Bill de blasio dating wife lesbian

Wife of New York Public Advocate Bill de Basio was a lesbian before they met (but she insists she has found her soul mate)

By Rachel Quigley

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New York City council speaker Christine Quinn won't be the only one appealing to gay voters for next year's mayoral election.

It emerged yesterday that the wife of Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was a lesbian before she met her husband in 1991 - who she describes as her 'soul mate'.

Chirlane McCray issued a statement yesterday after an essay that she wrote in a 1979 issue of Essence magazine entitled 'I am a Lesbian', was published.

Out: It emerged yesterday that the wife of Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, Chirlane McCray, left, was a lesbian before she met her husband in 1991 - who she describes as her 'soul mate'

De Blasio has made a point of using his wife - who is black - in his campaign for City Hall. In 2009 he was criticized for using her to pander to black voters when he was running for Public Advocate.

Mrs McCray said yesterday: 'In the 1970s, I identified as a lesbian and wrote about it. In 1991, I met the love of my life, married him and together we’ve raised two amazing kids. I am reminded every day how lucky I am to have met my soul mate.'

The blogPolitickerdiscovered the 33-year-old article and published it on their website.

The seven-page article, which she wrote when she was 24 spoke of her relief at discovering her preference for woman early, 'before getting locked into a traditional marriage and having children'.

She said her first experience with a female was when she was college student at age 17.

'Although both of us had slept with men, neither of us had been intimate with a woman before,' she said. 'We didn’t even known any lesbians.'

Fight: New York City council speaker Christine Quinn won't be the only one appealing to gay voters for next year's mayoral election after today's revelation

Talking about how difficult it was to 'come out' she wrote: 'I survived the tears, the isolation and the feeling that something was terribly wrong with me for loving another woman.

'Coming to terms with my life as a lesbian has been easier for me than it has been for many. Since I don’t look or dress like the typical bulldagger, I have a choice as to whether my sexual preference is known.'

Though the couple have been strong supporters of same-sex marriage, Mrs McCray's lesbian past has been kept a secret - until now.

They wrote a joint piece for Go! Magazine last year after the law was passed: 'We both believe passionately in the rights of our gay and lesbian friends and family members.

'But on a more personal level, we are deeply conscious that there was a time not long ago when our own marriage would have been impossible in much of the country.'

Christine Quinn is running a historic campaign to become the city's first lesbian mayor. She recently married her partner.

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