empire state building

Christine Quinn, Catholic League Team Up in Honor of Mother Teresa

Openly gay City Council speaker Christine Quinn has, uh, not often seen eye-to-eye with the Über-conservative Catholic League, butting heads on issues like gay marriage and whether gays should be allowed to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, to name a few. But leave it to Mother Teresa to bring them together! Quinn and the league have joined forces to, of all things, fight to get the Empire State Building to put up a light display in honor of Teresa’s 100th birthday this upcoming August 26.

The building rejected the league’s request for the holy woman to be honored with a display of blue and white lights and — when Quinn heard of the veto — she decided to reach out to the building’s ownership herself.

The question of why the building will not be lit is a question that deserves answering,” Quinn told the Daily News. “As far as I’m concerned, the answer should be yes.”


Quinn said she asked the owners — who have reportedly received “thousands of petitions” to overturn the decision — to reevaluate their stance and “choose to honor this wonderful woman who has given so much to the world.” The Empire State Building Lighting Partners has remained silent about the controversy.

Catholic League, Council Speaker Quinn blast Empire State Building over Mother Teresa dis [NYDN]

Christine Quinn, Catholic League Team Up in Honor of Mother Teresa