Let it be known that New York city councilman Ritchie Torres does not suffer homophobic police officers who hide behind Twitter accounts.
Torres, who’s currently running for Congress in New York, has been in bitter back-and-forth with NYPD union leader Ed Mullins over a tweet sent from the Sergeants Benevolent Association official Twitter page last week.
Mullins is the president of SBA, which represents around 13,000 active and retired police sergeants. The since-deleted tweet, sent on September 4, read:
He we go America this is what a first class whore looks like RITCHIE TORRES. Passes laws to defund police, supports criminals, & now because he’s running for office he blames the police to protect what he voted for. Remember Little Ritchie? Meet LYING RITCHIE.
It also included a video of Torres criticizing the NYPD for its failures in making gun arrests and solving gun-related cases, as well as the rise in shootings over the past year.
SBA’s tweet caused quite a stir on social media, with many calling it out for being both racist and homophobic.
And of all the words you could have chosen, to call an openly gay Black and Latino future congressman a “whore” shows just how racist, homophobic and out of touch your so-called police union has become. You bring nothing but shame and dishonor on the New York Police Department.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 4, 2020
The @SBANYPD‘s attack on @RitchieTorres is not worth re-sharing, but it does need to be called out and named for what it is: racist and homophobic.
But there are many more of us who have your back and look forward to seeing you take your seat in Congress a few months from now.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 5, 2020
If this is the way a police union talks about an elected official almost certainly headed for Congress in January, how do its gun-carrying members treat New Yorkers? https://t.co/l5tDt64luR
— Mara Gay (@MaraGay) September 4, 2020
Shortly after it was posted, Torres highlighted the many, many times SBA has attacked people from minority groups and called on Mullins to step down as the union’s leader.
“Calling a black NFL player a ‘wild animal.’ Calling a Latina Health Commissioner a ‘bitch.’ Calling an openly LGBTQ Afro-Latino a first-class whore.’ There is NOTHING benevolent about the bigotry of the @SBANYPD. Ed Mullins must resign,” he wrote.
Calling a black NFL player a “wild animal.” Calling a Latina Health Commissioner a “bitch.” Calling an openly LGBTQ Afro-Latino a “first-class whore.” There is NOTHING benevolent about the bigotry of the @SBANYPD. Ed Mullins must resign. pic.twitter.com/CoTgKrq8C8
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) September 8, 2020
Not surprisingly, Mullins has refused to accept any responsibility whatsoever. In a statement, he said he’ll “never resign” and that the comments about Torres “had nothing to do with his race, ethnicity or sexual orientation.” Then he tried turning the tables on Torres by saying “he should be the one to resign.”
The SBA’s response to Councilman Ritchie Torres calling for Ed Mullins’ resignation. pic.twitter.com/ihUjmpcP7y
— SBA (@SBANYPD) September 8, 2020
Mullins followed that up with an appearance on a local morning radio show, during which he further denied accusations of homophobia, saying he couldn’t possibly be antigay because he grew up in Greenwich Village, which everyone knows is a gay hub in New York City.
After hearing this, Torres tweeted an epic burn, writing: “I owe Ed an apology: I put too much emphasis on your history of hate speech. Your time spent in the Village clearly makes you an ally.”
I owe Ed an apology: I put too much emphasis on your history of hate speech. Your time spent in the Village clearly makes you an ally.
— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) September 9, 2020
Torres is forecasted to win his election in November. If that happens, he’ll become the first openly gay member of Congress who is either Black or Latinx.
Related: This gay millennial is challenging a 76-year-old homophobe for a NY Congressional seat
Queerty
