Victory in the News
Queering Congress
Wed, Nov 30th 2011, 15:04When California teacher Mark Takano ran for Congress 15 years ago, he lost to Republican challenger Ken Calvert by a scant 519 votes. Two years later, things looked more promising. Police had caught Calvert with a prostitute; Takano should have easily clinched a win. But just three months before the election, Ray Haynes—a Calvert supporter in the state assembly—outed Takano as gay.
Despite the growing importance of LGBT issues on the Democratic platform—two rumored contenders for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, have been fierce advocates for marriage equality—the rank of elected officials will likely change little next year. "If you were to think of this in terms of representative democracy, we are not there yet," says Denis Dison of The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports LGBT candidates at all levels of government. "We should have maybe 30 members of the House. But [the underrepresentation] is also true of people of color, of women. The LGBT community is fairly new to this mission we have undertaken. It wasn't very long ago that people would not have been able to run."
Frank retiring from Congress in 2012
Wed, Nov 30th 2011, 14:49The longest serving openly gay member of Congress won't seek re-election to the U.S. House in 2012.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) announced his retirement during a press conference at Newton City Hall in Massachusetts on Monday. Had the lawmaker sought re-election, he would have been pursuing a 17th term in Congress.
The Victory Fund has endorsed the re-election bids of openly gay U.S. House members Polis and Cicilline. The organization also backs the election to Congress of non-incumbent Pocan as well as Mark Takano in California and State Rep. Marko Liias in Washington State.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/11/28/frank-retiring-from-congress-in-2012-reports/Barney Frank to Retire
Wed, Nov 30th 2011, 14:42With few regrets and a few more parting quips, Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts announced Monday that he will retire at the end of the current congressional term.
Congressman Frank, the longest-serving openly gay member of Congress and one of four openly gay congressional members currently in office, told reporters at a news conference in Newton, Mass., that his decision not to run for reelection in 2012 was driven in part by the realities of redistricting as well as his desire to pursue writing and teaching. His announcement was met with an outpouring of gratitude by LGBT organizations who praised his gay rights legislative work and his influence on a new generation of LGBT political leaders.
Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, said, "Barney Frank's political career may be coming to an end, but his legacy will outlive us all. His decision to come out as gay more than two decades ago gave LGBT Americans an authentic voice and a persistent champion in Washington. He has used that voice loudly and often, speaking personally, humorously and effectively about the hopes and challenges of Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. We will miss that voice very much."
Colorado state House Dems pick gay man to lead
Fri, Nov 18th 2011, 17:19DENVER — Openly gay Rep. Mark Ferrandino (D-Denver) is the newly elected Democratic leader in the Colorado State House, after Rep. Sal Pace stepped down to focus on a U.S. Congressional run, according to the Associated Press.
As the Victory Fund's Gay Politics Blog notes, if the chamber returns to Democratic control in 2012, Ferrandino will become the state's first openly-gay majority leader. In 2007 the Massachusetts Republican party chose gay Sen. Richard Tisei (R-Middlesex & Essex) to lead the minority party in that state's upper house. Tisei was not officially on record as being gay, however, until November 2009, though upon coming out, Tisei claims to have never been in the closet.
Out Gay Lawmaker Elected Minority Leader of Colorado House
Fri, Nov 18th 2011, 14:51Out gay Colorado State Representative Mark Ferrandino has been elected to the position of House Minority Leader, the Victory Fund reports, adding that "he could become House Speaker if the chamber flips back to Democratic control next year."
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/11/out-gay-lawmaker-elected-minority-leader-of-colorado-house.htmlELECTION ROUNDUP: Va. elects first openly gay senator
Thu, Nov 17th 2011, 12:25Democrat Adam Ebbin, a gay man who has served in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2004, won election on Tuesday to the Virginia Senate, becoming the state's first openly gay senator.
In a separate race, gay Republican Patrick Forrest lost his bid to unseat Virginia State Sen. Janet Howell (D-Reston), a longtime supporter of LGBT rights. Forrest, who had been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, was vying to become the first openly LGBT Republican to win election to a state legislature
Harris May Be One-of-a-Kind Mayor
Wed, Nov 16th 2011, 15:00Bruce Harris isn't a big fan of campaigning. But now he can at least enjoy the result of his efforts.
Days after beating Democratic incumbent Nelson Vaughan to become Chatham Borough's next mayor, Harris just can't stop smiling.
Denis Dison, the vice president of communications for The Victory Fund, believes Harris is likely the first openly gay, black Republican to be elected mayor in the country.
"We could not think of another," Dison said. "There have been a few openly gay African Americans who have been elected mayors in their town, but not Republicans.
Gay Wis. lawmaker hopes to win Baldwin’s seat
Tue, Nov 15th 2011, 11:12It'll be a tough act for Mark Pocan to follow.
The gay lawmaker in the Wisconsin State Assembly is seeking the seat being vacated at the end of this year by lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who's leaving the U.S. House to pursue a run for the U.S. Senate.
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Pocan has what it takes to join the ranks of the other openly gay lawmakers in Congress fighting for LGBT rights. The organization has already endorsed him.
"Mark is a vocal and respected fighter for progressive values, and that's what people can expect from him as a member of Congress," Dison said. "In the same tradition as Congresswoman Baldwin, Mark won't be shy about speaking out for what he believes in, and he'll be an effective champion for LGBT equality."
Colorado gay officials seeing more-tolerant attitudes
Tue, Nov 15th 2011, 09:16Colorado residents want their city councils and county commissioners to solve zoning woes and code-enforcement headaches and deliver reliable trash pickup.
What they don't seem to care about is whether the people offering the solutions are gay, lesbian or transgender.
The national Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed 75 candidates in the most recent election cycle, and 53 won seats on city councils and county commissions, said the group's spokesman, Denis Dison.
In Denver, the group endorsed lesbian Robin Kniech, who won a seat on the City Council in July.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19336637Cincy's first openly gay councilman shows change
Mon, Nov 14th 2011, 17:37The election of Cincinnati's first openly gay councilman represents a shift for an Ohio city that for years had a charter amendment that was unfavorable to gays.
