NYC Councilwoman Carlina Rivera affirms opposition to anti-gay ‘exemption’ after comment causes stir

Manhattan Councilwoman Carlina Rivera’s congressional campaign is clarifying that she vehemently opposes giving private businesses a pass on discriminating against LGBTQ people — after comments she recently made suggested she’s open to the idea.

In an interview published Tuesday by Jewish outlet Hamodia, Rivera was asked if she’d “support a religious exemption” for a scenario in which “there’s a progressive social value you believe in,” such as a hypothetical Brooklyn venue with “Biblical values” refusing to host a wedding for a same-sex couple.

“I think that a religious exemption is certainly something that I would consider when it comes to certain pieces of legislation,” responded Rivera, who’s vying to represent the hotly-contested 10th Congressional District in next month’s primary. “We’ve certainly done it in the Council, and I’d be willing to explore that and do it on the federal level.”

But asked about her comments later Tuesday, Rivera campaign spokeswoman Alyssa Cass claimed the Council member’s answer was referring to religious exemptions in general, not to the Brooklyn wedding venue scenario in particular.

Of giving religious exemptions to anti-gay businesses, Cass said: “The Councilwoman would never allow a carveout on civil rights or discrimination. Period.”

Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club President Allen Roskoff, a prominent gay rights activist in the city whose group has endorsed Rivera’s congressional bid, said he believes “totally in Carlina’s commitment to all civil rights.”

But “she f----d up” in the Hamodia interview, Roskoff said.

“As sure as I am that I would not answer it that way, I’m sure that’s not what Carlina was meaning to say,” Roskoff added.

Rep. Mondaire Jones, Rivera’s only openly gay opponent in the 10th Congressional District race, was not as forgiving as Roskoff.

“I would like Councilwoman Rivera to explain to me, and every other LGBTQ+ New Yorker, why she thinks our civil rights are conditional and open to carve-outs,” Jones said. “I am a human being, and my rights are not up for Carlina Rivera to treat them as political chess pieces.”

The 10th District, which covers a chunk of western Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, attracted intense attention after its current representative, Congressman Jerry Nadler, announced he would vacate his seat and run in the neighboring 12th in light of this spring’s confusing redistricting process.

In addition to Rivera and Jones, the 10th District primary candidate field includes former Trump impeachment counsel Dan Goldman, Manhattan Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, Brooklyn Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon and former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman.

The primary election is set for Aug. 23.