The Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City, a citywide LGBTQ political club, called on Mayor Eric Adams to resign Oct. 6 after members held an emergency vote in response to the mayor’s federal indictment.
“While every individual is entitled to a presumption of innocence in the court of law, New Yorkers deserve a mayor we can trust, and whose undivided focus is on governing the city,” the club said in a statement released on Oct. 6. “We must be confident that our city’s leadership is responding to the needs of New Yorkers, and not those of special interests.”
The club released an initial statement on Sept. 26 expressing concern that the mayor could not fulfill his duties while under indictment. The club then sent members a ballot asking whether the club should “call on Eric Adams to resign” as mayor. The club said on Oct. 6 that “an overwhelming majority of our members believe that Eric Adams should resign.”
Stonewall is the latest LGBTQ political club to call for the mayor to step down since a federal grand jury indicted him last month on five counts, including bribery, fraud, and seeking foreign campaign contributions. Another citywide LGBTQ club, The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club of New York City, and a Brooklyn-based club, the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, have also called on the mayor to resign.
Numerous officials in the Adams administration have resigned in the midst of multiple investigations, including top aide Timothy Pearson, deputy mayor for public safety Philip Banks III, and former Police Commissioner Edward Caban. Schools Chancellor David C. Banks is set to step down this month, and others, including Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, have announced their plans to depart in the coming months.
In calling for the mayor’s resignation, Stonewall Democrats underscored the importance of stability in city government.
“The LGBTQ community has critical needs that require the attention of a city leader — including addressing the unique needs of the LGBTQ community in education, health care, and public safety,” the club said. “With top city administrators in each of these policy areas resigning, a distracted mayor at best, and a mayor whose favor can be bought at worst, we believe that it is in the best interest of New Yorkers for Mayor Adams to step aside.”
Many of the city’s LGBTQ elected officials — including a majority of out councilmembers and state lawmakers — have called on the mayor to resign following his indictment. The mayor has continued to maintain his innocence and is vowing to remain in office.
