First, I recognize that the world is currently consumed with horrendous Russian aggression against Ukraine; but 24 February 2021 did happen and I want to commemorate and reflect on those events one year on. If I’m insensitive to my Ukrainian contacts, my sincerest and heartfelt apologies.
With that, although the story of the fallout from Lindsey Boylan’s 24 February 2021 essay is not just mine to tell, I know many will or at least should be speaking this week on the year of consequences that have resulted. I know the fact that Lindsey Boylan shot down at least six bad guys is a score of valor we will hopefully never again require of a member in good standing of the greater good government community. I also know that all who went thru the cyberbullying with Lindsey- whether as a validator (e.g. Ana Liss, Anna Ruch, Char Bennett) or a wingwoman (e.g. Stef Parrish) or in my case wingman will never be the same.
Yes, to me that essay of Lindsey’s will always be That Essay. It was the demarcation line between running a positive Borough President campaign and confronting a fraction of a man who in Lindsey’s own fearless words, “Used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.”
Those consequences came in the skies over New York. “Cuomosexuals” or as I prefer, Cuomoistanis flooded social media to defend Andrew Cuomo and his staff. The mainstream media no longer cared for Lindsey’s forward-thinking agenda for addressing the climate emergency; it was all Cuomo all the time.
In the first few days and weeks since 24 Feb. 2021; I would go from finding on the bird hellsite a link to That Essay to being engaged with Cuomoistanis to correct the sheer tide of malicious misinformation. I was rarely sleeping just worried about the mental health of others — and the odds of the Borough President campaign to win against a misinformation tide only rivaled by Putin’s Russia. Oddly enough that morning I was supposed to do minutes for the transit advisory committee I served on — instead I found me in the fight of fights I had been in. I would eventually lose one social media account in part over that.
But more importantly a new hero validator would come forward to say, ‘Cuomo was a thug to me also’ every few days. The pressure would tighten around Cuomo to the point where he had to let New York State Attorney General James investigate him. When the report came out, the August would be one to remember.
I also had to write a few Medium posts about the conflict. One reflecting on 100 days of conflict where I made the point:
You see those whom abuse on social media not just cyberbully the target, but the abuse does not restrict itself to the target. Abuse spreads as a deterrent to justice. Abuse spreads as a fear among those around the target — family, friends and even acquaintances like me. Abuse makes those who watch the news and hear the gossip want to take cover so they are not the next target.
I then had to connect the dots on 7 August that Lindsey was a Democrat’s Democrat and did not want to have to intervene against Andrew Cuomo. In part because of “Women for Cuomo”, an organization that has had its malicious activities fanned on by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo himself writing them a letter. The next day’s evening, the then-Governor’s top aide Melissa DeRosa would resign.
10 August would roll around, Cuomo would resign and I felt an open letter was due to Lindsey “Boss Lady” Boylan. I meant it then, I mean it now: “This is you and the ladies on the team’s win; you could have won without me but I felt obliged to help a fellow Democrat & urbanist & patriot in you anyway.”
The efforts would lead to Alphonso David, Roberta Kaplan and Tina Tichen being forced out from their nonprofit gigs for attempting to help Andrew Cuomo’s team harm Lindsey before August 2021 was over. Yet this would not be enough.
Between frankly the release of the State Legislature’s larger scope investigation into Team Cuomo and the video deposition release of NY AG James including blood-curdling (likely) PTSD screams from Lindsey Boylan; other actions would kick off. James Malatras the Chancellor of the State University of New York system would be forced out. Furthermore, I decided to prompt JCOPE to investigate Facebook/META’s lobbyist Dani Lever to ensure that we had truth so we could get accountability and then healing. Frankly I have my lingering doubts if the Manhattan Borough President election was 100% legitimate or tampered with by social media giants.
So there are still efforts towards truth => accountability => healing going on. First, JCOPE has decided to embark on a full investigation of Dani Lever’s activities in service to Team Cuomo while also a Facebook/Meta lobbyist. This is at my prompt, BTW. Second, one of the New York State Police has decided to engage in lawfare against Team Cuomo. Third, there may be more lawfare from Team Lindsey in 2022 — stay tuned.
I want to conclude this note of commemoration with this thought: I hope everyone touched by these events has reflected and attempted to improve. I know there are times I have accidentally made women uncomfortable and I apologize — Asperger’s or no Asperger’s — I can always do better. Lindsey Boylan is so strong as a leader that Lindsey serves as a Rorschach test of not just politics but conscience; and the results are things worth reflecting upon.