Chris Seelbach's election last week is a milestone for the area's gays and lesbians. Seelbach had worked for the successful repeal in 2004 of an 11-year-old city charter amendment that banned local ordinances protecting gay people from discrimination.
Having an openly gay person in public office helps other people feel that they can show who they really are and participate in government, said Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a Washington-based group that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political candidates.
"If some gay or lesbian kid in Cincinnati walks into school with their head a little higher after this, that's the important thing," Dison said.
Chris Seelbach's victory a milestone for gays in Cincinnati
Mon, Nov 14th 2011, 09:54The bar, Milton's Prospect Hill Tavern, was packed for the victory party for the man who'd become Cincinnati's first openly gay City Council member.
People cheered. And it seemed as if everyone on Election Night was offering to buy Chris Seelbach a drink.
Electing the first openly gay council member, others say, means more than the fact that Cincinnati's long-held conservative reputation apparently is evolving.
It also changes the perspective at City Hall and shows other LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) individuals that it's OK to live an authentic life, to show who you really are and still be able to participate in government, said Denis Dison, vice president of communications for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a Washington nonprofit that promotes LGBT candidates.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker Wins Reelection
Mon, Nov 14th 2011, 09:39Houston mayor Annise D. Parker has won reelection despite low approval ratings and antigay rhetoric leveled against her by a challenger.
Next month Parker hosts the 27th International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference in Houston. “It’s a great opportunity for elected and appointed GLBT leaders from around country, and the world, to get together and share tips support each other,” she said.
More from the Victory Fund on gay election victories yesterday
Mon, Nov 14th 2011, 09:33Washington, D.C. – Openly gay and lesbian candidates endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund won election to municipal, judicial and state legislative offices from coast to coast Tuesday night. At least 53 of the group's 75 endorsees were victorious, with two races still undecided this morning.
"The election of gay and lesbian candidates in places where they have never won before is a major step forward, and we could not be happier about these victories," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. "All of the openly LGBT candidates who stepped up to run for office this year are true leaders who deserve our profound thanks."
Off-Year Advances: LGBT advocacy organizations celebrate Election Day results
Mon, Nov 14th 2011, 09:22The off-year elections, normally a slow-paced night for national coverage, featured several ballot measures – including Ohio, Mississippi and Maine – that garnered significant attention. Additionally, from Texas to Iowa to Michigan, from Arizona to Ohio to Massachusetts, LGBT candidates and issues saw significant successes.
As the Victory Fund's vice president for communications, Denis Dison, told Metro Weekly late Nov. 8, ''It's been a very, very good night for LGBT candidates. Right now it looks like more than two thirds of Victory Fund-endorsed candidates will win, and LGBT candidates have made significant breakthroughs in cities and towns across the country, including Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Houston and Charlotte.''
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=6742Gay Republican accuses Dem of gay-baiting in Va.
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 17:05A gay Republican running for state Senate in Virginia is accusing his Democratic incumbent opponent of engaging in gay-baiting tactics, an assertion supported by an audio recording obtained by the Washington Blade of inflammatory remarks made by a Democratic volunteer.
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, said the alleged gay-baiting "has no place in politics" and came to the defense of his organization's endorsed candidate.
Senate confirms lesbian to federal judiciary
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 16:58The U.S. Senate confirmed on Thursday an out judicial nominee to become the second-ever open lesbian to sit on the federal bench.
Senators confirmed Alison Nathan, whom President Obama nominated in March for a seat on the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, by a vote of 48-44.
Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, called the Nathan confirmation "another step toward America's leadership class reflecting the country it serves."
Longtime gay activist Frank Kameny dies
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 16:53Expressions of condolences from LGBT activists and their straight supporters poured in from across the country this week following the death in Washington on Tuesday of Franklin E. Kameny, one of the nation’s most prominent gay rights leaders.
Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Kameny’s death marked the “loss of a hero and a founding father of the fight to end discrimination against LGBT people.”
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/10/11/longtime-gay-activist-frank-kameny-passes-on/San Diego considers an openly gay GOP mayor
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 15:18SAN DIEGO - Two leading Republican contenders for mayor of America's eighth-largest city are openly gay, and voters have barely noticed. It doesn't come up at campaign appearances or in local news coverage.
A nationwide Gallup poll in June showed 67 percent of voters surveyed would elect a gay president, up 12 percentage points from four years ago. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund says the number of openly gay officeholders nationwide doubled in the last four years to about 500. They include Annise Parker, a Democrat who was elected mayor of Houston in 2009.
White House Names Gautam Raghavan to LGBT Liaison Role
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 15:13Today, the White House made formal what Metro Weekly first reported on Sept. 23: Gautam Raghavan, the former deputy White House liaison at the Department of Defense, is the new LGBT liaison in the White House Office of Public Engagement.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to support out LGBT candidates and appointees, celebrated the news -- while pushing for more action on presidential appointments. Victory Fund vice president of communications Denis Dison told
http://www.metroweekly.com/poliglot/2011/10/white-house-names-gautam-ragha.htmlChuck Wolfe: Why Tammy Baldwin Will Win
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 15:07Can Tammy Baldwin, a proud progressive, become the next U.S. senator from Wisconsin and make history as America's first openly LGBT senator? Not only can she, but I expect she will.
It won't be easy. This could be one of the hardest-fought Senate contests in the country, and recent polls show the race to be a "sheer toss up," according to Public Policy Polling. But Tammy's ready for that fight, and she has some built-in advantages that will make her more competitive than some conservatives seem to understand...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-wolfe/why-tammy-baldwin-will-wi_b_977840.htmlThe Other L Word: Can Tammy Baldwin Win in Wisconsin?
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 15:02In 1998, Tammy Baldwin became the first openly gay candidate to be elected to the U.S. Congress as a non-incumbent, winning a seat representing liberal Madison, Wisc., in the House of Representatives. Now the leading candidate to become the Democratic nominee to replace retiring Senator Herb Kohl, Baldwin would become the first out U.S. Senator in American history if she wins election in November 2012.
