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Brooklyn-born actress Rosie Perez reserved choice words for her fellow New Yorker and Puerto Rican, state senator Ruben Diaz Sr., telling the antigay Democrat in a new video, “You are not speaking for the majority of New York Latinos.”
Perez, who starred in Do the Right Thing and White Men Can't Jump, filmed the video to help raise money for Fight Back New York, the PAC dedicated to defeating state legislators who vote against equality. Last year, Diaz Sr. of the Bronx was one of eight Democrats who voted against the marriage equality bill that failed the state senate by a 38-24 vote.
Perez began by expressing her general disappointment with her home state.
”Are you kidding me? Iowa’s got the jump on us, New York?” asked Perez. “We’re the world’s freakin’ city. We take the lead and dictate to the rest on how to do this, and you can’t tie the knot if you bat for the other team, how whack is that? This is an embarrassment.”
Then Perez delivered her special message to Diaz Sr.
“I’m extremely disappointed with your position on this matter,” she said. “With all due respect, sir, your stand represents a lack of justice and equality on this issue. Please take note: You are not speaking for the majority of New York Latinos.”
Fight Back New York and a coalition of other groups including the Human Rights Campaign targeted Diaz Sr. for defeat in the primary election this month, but the Pentecostal minister defeated challenger Charlie Ramos by a 4-to-1 ratio and is expected to cruise to reelection in his South Bronx district this November.
However, another Democrat targeted for his vote against marriage equality, state senator Bill Stachowski of Buffalo, was defeated by challenger Tim Kennedy. Kennedy faces a tough general election in a part of the state where the National Organization for Marriage recently filed a lawsuit seeking to exempt the antigay organization from financial disclosure laws.
