Days after Mayor Eric Adams sparked widespread outrage by attacking inclusive bathroom policies in New York, he doubled down on his remarks — even while admitting he doesn’t have the power to change the laws himself.
In an interview on PIX 11 on Sept. 22, the mayor said he analyzed city and state laws and concluded that he is unable to change inclusive bathroom policies.
“If I did, I will change it,” he said. “But I think this is a conversation we have to have. We’re losing mainstream Democrats because of the radical left that has really hijacked not only the narrative, but have hijacked our party. And there’s going to be long-term repercussions because of this.”
Adams’ comments follow remarks he made less than a week earlier when he voiced his opposition to what he described as “girls and boys using the same restroom,” saying he would look into his “authority” to change laws on that issue.
State and city policies have long protected individuals’ right to use facilities in accordance with their gender identity, and state officials wasted little time countering the mayor’s remarks by pointing to the inclusive laws.
In a separate interview with FOX 5 New York, Adams also appeared to reject the identities of transgender individuals when he said, “We’re saying that young boys can go into the shower with young girls because they feel that they are a young girl,” according to a transcript released by the mayor’s office.
Adams was asked in those interviews about accusations that he is changing his tune on this issue as a result of pressure from the Trump administration, which delivered letters to school districts in New York and elsewhere earlier this month saying it was “deeply concerned” about policies regarding trans students, the New York Times reported.
“So it’s not that I heard from Trump,” Adams said on FOX 5 New York. “I heard from Dorothy Adams, my mother. I mean, I mean, what are we kidding here? I’m blown away that we have allowed the radical left to hijack common sense in our city and in our country.” In that same interview, Adams said that “having boys going to the shower with girls sends the wrong message to our children.”
The mayor further commented on speculation about pressure from the president during the interview with PIX 11.
“Any time I voice my concern on something, [it] is automatically tied to President Trump,” Adams said. “I’m the mayor of the City of New York. And I have to protect not only physically the residents of the city, but also morally. What are we doing in our city that we are allowing these policies to impact and confuse our children? Our children are confused based on the actions of adults. This is wrong.”
The mayor has offered no evidence to support his points about boys in girls’ bathrooms. Gay City News asked the Adams administration for further comment on how the policies are confusing the city’s children and on what basis he is claiming that boys are showering with girls or sharing the same bathrooms.
A spokesperson for the Adams administration did not respond to questions or a request for comment.
The mayor’s criticism of the city and state’s bathroom policies prompted a flood of criticism from LGBTQ leaders and elected officials across the city over the last week. Sean Ebony Coleman, who leads the non-profit organization Destination Tomorrow, said it was “difficult to find words to express the level of disappointment I feel towards Mayor Adams and his administration’s decision to forgo all promises once made to the LGBTQ+ community and deliberately target trans youth.”
State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal told Gay City News in a Sept. 19 phone interview that the mayor’s suggestion to change the laws was “illegal,” adding: “It’s extremely disappointing that any candidate would throw trans kids under the bus out of an attempt to restart their political campaign.”
Councilmembers Erik Bottcher and Tiffany Cabán — who are co-chairs of the LGBTQIA+ Caucus — also blasted the mayor. Bottcher described the mayor’s comments as “outrageous, absurd, and profoundly disappointing,” while Cabán said, “We will not allow Eric Adams to echo rightwing hate without pushback. We will always support the transgender community. We will always support our children.”
