Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, announced their separation on Wednesday. McCray publicly identified as a lesbian when she began dating de Blasio in the 1990s. De Blasio recalled wondering if there was "a time bomb ticking" in their marriage because of it. McCray wrote that article for ESSENCE Magazine in 1979, over a decade before she met de Blasio when they both worked for former Mayor David Dinkins. "I discovered my preference for women early, before getting locked into a traditional marriage and having children," McCray wrote at the time.

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Persons: Bill de Blasio, Chirlane McCray, McCray, de Blasio, De Blasio, —, Blasio's, Blasio, David Dinkins, McCray —, de, McCray demurred Organizations: Service, New York, New York Times, Times Locations: New York City