Antonio Pagán (August 22, 1958[1] – January 25, 2009) was an American politician, who held roles in the municipal government of New York City.
[2] Pagán, a native of Manhattan who spent much of his early life in Puerto Rico, became one of the two first openly gay men elected to the New York City Council in 1991, along with Thomas Duane, after Pagán narrowly upset the incumbent, Miriam Friedlander, in a close-fought Democratic primary.
Although he was a Democrat, Pagán was noted for his more conservative positions on certain issues, including opposition to low-income housing, and was frequently criticized by both gay and Puerto Rican activist groups for taking positions they felt were contrary to community interests.
[2] However, he also often fought to protect small local and independent businesses that were threatened by increased competition from national chain stores.
He broke party ranks to endorse Giuliani over Democratic challenger Ruth Messinger in that year's mayoral race.