When Hiram Monserrate was expelled from the New York State Senate last month over a conviction for assaulting his girlfriend, Gov. David Paterson called a special election to fill his seat. Now, Monserrate (D) is running to get his seat back and, allegedly, painting one of his opponents as a gay crusader out to dismantle family values.
His supporters have allegedly been handing out flyers at churches in Queens suggesting one of Monserrate’s opponents, fellow Democrat Jose Peralta, is out to “destroy our way of life” by supporting gay rights.
The flyer, obtained by Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily News, says Peralta is beholden to a group of “mega rich gay fanatics dedicated to destroying our way of life and creating same sex marriage.” The group, called the Gill Foundation in the flyer, may refer to activist Tim Gill’s Fight Back New York PAC, which has sent out mailings calling Monserrate a criminal.
The flyer also says Peralta, a state assemblyman, has been “affectionately” described by gay rights activists as the “gay caballero.” The special election is scheduled for March 16.
Monserrate’s campaign could not be reached for comment. But state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. (D) confirmed to TPM that he is helping the campaign. Although he said he hasn’t seen the flyer and couldn’t confirm its source, he saw nothing wrong with what the flyer says.
“What’s so wrong with the comment that Peralta is a spokesperson for the gay community and the gay groups?” Diaz said. “He is a caballero of the gay community.”
Monserrate was one of eight Democrats who voted against gay marriage in Albany last year.
In a statement, Peralta’s campaign said, “This flyer is just another example of how Hiram Monserrate thrives on bullying and hate-mongering.”
National Democrats aren’t pleased, either. Monserrate has been rebuked by the DNC’s Organizing for America for appropriating President Obama’s famous campaign logo for his own campaign.
“The use of the logo is neither approved nor supported by Organizing for America. The campaign did not seek nor do they have permission to use the it. We are asking them to remove it from their materials,” said a spokesperson for the DNC.
Monserrate’s version of the logo is black and yellow and has been changed from an “O” to a “Q,” for Queens. It’s also accompanied by Obama’s slogan, “Yes we can!” It is still up on his campaign web site.
Monserrate was expelled from the state senate in February over a misdemeanor assault conviction. In December 2008, Monserrate was arresting for cutting his girlfriend in the face with broken glass, then dragging her through a lobby in order to drive her to the hospital. He allegedly chose a hospital that he thought was outside city limits so he wouldn’t be recognized. His girlfriend has publicly said the incident was an accident and the two are still together.
