for office. Cynthia Nixon aggressively opposed my candidacy in New York despite my qualifications for the office and despite my strong progressive credentials. I was attempting to make a comparison between the two of us. The real point I am trying to make is that qualifications matter and records matter. I do not believe she has the qualifications or the record.
To be clear, Cynthia Nixon’s identity has no bearing on her candidacy and it was not my intention to suggest it did. I want to be clear about that. I would never, EVER, criticize someone because of their identity. 1/4
— Christine Quinn (@chriscquinn) March 20, 2018
I’ve experienced it time and time again, and would never support it or condone it. As a lesbian who ran one of the most high profile races in the country, i know what that’s like. And I know it’s imperative that we encourage more members of our community to run for office. 2/4
— Christine Quinn (@chriscquinn) March 20, 2018
Cynthia Nixon aggressively opposed my candidacy in New York despite my qualifications for the office and despite my strong progressive credentials. I was attempting to make a comparison between the two of us. 3/4
— Christine Quinn (@chriscquinn) March 20, 2018
The real point I am trying to make is that qualifications matter and records matter. I do not believe she has the qualifications or the record. 4/4
— Christine Quinn (@chriscquinn) March 20, 2018
On Monday, “Sex and the City” alum Nixon announced that she would challenge New York’s current governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Quinn, a Cuomo ally, used Nixon’s sexuality as part of a larger attack, blasting the star as unqualified for the top job.
“Cynthia Nixon was opposed to having a qualified lesbian become mayor of New York City,” said Quinn, referring to her own mayoral candidacy, in an interview with the New York Post. “Now she wants to be an unqualified lesbian to be the governor of New York. You have to be qualified and have experience. She isn’t qualified to be the governor.”
The comments quickly went viral with people reacting with a mix of outrage and mockery.
HuffPost editor-in-chief Lydia Polgreen tweeted out that “unqualified lesbian” might be a good new Twitter name if she did “this kind of thing”
If I did this kind thing I would change my twitter name to Unqualified Lesbian.
— Lydia Polgreen (@lpolgreen) March 20, 2018