Should she win, Baldwin would not be the first openly LGBT candidate to win a statewide office, though none have won top political jobs and none have won statewide seats in the Midwest. According to Denis Dison of The Victory Fund, an LGBT version of Emily's List, six people have won posts that required victory outside of gay enclaves or liberal districts -- and all in states at the country's edges. Kevin Lembo is Connecticut's current state comptroller; Ed Flanagan was Vermont's state auditor. Oregon now has three elected-while-out officials, with Kate Brown as current secretary of state, and Virginia Linder and Rives Kistler now on the Oregon Supreme Court. Meanwhile, in Hawaii, transgendered Kim Coco Iwamoto won a statewide election to be Commisioner of Education.
Where to Put Your Political Time and Money in 2012
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 14:55The November 2012 elections are 14 months away. But in this instant messenger era, the presidential, congressional, state and local races—not to mention the battles over the ballot initiatives—seem but a nanosecond away. And that means LGBTs need to start thinking now where they might want to put their time, money and hearts.
Baldwin's election is a top priority for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund as well. Also endorsed by the Victory Fund are three other openly gay congressional candidates: Marko Liias, a state representative who is seeking to represent Washington's 1st Congressional District. He would replace Rep. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, who is running for governor. Second, Mark Pocan, a Democrat who is running to replace Rep. Tammy Baldwin in Congress. Pocan has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly for more than 12 years. Last, Mark Takano, who is running to represent California's 41st Congressional District in the U.S. House. Takano, a Democrat, is a longtime elected member of the Riverside Community College District's Board of Trustees.
Path clearer for Baldwin to claim Democratic banner
Tue, Nov 8th 2011, 14:51The path is more clear for Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to claim the Democratic nomination to run for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin now that a potential opponent has said he won't seek the office.
Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), an eight-term House member, said Thursday in a statement to Politica that he won’t pursue the seat that retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) is vacating next year.
Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said in a statement Kind's decision was welcome news. His organization has endorsed Baldwin upon her announcement last week.
Calif. Gov Signs Equal Benefits Law
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 17:44California governor Jerry Brown today signed into law a bill requiring businesses that have large contracts with the state to provide equal spousal benefits for all employees, gay and straight.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/09/06/Calif_Gov_Signs_Equal_Benefits_Law/Victory Fund's Robin Brand on LGBT politics
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 17:36As 2012 presidential candidates take to the road, The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund will be rolling into Chicago Thursday, Sept. 8, to discuss LGBT politics and strategy. Windy City Times caught up with Deputy Executive Director Robin Brand to talk about what issues are at stake in upcoming elections, the changing face of LGBT politics and the Republican role in recent wins for gay rights.
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=33526Apple CEO urged to come out as gay
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 16:50LGBT advocates are urging the new head of Apple, Inc., to make his sexual orientation public amid media reports asserting that he's gay.
Tim Cook last week became CEO of the $337 billion company — which weeks ago overtook Exxon-Mobile Corp. to become the world's most valuable business — after former CEO Steve Jobs resigned from his position.
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Victory Fund, said a public declaration from Cook about his sexual orientation would have a positive impact on the larger LGBT community because it would encourage his straight colleagues and others to pay attention to LGBT issues.
Creep of the Week: Sally Kern
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 16:36Haters gon' hate, am I right?
And according to Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern, the most hateful thing you can say to a gay person is that they're okay the way they are.
"Adulterers Victory Fund" is her swipe at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group she's not an especially big fan of ever since they exposed her "gays are worse than terrorism" comments.
http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/sfgn-columnists/guest-columnists/4265-creep-of-the-week-sally-kern.htmlChuck Wolfe: Time to Fight for America’s first LGBT senator
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 16:28The United States Senate has been called both the world's greatest deliberative body and the world's most exclusive club, but it looks nothing like the country it represents. That's one reason so many people are encouraging Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to seize the rare opportunity to run for an open Senate seat, and that's why our community should fight like hell to help her win.
Tammy is the first woman from Wisconsin ever elected to Congress, and its only openly lesbian member. In 1998, the Victory Fund helped her become the first openly LGBT candidate to win a seat in the U.S. House as a non-incumbent. She stood out in that election because of her honesty, something that continues to shape her approach to the tough votes she takes as U.S. Representative.
Eyeing a Senate Seat, Baldwin Campaigns in Recall Election
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 16:20With a much-anticipated Wisconsin recall election set for Tuesday, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, who is considering a U.S. Senate run in 2012 and has posted impressive fund-raising numbers to back those likely aspirations, has been highly active in a final push for Democratic candidates.
In July, Baldwin reported raising $502,000 during the second quarter, and she has $1.1 million in cash on hand. She raised $435,000 in June alone, though the showdown over Kohl's seat could ultimately cost in the region of $10 million to $20 million. "She's in a great place right now for the market that she's in," said Denis Dison, vice president of communications for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. "That said, it's an open seat. The Republicans are going to be going after it with guns blazing. Baldwin is going to be looking under every cushion for spare change, and the LGBT community is going to be an important part of her fund-raising plan."
Transgender woman running for Houston council
Mon, Nov 7th 2011, 15:56Jenifer Rene Pool is running for an at-large position on the Houston city council. Sue Lovell, who reached her term limit, is vacating the seat. Before Lovell joined the council, Mayor Annise Parker also served on the council at large.
Pool said she is fashioning her campaign after Parker's and using what she learned at Victory Fund candidate training.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/transgender-woman-running-houston-council-1085223.htmlWhite House close to naming new LGBT liaison
Fri, Nov 4th 2011, 16:46The White House is close to naming its new LGBT liaison and has already designated an official within the Obama administration for the role, the Washington Blade has learned.
A number of individuals within the administration who identify as LGBT could be candidates for the position. According to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, more than 200 LGBT people have been appointed to serve in the Obama administration, and more than 25 of those were nominated for Senate-confirmable positions.
