Councilmember Erik Bottcher joins “In Focus” with Cheryl Wills to discuss his battles as a gay adolescent. He suffered from depression and struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation, leading him to multiple suicide attempts.

Bottcher penned an open letter to his high school sharing his experiences with bullying. Shortly thereafter, the district added “sexual orientation” to its non-discrimination policy.

Now, Bottcher represents lower Manhattan, including Greenwich Village, Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. He discusses the rise in sexual orientation hate crimes and what needs to be done to protect gay and trans individuals on the streets of New York City. Bottcher talks about how LGBTQ+ youth are also under attack, Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay Bill” and Mayor Eric Adams’ response. Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" bill limits LGBTQ+ conversations in schools.

Bottcher also discusses the tradition of placing the rainbow flags on the Stonewall Monument during Pride Month.