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To: City and community leaders

We Support Dr. Oxiris Barbot

We, the undersigned, denounce the recent attacks on Dr. Oxiris Barbot, commissioner for the New York City Department of Health.

Dr. Barbot has dedicated her entire career to public health and to protecting our most vulnerable communities in their right to access health services, including the poor, children, people of color and women.

Last week, behind a Twitter handle, the Sergeants Benevolent Association headed by Ed Mullins disparaged Dr. Barbot, a 25-year veteran of the medical profession, by calling her a “bitch.”

The use of misogynist slurs against any woman has no place in civil society and would typically see a backlash of outrage from all levels of leadership. However, in this case, there has been little condemnation or words of indignation against the SBA.

When did it become ok to call anyone, let alone a City Commissioner who happens to be Latina, a “bitch?”

Anyone who would conflate any other lingering issues as some sort of a rationale for this inexcusable behavior, or pander to them, shows not only a reinforcement of this misogyny (“she asked for it”) but also what low regard people have for Latinas in this city.

She has now apologized twice. Where is the SBA’s and Ed Mullins’ apology?

We call on city and community leaders to join us in condemning the SBA’s attack against Dr. Barbot, who has led during this tragic and unprecedented time with the utmost professionalism and compassion.

Why is this important?

Silence in this case presents a level of acceptance that is as deplorable as the act itself, and anything less than speaking out proves what we have been fighting against for decades: a bigotry that confines women – Latinas and women of color in general - to a place of subjugation that erases our accomplishments and contributions to this city and society at large.

In Power,

Tahanie A. Aboushi, Esq.
Aliya Allen
Catherine Almonte
Gabriela Álvarez, Liberation Cuisine
Rocio Aranda-Alvarado
Maritere Arce
Caron Atlas, NOCD-NY
Alexa Aviles, Community Leader & BK Community Board 7 Member
Councilmember Diana Ayala, Council District 8, Manhattan
Lilliam Barrios Paoli
Elizabeth Bhargava

Maggie Castro, Women’s advocate
Ischia Bravo, Bronx Community Activist
Jazmin Chavez, Former Deputy Director of Public Tech, NYC Council
Solana Chehtman
Ana Chireno
Gabri Christa, Artist
Karina Claudio Betancourt, Former Senior Director for Community Engagement, NYCC
Daughters of the Movement
Stacy Lynch
Gina Belafonte
Suzanne Kay
Hasna Muhammad
Dominique Sharpton
Keisha Sutton-James
Ilyasah Shabazz
Susan R. Delvalle
Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa
Daisy Dominguez, Diversity and Inclusion thought leader
Councilman Daniel Dromm
Abigail Disney
Congressman Adriano Espaillat
Amanda Farias, State Committee Member 87AD
Annalicia Finol, Chief of Staff, Office of State Senator Gustavo Rivera
Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez
Jasmine Fernandez
Sandra A. Garcia Betancourt
Alexis Grenell, Writer & Co-Founder of Pythia Public
Erica Gonzalez, Former Executive Editor, El Diario/La Prensa

Melinda Gonzalez, Artist
Teresa Gonzalez
Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Community Activist, Queens
Amplify Her

Michelle Herrera Mulligan, Writer and editor
Kemi IIesanmi
Maite Junco
Mireya Navarro
Kristina Newman-Scott
Jennifer Manley

Melissa Mark-Viverito, Former NYC Council Speaker

Ada Martinez, Senior centers advocate and voter
Neyda Martinez
Terry McGovern
Brette McSweeney, Eleanor’s Legacy
Dianne Morales, Advocate and organizer

Councilmember Francisco Moya, Council District 21, Queens
Libertad O. Guerra
Rita Prats-Rodríguez, Educator, East Harlem Community Activist
Sofia Quintero, Writer and activist

Juan Ramos, Community leader
Assemblywoman Karines Reyes
Councilmember Antonio Reynoso, Council District 34, Brooklyn
Senator Gustavo Rivera
Camille Rivera-Westin
Prisca Salazar-Rodriguez
Caileigh Scott, Eleanor’s Legacy
Deepti Sharma, Founder & CEO, Food To Eat
Risa Shoup
Nelini Stamp, WFP
Monica Tavares
The Broad Room
Ben Carlos Thypin
Camille Torres
Emerita Torres, Bronx Community Leader
Councilmember Ritchie Torres, Council District 15, Bronx
Blanca Vázquez, Ret. Professor, Hunter College
Marjorie Velasquez, District Leader 82AD Part B

Congressmember Nydia M. Velázquez
Kelly Vilar, Staten Island Activist
Catherina Villafuerte
Edisa Weeks, Assoc. Prof., Queens College
Women of Color for Progress
Jo-Ann Yoo
21 in '21

Category

Updates

2020-05-22 01:33:21 -0400

500 signatures reached

2020-05-20 22:12:58 -0400

100 signatures reached

2020-05-20 17:06:04 -0400

50 signatures reached

2020-05-20 12:31:05 -0400

25 signatures reached

2020-05-20 10:52:55 -0400

10 signatures reached