Charlotte Could Elect First LGBT Councilmember
Fri, Nov 4th 2011, 16:25LaWana Mayfield, an out lesbian, is running in the Democratic primary to become the first openly LGBT member of the City Council in Charlotte, N.C.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/07/28/Charlotte_Could_Elect_First_LGBT_Councilmember/Gay candidates gain acceptance
Wed, Jul 20th 2011, 11:21Sweeping changes in public attitudes toward sexual orientation have led to fundamental realignments this year in everything from the military, where gays now can serve openly, to marriage. Sunday, New York will become the sixth and largest state to permit same-sex marriages.
In politics, the number of gay men and lesbians running for public office and winning has begun to increase significantly, although gay candidates, especially in more conservative areas, continue to face skepticism and opposition from some voters.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund calculates that 107 openly gay candidates were elected to office nationwide in 2010, an increase of one-third from 2008 and nearly threefold the number of a decade earlier. The political action committee projects another significant jump in 2012.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2011-07-19-gay-candidates-politics_n.htm?csp=34newsMichigan sees more openly gay politicians
Wed, Jul 20th 2011, 11:17Though Michigan continues to lack many legislative victories that are seen as important by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, the state is also seeing the rise of more openly gay elected officials on the local levels.
In 2008, Detroit saw the election of Charles Pugh as Detroit City Council president, making him the first openly gay black man to hold such a post in the country. Ferndale resident Craig Covey became the state’s first openly gay mayor and has since moved to the Oakland County Commission. In Lansing, City Clerk Chris Swope was elected to the Ingham County Commission, then moved into the clerkship.
But this year, the noise on openly gay candidates is reaching new levels. The Advocate, a national LGBT magazine, released a story highlighting five of the country’s up and coming gay politicos. On that list is Rory Neuner, a candidate for a Lansing City Council at-large seat. Neuner’s star is rising fast, and in the capitol city she has created a campaign message around attracting and keeping the high school and college graduates in the area.
There are at least two other openly gay candidates running in Lansing City Council races, and Denis Dison, spokesperson for The Victory Fund, a D.C. based political organization that works with out gay candidates seeking offices across the country, says this is a new trend.
“Last year the Victory Fund endorsed 164 openly LGBT candidates for public office — our largest slate ever. That’s one indication that, indeed, more and more out community leaders are beginning to see public service as a viable career path,” says Dison. “You see that long track record of service and community involvement in a candidate like Rory Neuner, who’s now running for the Lansing City Council. I think in many places LGBT people no longer feel limited to non-elected public service. So we’re beginning to see a lot more who are interested in taking that next step.”
Gay Man Elected Utah Democratic Party Chair
Mon, Jul 18th 2011, 14:33Democrats in Utah elected Jim Dabakis as state party chairman on Saturday, making him the first openly gay person to hold the position.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reports on the win for Dabakis, a founder of Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center. An art dealer, he defeated candidate Robert Comstock by a wide margin of 528 to 71.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Dabakis said his priority would be to win races for Democrats across Utah. He also said he wanted to let Republicans, independents and Latter-Day Saints know they are welcome in the Democratic Party.
Tammy Baldwin Eyes a Senate Seat
Thu, Jul 14th 2011, 16:46Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s potential bid for retiring Sen. Herb Kohl’s seat appears all the more plausible, given the openly gay congresswoman’s campaign coffers. Baldwin raised $502,000 in the second quarter and now has $1.1 million in cash on hand, Roll Call reports. She raised $435,000 last month alone.
“This is a remarkable showing 16 months before the next federal election, and it’s proof that Tammy Baldwin will be a formidable candidate if she decides to run,” said Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. “We’ve already received a tremendous response from our donors and supporters, and the excitement is really beginning to build for what will be a historic campaign.”
Gay Politics notes that Baldwin is unlikely to make a formal announcement on whether she will run for the senate seat until the state recall elections in Wisconsin have taken place.
Baldwin Posts $1.1 Million In Cash On Hand
Wed, Jul 13th 2011, 15:50Lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), in reports to be filed with the FEC today, posted receipts of $502,485.62 in the second quarter and more than $1.1 million in cash on hand. During June, she raised more than $435,000.
Baldwin is widely expected to pursue the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Herb Kohl.
“This is a remarkable showing 16 months before the next federal election, and it’s proof that Tammy Baldwin will be a formidable candidate if she decides to run,” said Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. “We’ve already received a tremendous response from our donors and supporters, and the excitement is really beginning to build for what will be a historic campaign.”
Bond’s Departure Triggers Debate Over White House Role
Wed, Jul 13th 2011, 15:44The announced departure last week of the White House gay liaison is being met with praise from some who worked with him on LGBT issues and calls from others who say they want more from his successor.
Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, is set to leave his position mid-August to become the Democratic National Committee’s director of constituency outreach. Bond, who’s gay, handled LGBT outreach for the office.
Prior to becoming a White House official, Bond served as executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund from 1997 to 2003. He was national constituency director for President Obama’s 2008 campaign and was executive director of the DNC’s LGBT leadership council. Bond returns to the DNC as President Obama ramps up his re-election campaign for 2012.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/07/13/bonds-departure-triggers-debate-over-white-house-role/Madison360: Possible Tammy Baldwin Senate run energizes national gay community
Tue, Jul 12th 2011, 17:40The prospect of Tammy Baldwin running for the U.S. Senate has grabbed the attention of national gay organizations, reports Roll Call, a highly respected Capitol Hill newspaper in Washington, D.C.
Baldwin, who represents the 2nd Congressional District that includes Madison, told me recently she is highly likely to seek the seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Herb Kohl, who does not plan to run for re-election. That possibility is attracting lots of attention. “She has been part of the (consciousness) of our organization for two decades,” a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund told Roll Call.
Wisconsin Rep. Could Serve Senate As First Openly Lesbian Senator
Tue, Jul 12th 2011, 15:18Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin is considered a strong candidate to become the first openly lesbian senator. She would replace Senator Herb Kohl, who plans on retiring from the Senate next year.
Understandably, the LBGTQ community is standing behind Baldwin. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has long backed her, and is gearing up to help her win a Senate term should she choose to run. Their website even has an encouraging banner, simply saying, "Run Tammy Run!"
