Michael Goldman recalls his first job after law school like it was yesterday — and that’s because he was fired because of his sexual orientation.
Two decades later, he is vying to become the first out gay judge elected in Queens.
“If you had told me then that I would ever be running in an election for judge, being completely open about my identity, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Goldman told Gay City News. “At that time, I wondered whether I could even have a successful career in law while being true myself. I’m just amazed and heartened by how far society has come in just the last 25 years.”
Goldman, 51, is running against Soma Syed, a Bangladeshi woman, attorney, and activist, in the primary race for a civil court seat in Queens County. In April, the Queens Chronicle reported on concerns surrounding Syed’s views on same-sex marriage. When the Chronicle asked Syed about her position on same-sex marriage, she did not offer a yes or no answer.
