Metro

Carl gets gay-trashed

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Carl Paladino came under a firestorm of criticism at a fund-raising dinner held by the state’s largest gay-rights group last night, with gubernatorial foe, Andrew Cuomo, leading the attack.

“We are looking at an extremist political agenda on the other side during this election. And you saw it this week with the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] community,” Cuomo told the Empire State Pride Agenda during an event at the Sheraton Towers.

The Democratic attorney general was referring to anti-gay comments Paladino, the Republican candidate for governor, made earlier this week.

DISPATCHES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Cuomo called pursuing “marriage equality” for gays “the civil-rights issue of our time.”

In introducing Cuomo, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn — who is openly gay — called him a “fearless” champion of gay rights, and blasted Paladino as a “bully.”

A who’s who of New York politicos was in attendance, including Mayor Bloomberg, Gov. Paterson, Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Democratic AG candidate Eric Schneiderman. Actress Sarah Jessica Parker co-hosted the event.

Paterson blasted Paladino for not speaking out immediately after the anti-gay torture beatings of four men in the Bronx.

“As tragic as those attacks were, it was even more unsettling that the Republican candidate for governor, his lips dripping . . . homophobia and hypocrisy, didn’t say a word about that attack for 50 hours until confronted by the media,” Paterson said.

Paladino did not attend, but insisted yesterday in a CNBC interview that he’s been a “high supporter of the gay community my entire career, and I will continue to be.

“My words could’ve been better chosen,” he admitted.

On Sunday, Paladino railed against “brainwashing” efforts to make kids think homosexuality is an “equally valid” option, and later complained about “disgusting” behavior at gay-pride parades, faulting Cuomo for taking his daughters to one.

“We’ve gone out, we’ve apologized to anybody for our misnomer and choosing words badly,” Paladino said.

At the event last night, Cuomo launched a broader attack on Paladino’s positions on social issues.

He said Paladino and his fellow Republicans “want a public referendum on racial profiling in the state of New York” by redeploying State Police to arrest illegal immigrants.

He noted that Paladino opposes abortion, “even in cases of rape and incest.”

Gillibrand and Schumer both spoke to the crowd, and promised they’d work hard to see the Senate repeal the government’s “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” policy toward gays in the military.

When Schumer mentioned the Justice Department’s decision yesterday to appeal a court order banning “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell,” many in the crowd of more than 1,000 booed.

Schumer called the decision “deeply frustrating,” while Gillibrand said she was “very disappointed” with the Obama administration’s appeal.

jennifer.fermino@nypost.com