Gay Community Gears Up for Tammy Baldwin Senate Bid
Tue, Jul 12th 2011, 10:23Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s potential to become the first openly gay Senator escalates the already sizable implications of the state’s open-seat race. When she jumps in, Baldwin will have a national fundraising network ready to mobilize.
The retirement of Sen. Herb Kohl (D) placed Wisconsin in the 2012 spotlight of states that could decide Senate control. Baldwin’s forthcoming candidacy represents another step forward for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, which has been buoyed in recent months by New York’s legalization of same-sex marriages and by polling showing a majority of Americans favor legal gay marriage.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_5/Gay-Community-Gears-Up-for-Tammy-Baldwin-Senate-Bid-207185-1.html?pos=opolhVictory Fund endorses 2012 LA Assembly candidate Luis Lopez
Tue, Jul 5th 2011, 09:51The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed Luis Lopez (at left) in his bid for a Los Angeles-area Assembly seat in 2012.
Lopez, 38, is one of the first LGBT non-incumbents running for state legislative office next year to be backed by the national group, which helps out candidates raise money and trains LGBT people on how to wage campaigns.
Baldwin likely to forego safety for her dream of Senate seat
Tue, Jul 5th 2011, 09:45She really wants to do it.
That’s the precise phrase I’ve heard for weeks from elected officials, political professionals and supporters who know her.
While the words are consistent, they are accompanied by differing tones and expressions, ranging from enthusiastic to not so much. This second group displays a scrunched face or subtle head shake, a fond but unmistakable "what’s she thinking?" semi-rebuke.
But make no mistake, U.S. Rep. Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin, 49, is steaming toward a 2012 candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl.
The headline "Run Tammy Run" scrolls across the front page of the website of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a national political action committee that helps elect openly gay candidates.
Pink carpet rolled out for Gay Pride weekend
Mon, Jun 27th 2011, 10:50
Groundbreaking Election Looms For San Diego
Mon, Jun 27th 2011, 10:47In fact today the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community is seen as a strong political force in the city. And there’s a strong possibility San Diego could elect its first openly gay mayor in 2012.
The field of candidates includes three strong gay candidates. Councilman Carl DeMaio and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis have already begun campaigning for the office. State Senator Christine Kehoe is also exploring a run. Susan Atkins, National Chair of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, calls the race an embarrassment of riches. Her organization works to get openly gay candidates elected to office across the country. She said San Diego has been a model for embracing diversity.
"We have a very cohesive and generous community in San Diego who, from a fairly early time, certainly the early '90s, realized that politics matters," she said.
Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe on a Gay President
Wed, Jun 22nd 2011, 09:31Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe on a gay President: "I think we may see a candidate in 5 cycles, that’s 20 years. [...] You have too build the bench here. So we’re spending a lot of time on the trainings, and getting people elected as mayors. We have a few state-wide elected officials today. Often somebody has a better chance if they’re a governor or U.S. senator, having been elected statewide to have an existing base to run for president of the United States."
http://www.towleroad.com/2011/06/gay-news-more-chris-evans-in-gq.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+towleroad%2Ffeed+%28Towleroad+Daily++%23gay+news%29In case you hadn’t noticed, Texas is now down to just 3 openly gay city council members
Tue, Jun 21st 2011, 10:20Dison said the Victory Fund, which endorsed both Hightower and Shade, doesn’t keep a running total of the number of gay city council members in each state. But he noted that Texas is one of the few big states that lack an out legislator, and city councils are often a stepping stone to higher office.
“Chris Hightower’s loss was heartbreaking, both because he came so close and because he was subject to some pretty awful anti-gay politicking,” Dison told Instant Tea today. “My understanding is Shade’s loss had nothing to do with her sexual orientation.
“Municipal offices like those are very important because that’s often where future state legislators get their start, and Texas really needs an openly LGBT voice in the Capitol.
“We hope our progress is constant, but sometimes the challenges seem to bunch up and we’ve got to redouble our efforts,” Dison said. “We’ve seen a lot of success in Texas and I think we’ll continue to see good people decide to run from both parties.”
N.J. lawmaker pushes for passage of gay marriage legislation
Mon, Jun 20th 2011, 11:58With the legalization of gay marriage in New York just shy of passage, a New Jersey lawmaker says it’s time to pick up the conversation here.
"They’re talking about it in New York," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, who proposed a bill (A4130) on Monday to legalize same-sex marriage. "Why aren’t we talking about it in New Jersey?"
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/some_nj_lawmakers_push_for_pas.htmlGay & Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe Predicts Viable Openly Gay President Within 20 Years
Mon, Jun 20th 2011, 11:40During an appearance this morning on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe predicted that America will see its first viable openly gay presidential candidate in five election cycles:
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2011/06/20/248369/chuck-wolfe-predicts-gay-presidential-candidate/Chuck Wolfe Discusses Victory Fund, Challenges Facing LGBT Politicians
Mon, Jun 13th 2011, 17:40http://equalitymatters.org/emtv/201106130014
Supporting Bonnie Dumanis
Mon, Jun 13th 2011, 09:15Bonnie Dumanis is the first openly gay District Attorney in the U.S. Her courageous candidacy and successful election shattered a glass ceiling. It made history and inspired the LGBT community nationwide.
During her campaigns, Bonnie was endorsed by the Victory Fund – four times. Their endorsement is significant because the Victory Fund carefully screens LGBT candidates and only supports those whom they deem worthy.
For Gay Aspiring Politicians, a Workshop on Campaign Strategies
Mon, Jun 13th 2011, 09:09Modeled on Emily’s List, the political action committee that works to elect Democratic women, the fund, with a budget of more than $5 million culled largely from gay donors, is a powerful force behind this trend, raising money, providing strategic advice and endorsing candidates like Ms. Baldwin, one of its rising stars.
In 1991, the year the fund was founded, it endorsed two candidates. Last year, it endorsed 164. The fund also helps closeted officials come out, and, through its Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, runs boot camps like the one in Pittsburgh several times a year.
