The openly gay New York hotelier who faced a backlash after he
hosted an event with GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz, has hit back, calling his critics "gay extremists."
In an opinion piece for the
New York Observer, Mati Weiderpass spoke out after there were calls to boycott the properties he and his partner, Ian Reisner, own.
"Since hosting a discussion with Texas Senator Ted Cruz in my home, I have been inundated with hateful, biased social media messages, and attacks from gay extremists (do I dare say the word?) who demand inclusion, but do not believe in dialogue.
"I know in my heart that these attacks do not represent the rich culture and diversity of the gay community. Yet, in our community, as in so many others, the most vocal often dominate the conversation. I hope this op-ed will help heal wounds and continue necessary progress and discussion," Weiderpass wrote.
"It is amazing that my businesses are being boycotted by some because I hosted a discussion with an elected official. Not a fundraiser. Not an endorsement. A dialogue.
"What would we say if the Jewish community organized a boycott of a business leader who hosted a private discussion with an important Muslim politician? We know the answer. I am a longtime leader of my community — and proud of who I am and what I have accomplished."
The New York Times initially reported that Weiderpass and Reisner hosted the dinner with Cruz. Criticism came in the form of a
Facebook page set up to encourage people to boycott their properties, and which had more than 11,000 likes of the page as of Tuesday.
Weiderpass initially defended the decision, claiming that "people on both sides of the aisle need to be able to communicate with one another even when they ideologically disagree."
But Weiderpass and Reisner later issued
separate apologies on social media, both claiming that "a terrible mistake" had been made.
In the Observer piece, Weiderpass claims that "the next chapter" of the gay rights movement will require homosexuals to reach across the aisle "as many State governments are controlled by Republicans. Although some would like it to be, being gay is not a political affiliation."
For his part,
Cruz had issued a statement after the Times article appeared to suggest that he had softened his position on gay marriage to appeal to his audience.
"It speaks volumes that The New York Times considers it newsworthy that a Republican who believes marriage is between a man and a woman would meet with people who hold a different view," Cruz said.
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