Adams taps former councilmember with history of anti-gay views for advisory post despite mounting

Adams taps former councilmember with history of anti-gay views for advisory post despite mounting criticism


Mayor Eric Adams has said he plans to appoint Fernando Cabrera, a former Bronx City Councilmember who has espoused anti-gay positions, to a role in his administration, even as he faces growing pushback from the city’s LGBTQ community.

On Monday, the mayor’s office issued a statement saying that Cabrera would become a senior advisor in the mayor’s Office of Faith-based and Community Partnerships. Adams announced the formation of the new office earlier this month, describing it as “a conduit between city government, the faith-based community throughout New York City, and nonprofit organizations.” Politico had initially reported that Cabrera, who served on the New York City Council between 2010 and 2021, was being considered to head the mayor’s Office of Community Health, but that plan was apparently scrapped after outcry from advocates and elected officials.

Cabrera, who is a pastor, infamously drew sharp backlash in 2014 after he traveled to Uganda and touted the country’s anti-gay and anti-abortion policies.

Adams' decision to appoint Cabrera, an individual that several LGBTQ lawmakers have drawn a line against, could pose a critical political test for the new mayor. The latest appointment also adds to a string of controversial picks made by Adams. They include the appointment of his brother Bernard Adams, a former NYPD officer, to be in charge of security detail and Philip Banks III, an ex-NYPD department chief who was the subject of a federal corruption investigation, to serve as deputy mayor of public safety.

Read more: https://gothamist.com/news/adams-taps-former-councilmember-history-anti-gay-views-despite-mounting-criticism