The idea, said Chuck Wolfe, the fund’s president and chief executive, is to build a “back bench” of politicians who can win at the local level and work their way up. Across the country, only five statewide officeholders are openly gay. Mr. Wolfe says he believes voters would accept a gay candidate for president, though he expects it will take 20 more years to produce a credible candidate.
Fund holds boot camp here for gay politicians
Mon, Jun 13th 2011, 09:06As a gay man running for City Council in Houston, which already has a lesbian mayor, Josh Verde figured that he would have no trouble talking to voters about his sexuality. Then he came to Pittsburgh, to a boot camp for openly gay candidates, and promptly flubbed his lines.
"I have a boyfriend," Mr. Verde announced during a mock interview with a campaign consultant posing as a reporter. Instantly, he regretted the words. "It sounded like high school," he said later, amending his language to say, "I'm in a relationship."
Mr. Verde, 31, a law student and aviation consultant, was one of roughly three dozen openly gay aspiring politicians who spent last weekend in a Pittsburgh hotel conference room for a crash course in campaign strategy. Run by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to elect gay men and lesbians from both parties to public office, the three-day session offered stark evidence of how far gay politicians have come, and how quickly.
Victory Fund To Honor GOP Senator At Fundraiser
Thu, Jun 9th 2011, 09:40The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has selected a Republican U.S. senator to honor with an award for her work last year in building GOP support for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.The Victory Fund will award Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) with the 2011 Gay & Lesbian Leadership Award at the event, which will take place Oct. 5 in D.C.
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, confirmed Collins would be present at the event, the 11th annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards.
Dison said his organization wanted to honor Collins primarily because of her role in passing legislation allowing for “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal.
“It’s primarily because of her leadership — especially leadership on the Republican side of the aisle — on repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” Dison said.
Kim Coco Iwamoto and Kathy Padilla are among the 14 Bohnett Fellows
Thu, Jun 9th 2011, 09:36The 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows were recently announced by the David Bohnett Foundation and the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute.
The GLLI and the Bohnett Foundation get together to send openly TBLG people who are accomplished, mid-career professionals who are leaders in government and non-profit organizations to Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.
Kim Coco Iwamoto and Kathy Padilla are among the 14 Bohnett Fellows who will receive scholarships for the program that counts among its graduates Houston mayor Annise Parker, Campbell, CA Councilman Evan Low and Arizona State Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.
Gay Georgia lawmakers invited to prestigious leadership course
Thu, Jun 9th 2011, 09:33The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, a nonpartisan professional development organization for LGBT leaders, announced yesterday its 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, which included out Georgia lawmakers Alex Wan and Karla Drenner.
The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute will send the fellows to Harvard's Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, a two-month leadership course held in June and July, aimed at helping seasoned professionals connect with constituents.
Michigan State University senior Mitchell Rivard earns D.C. internship with Nancy Pelosi
Thu, Jun 9th 2011, 09:29Mitchell Rivard isn’t sure yet if he wants run for political office one day, but the Michigan State University senior knows who he does want running.“I’m interested in making sure we have the right leaders elected to office,” said Rivard, 21, of Frankenlust Township. “I have a deep-seated passion for getting women elected to office.
Rivard’s eight-week internship is part of the Victory Congressional Internship program, a new program from the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute that provides outstanding, young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered leaders with a summer experience on Capitol Hill.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bay-city/index.ssf/2011/06/michigan_state_university_seni.htmlGood Sandra Bernhard vibrations
Thu, Jun 9th 2011, 09:19Out There just scored a phone interview with the great comedienne/actress/singer Sandra Bernhard , who's coming to San Francisco later this month for some shows and appearances. She called us at our offices from her home in New York City at the appointed time, completely punctual.
Bernhard's new album was released this week. Her Marines' Memorial performances are on Fri.-Sat., June 24 & 25. She'll also be appearing on SF Pride's mainstage performing a 15-20-minute musical set. On Thurs., June 23, the VIP Kick-off Party to Celebrate Pride 2011 will transpire at the elegant Bentley Reserve in SF, 6-9:30 p.m., with hostess Bernhard performing. That soiree will be presented by PG&E and host Mark Rhoades, and it's benefiting the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.
http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=outthere&article=325Alex Wan, Karla Drenner chosen for Harvard leadership program
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:55Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan and Georgia State Rep. Karla Drenner are among just 14 LGBT leaders in the country to receive scholarships to attend the Senior Executives in State & Local Government professional development program at Harvard.
The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute announced on Wednesday the 2011 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership Fellows, and Wan and Drenner made the cut.
Drenner was Georgia’s first openly gay legislator, followed years later by Rep. Simone Bell and just last week, Rep. Rashad Taylor.
Georgia State Rep. Rashad Taylor comes out as gay
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:50State Rep. Rashad Taylor, the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly, came out as gay last month during a hastily called press conference.
First elected in 2008, Taylor becomes the third openly gay member of the state House, joining state Reps. Karla Drenner and Simone Bell. He also becomes just the sixth openly gay African-American state legislator in the U.S., according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Taylor came out during an emotional event at the Rush Center at the end of May.
Harvey Milk Has An Important Place In History, But He’s Not The First.
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:44Harvey Milk is often lauded as the first openly gay elected official in America – and he’s certainly an important and historical figure – but the claim that he was the first is false. In fact, Harvey was the fifth openly gay elected official in the U.S. Ann Arbor’s Kathy Kozachenko was actually the first, just 3 years before Harvey.
The Victory Fund’s Gay Politics Blog has more on the four openly gay elected officials that preceded the famous Mr. Milk.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/24/harvey-milk-has-an-important-place-in-history-but-hes-not-the-first/
Tammy Baldwin eyes Senate run
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:38U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s office is, thus far, silent on whether the openly gay legislator might make a bid for the U.S. Senate. But buzz about that possibility is hot, particularly within the LGBT community because, if successful, Baldwin would become the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate.
