Gay City News: Thompson for NYC Mayor

New York City's weekly LGBT newspaper endorsed New York City comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. for mayor Wednesday, saying that where incumbent mayor Michael Bloomberg is concerned, "a disjunction between words and deeds are unfortunately all too common in the mayor's LGBT record."

The Gay City News endorsement arrived as both candidates continued their heated courtship of the LGBT vote, and it appeared the New York state senate could take up the marriage equality bill within days.

Gay City News contrasted Bloomberg, who is running on the independent and Republican party lines, with Democratic nominee Thompson, the city's financial watchdog, now in his second term.

"Mike Bloomberg is a CEO of a mayor -- he attracts top talent and empowers them with important missions," the newspaper wrote. "But some smaller issues, especially those that are thorny -- homeless LGBT youth, gay men falsely arrested -- never make it onto his radar, and other important questions -- marriage equality and AIDS education -- take a back seat to political imperatives, whether helping out GOP friends in the State Senate or letting his schools chancellor overrule his health commissioner."

The paper continued, "Bill Thompson has a longer and stronger suit on LGBT rights issues. On every issue that the mayor claims bona fides, the comptroller was there first and holds a more unambiguous position. His advocacy for workplace fairness -- through shareholder resolutions aimed at companies in which the city pension funds invest -- has led to nondiscrimination protections and equal partner benefits for LGBT workers at nearly 75 major corporations. That is a significant accomplishment that had helped reshape American business well beyond the borders of New York."

The two candidates are scheduled to meet for their second and final mayoral debate October 27.