By Bill Parry
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating a homophobic death threat from an unknown source that was received by City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) Thursday afternoon. The letter arrived via e-mail after Van Bramer’s office sent a mass e-mail to constituents urging them to take part in his #QueensResponds march Saturday across the Queensboro Bridge to Trump Tower to rally against the president-elect.
On Wednesday night, more than 700 members of the community packed the Sunnyside Community Services center to speak out against Trump’s and Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s structural and systematic racism against the LGBT, Muslim and immigrant communities and misogyny towards women. The town hall meeting and Saturday’s march are a clear message that while Trump was born and raised in Queens, it’s not the same borough of his childhood.
Van Bramer’s office received the threat just after 3:30 p.m.
“Rest of the people from Queens do not agree with your homosexual lifestyle, so get the f— out of this country you f—ing traitor” the e-mail read. “I will keep a close eye on your every moves so that when it’s time to execute traitors, I will try my best so that you(r) name is included in that list of traitors. Execution is the penalty for a traitor, that is the Law Of This Land!”
The “unknown source” called the 700 attendees at Wednesday’s town hall in Sunnyside communist socialists. Van Bramer said Friday morning he is not afraid and his #QueensResponds march across the Queensboro Bridge will not be cancelled.
A spokesman for the NYPD said its Hate Crimes Task Force is looking into the threat.
“This is not normal or acceptable, but we will not back down. We still plan on marching tomorrow and fighting the racist, sexist, homophobic, and xenophobic demagoguery of Donald Trump,” Van Bramer said Friday. “Queens is the most diverse county in the country, and we know that our differences make us stronger. We will fight for these values every single day, no matter what. I am not scared and I will not back down. Too many are at risk. We must all stand up and peacefully resist.”
Protesters are asked to gather at 1 p.m. at Dutch Kills Green at Northern Boulevard and Queens Plaza North.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