“This would obviously be a top priority for us,” said Victory Fund president Chuck Wolfe, according to the website. “This would be a remarkable milestone for LGBT Americans. Congresswoman Baldwin is one of the most admired public officials I know. She would have the strong support of those who want to see our economy work for all Americans, and who believe that all voices deserve a place at the table.”
The Victory Fund even launched a petition where people can “tell Tammy Baldwin we need her voice in the Senate.” Sign it by going here.
Our First Openly Gay U.S. Senator?
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:34Openly gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is reportedly mulling a run to replace the retiring Sen. Herb Kohl, who leaves office in 2012. If successful, Baldwin would become the first openly gay U.S. Senator in history. The Victory Fund is already promising Baldwin their full support.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/05/our-first-openly-gay-us-senator.htmlVictory Fund: Sources Say Tammy Baldwin "Very Likely" To Run For Kohl's Senate Seat
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:27The news of the retirement of Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.) has set off a flurry of speculation about the House's only out lesbian, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), and whether she would run fr the seat. Although other possible names include former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), the Victory Fund's Denis Dison told Metro Weekly that sources close to Baldwin have said she is likely to run.
The Victory Fund then posted the following:
Sources close to Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., have told the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund she is very likely to run for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Sen. Herb Kohl, who has decided not to run for reelection in 2012. If Baldwin runs and wins, she would become the nation’s first openly LGBT member of the U.S. senate.
Tammy Baldwin Will 'Very Likely' Run for Senate; Would Be First Openly Gay Senator
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:24Sources close to Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., have told the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund she is very likely to run for the U.S. Senate seat now occupied by Sen. Herb Kohl, who has decided not to run for reelection in 2012. If Baldwin runs and wins, she would become the nation’s first openly LGBT member of the U.S. senate.
“This would obviously be a top priority for us. Tammy Baldwin has been an outstanding congresswoman, and she’d be an outstanding senator,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Baldwin repeatedly. In 1998, when Baldwin became the first openly LGBT candidate to win election to the U.S. Congress as a freshman, the Victory Fund raised nearly a quarter million dollars for her campaign.
Baldwin For Senate?
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:19The opportunity for Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) to become a U.S. senator in the wake of an announcement that a Senate seat will be open in 2012 to represent Wisconsin has LGBT advocates pushing her to pursue higher office.
In a statement, Chuck Wolfe, president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said Baldwin’s run for U.S. Senate would be a “top priority” for his organization.“ This would be a remarkable milestone for LGBT Americans,” Wolfe said. “Congresswoman Baldwin is one of the most admired public officials I know. She would have the strong support of those who want to see our economy work for all Americans, and who believe that all voices deserve a place at the table.”
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/13/baldwin-for-senate/Gay California Mayor Seeks U.S. House Seat
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:14A gay Republican from California could become the first person in a same-sex marriage elected to Congress if he wins a U.S. House seat in an upcoming special election.
Mike Gin, who’s served as mayor of Redondo Beach, Calif., since 2005, said economic and education issues would be his priorities if elected to Congress, but he would welcome any benefit that his visibility as a gay member of Congress in a same-sex marriage would impart to LGBT youth.
Gin said he’s pursuing an endorsement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, said he couldn’t comment on candidates that his organization has yet to endorse. The Victory Fund has endorsed Gin in his previous runs for political office as mayor of Redondo Beach.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/05/05/gay-calif-mayor-seeks-u-s-house-seat/Denver Lesbian Wins City Council Race
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 17:07Out politician Robin Kniech will become the first openly LGBT member of Denver’s city council.
“I ran to work for all Denver families,” Kniech said Tuesday, “but I know this is a meaningful day for our LGBT community. We were happy to earn so many important endorsements, but I’m especially grateful to the Victory Fund for everything they did for our campaign.”
Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe hailed Kniech’s election as an “important milestone for the city.
Indiana's First Openly Gay Politician?
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 16:58Congratulations to Indianapolis activist Zach Adamson on winning yesterday's primary race to be one of four official Democrat candidates for the Indianapolis City-County Council. Zach has been an incredible force in Indianapolis democratic politics. He's put in countless hours working on other campaigns, supporting many different progressive causes, and working to better the eastside of Indianapolis.
Zach is a member of the Stonewall Democrats and has been endorsed by the Victory Fund.
http://www.bilerico.com/2011/05/indianas_first_openly_gay_politician.phpOrtega, Kniech leaders in Council at-large race
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 15:24Former councilwoman Debbie Ortega, who represented District 9 for 16 years before stepping aside because of term limits, returned to the council Tuesday night by winning one of two at-large City Council seats.
Newcomer Robin Kniech appeared to edge out former Denver fire chief Rich Gonzales and Josh Davies for the second seat.
Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Washington-based Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which endorsed Kniech, said there hasn't been an openly gay or lesbian Denver City Council member, according to the group's research.
Log Cabin Republicans share the Hilton Anatole with the right-wing Heritage Foundation
Wed, Jun 8th 2011, 10:29Kittleman followed the first openly gay man to run for lieutenant governor, Richard Tisei of Massachusetts, who was introduced by Chuck Wolfe of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. Tisei, a former state senator who lost his bid for lieutenant governor in November, noted that three of the four Massachusetts Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage were appointed by Republican governors.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/log-cabin-1074675.htmlExperts: Judge's sexual orientation is non-issue
Wed, Apr 27th 2011, 14:32The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political action committee and recruitment organization for gay politicians, said there are now 102 openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender judges in the U.S.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gpRv91priVsdikuNWJsxNpXJXSjw?docId=acf5ac807c3541e88f36821ae7b964daGabrielle Giffords' intern savior Daniel Hernandez takes a Houston Victory lap
Fri, Apr 22nd 2011, 17:13It was the Victory Fund, an organization that works to elect LGBT leaders to public office, that helped propel Mayor Annise Parker to her current post as head of Houston. Now celebrating its 20th year, the organization held a celebratory champagne brunch in the hallowed halls of The Corinthian downtown on Sunday.
Serving as event honoree was Daniel Hernandez, Jr., the lauded intern to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who ran to the congreswoman's side after she fell from a gunshot to the head during the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson.
