Cynthia Nixon An 'Unqualified Lesbian,' Christine Quinn Says

CITY HALL, NY — Former City Council speaker Christine Quinn dismissed gubernatorial hopeful Cynthia Nixon as an "unqualified lesbian" a day after Nixon announced that she would challenge Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2018 elections.

Quinn, who is gay, bashed the "Sex and the City" star in an interview with the New York Post.

"Cynthia Nixon was opposed to having a qualified lesbian become mayor of New York City. Now she wants to be an unqualified lesbian to be the governor of New York. You have to be qualified and have experience. She isn’t qualified to be the governor," Quinn told the tabloid.

Quinn bitterly recounted Nixon's support of Bill de Blasio in 2013, when the mayor beat Quinn to nab the Democratic nomination in the mayoral race.

Nixon announced her long-rumored bid for governor in a campaign ad on Monday, followed by a rally in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

Quinn also questioned Nixon's credentials.

"But she’s never run an organization. Being an actress and celebrity doesn’t make you qualified for public office," Quinn told the Post. "This is a time to move away from celebrity and toward progressive leadership."

Nixon dismissed Quinn's criticism at the Brooklyn rally.

"Her being a lesbian and my being a lesbian" is not the issue, Nixon told reporters, instead directing them to her focus on economic equality.

"New York State is the most unequal state in the country," Nixon said Tuesday. "This is not just something that happens by mistake. It's a choice we're used to being made by Republicans like Donald Trump, but now it's being made by Governor Andrew Cuomo."

Quinn stepped back from her comments later on Tuesday, and posted on Twitter that Nixon's "identity has no bearing on her candidacy."

"The real point I am trying to make is that qualifications matter and records matter," Quinn wrote.

You can see her full tweet storm here:

This post has been updated.

Image credit: Roy Rochlin / Getty Images