The Diaz Family's Schizophrenia on Homosexuality

While Carl Palladino has recently made headlines for denouncing homosexuals just days after three gay men were viciously attacked in the Bronx, believe it or not, he is not the biggest homophobe in our state. No, that title actually belongs to our very own Bronx State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., who has been fermenting hatred for homosexuals for a long time. In a posting by former El Diario Editor Gerson Borrero entitled, Loud Mouthed Homophobes Have Made Gay Violence Acceptable for Too Many, Borrero makes the case that Diaz's strident opposition to same sex marriage and homosexual lifestyle have contributed to a hostile environment in some parts of the Bronx for homosexuals. Borrero quotes Ephriam Cruz, a Bronx activist as saying “[Díaz] has made incendiary remarks and hostile statements against gays. While he may not have physically abused people, his statements often fall on the ears of a vulnerable group like these young people, and they do have an impact.”

The irony is that following the attacks, Senator Díaz’ son, who just happens to be Borough President of the Bronx issued a statement that said, "Bronxites will not tolerate any form of bigotry in our borough, and we stand together as 1.4 million residents to condemn these actions and to oppose hatred in all its forms.” Cruz took exception with that and said, “The Reverend/Senator verbally bashes gays and the son says nothing to him, but when gays are physically bashed, [Ruben Diaz, Jr.] acts like no one has been paying attention and calls the physical perpetrators names,” Cruz said. Cruz, who is Co-Founder of Bronx for Change, goes on to tell Borough President Díaz, “The biggest bigot in the Bronx is your father.”

Adding to the irony, Rubencito recently launched a "Peace in Our Streets" initiative. So this is a strange scenario indeed. We all know that words matter, and that change begins at the home. So maybe Rubencito should begin his campaign for "Peace in Our Streets" by sitting down and having a heart to heart with his own father. Can you imagine if it were any other Bronx elected official who uttered these types of sentiments? Do you think that the entire Bronx delegation and the Bronx Borough President would remain silent?

Borrero ends his posting with the right words when he says, "Most people know that violence usually progresses from verbal abuse to physical abuse. We have no evidence of a direct connection between those accused of the crime and the biggest loudmouth homophobe in the state. However, it's probably more than a coincidence that Rubén Díaz’ hateful diatribes found a fertile place in the mushy brains of these cowards in the Bronx."