Introducing Hernandez at Sunday's event was Christine Quinn, speaker of the New York City Council and prospective candidate for New York City mayor. Also offering celebratory addresses were Mayor Annise Parker and Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island.
The modest, 21-year-old Hernandez, whose previous experience includes volunteering for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, claims his race to Giffords' collapsed body was an automatic reaction, not an act of bravery. Calling upon skills learned during a certified nurses' assisting program, he prevented Giffords from choking on her own blood while stanching the bleeding with his hand. The intern held his mentor's hand and told her that he would get ahold of her family.
"People have stopped me on the street," he told CultureMap of his new hero status. Nevertheless, he's not letting the fanfare detract from his goals as a junior at the University of Arizona.
Because of his compact schedule in Houston, Hernandez did not make it by to visit Giffords at TIRR Memorial Hermann, He left the brunch directly for the airport to return to Tucson and prepare for an election on Thursday, where he is running for student body president.
More than an ambitious intern with a knack for first aid, Hernandez works actively as an advocate for higher education in his home state. "I've lived in Arizona my whole life, so I'm kind of used to working in that red state system," he said.
While not studying, interning or campaigning for the student government, Hernandez works with the non-profit Arizona Students' Association, rallying support for higher education.
"I'm up at the state capitol interacting with legislators on a pretty regular basis, so I can work on issues that may not get a lot of traction in the red state of Arizona, such as the importance of investing in higher education," Hernandez said.
Confronted with countless requests for public appearances, Hernandez has quickly learned how to pick and choose which events to attend.
I want to make sure the only ones I do are things that I believe in — things like the Victory Fund, which encourages LGBT people who are eligible to run for office. It's something that I'm very excited about, because I've been working for years trying to get gay people to become more engaged civically and become more involved in public service. The Victory Fund trains people for office, endorses them and helps them with their campaign."
As for his political goals following graduation, Hernandez said, "Right now, I just want to get through the next year and a half," citing his decision to take summer courses to compensate for classes dropped this semester because of the Giffords tragedy.
Concluded the overwhelmingly composed college student, "I act like a 40-year-old sometimes, but I'm still only 21, so I still have a lot of time to think about what I want to do in the future."
Intern Of Gabrielle Giffords Honored At Houston Reception
Mon, Apr 18th 2011, 14:13Daniel Hernandez, the intern who helped save Gabrielle Giffords's life when she was shot in Tucson, was honored at a reception in Houston on Sunday. Hasti Taghi reports.
http://www.click2houston.com/video/27577891/index.htmlGiffords' intern Hernandez honored in Houston
Mon, Apr 18th 2011, 14:07Some call him the hero of the January 8 shooting, and Sunday Daniel Hernandez was honored at a special brunch in Houston.
Hernandez, an intern to Gabriel Giffords, gave first aid to the congresswoman after she was shot in January, helping save her life.
Sunday he talked about how her recovery is progressing.
"She's doing remarkably well considering what happened. And you know what, you'll be able to ask her how she's doing, sooner rather than later, because she's just been doing extremely well," said Hernandez.
The "Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund" held Sunday's event. The group promotes politicians like Giffords who support gay rights.
http://www.fox11az.com/news/local/Giffords-intern-Hernandez-honored-in-Houston-120074904.htmlChi. Elects 2nd Gay Alderman
Thu, Apr 7th 2011, 14:54Windy City Times reports that some of the campaign materials distributed by Phelan were perceived as homophobic. One flier claimed Cappleman would address crime in the ward through “anger management classes and flowers,” plus “planters, public art, decorative pedestrian lightposts and streetscaping.”
“Never believe that you can’t change politics as usual. You can, and we have,” Cappleman told supporters Tuesday night, according to GayPolitics.com. He also thanked the Gay and Lesbian Victory fund for its assistance. Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said LGBT Chicagoans have “gained another authentic voice on their city council, but more than that, they’ve gained a real fighter.”
Cappleman, who ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2007, will represent Chicago’s diverse 46th ward, a north lakefront area that includes portions of Boystown and Andersonville, both heavily LGBT enclaves, as well as Uptown, historically a magnet for recent immigrants. It is just north of the 44th ward, which encompasses much of Boystown and is represented by the city’s other openly gay alderman, restaurateur Tom Tunney, who won a third term in February with no opposition.
Gay Hill staffer remembered for humor, dedication
Wed, Apr 6th 2011, 14:36The booming voice of Katy Perry accompanying a techno-dance beat of her song “Firework” jolted Kyle Murphy from sleep a couple months ago at 3 a.m.
Curious about the disturbance, Murphy arose from bed to find his best friend and roommate Christopher Crowe dancing on top of their kitchen island.
“I didn’t know what was going on,” Murphy said. “He had brought some friends home and the first thing I saw was him standing on the island in our kitchen dancing to Katy Perry. He was kind of the life of the party.”
For Murphy, who had known Crowe for more than five years since they interned together at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the memory represents Crowe’s over-the-top personality and willingness to go to great lengths to entertain others.
“Somebody had collected some quotes he used to say in his office, and one of them was ‘I say ‘no’ to drugs, and that’s it,’” Murphy said. “And that kind of, I felt like, summed up his personality.”
Crowe died last week at the Washington Hospital Center from a staph infection that damaged his heart after he contracted meningitis last summer.
Crowe, 29, who was gay, served as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and as a staffer for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). The death of the Kentucky native struck many Capitol Hill staffers and LGBT advocates with grief and prompted fond recollections of his life this week.
Johnson issued a statement expressing sorrow over the loss of her longtime staffer and sympathy for his family and loved ones.
“He was respected by his colleagues for his professionalism; he was beloved by many for his generous spirit and good humor,” Johnson said. “He was a person who enjoyed life and always had a smile to share. He never met a stranger.”
Many friends who worked with him on Capitol Hill and in LGBT advocacy had similar recollections of Crowe’s outgoing personality, which they said enabled him to make fast friends.
Marcus Paulsen, who’s gay and an administrative coordinator for the nonprofit group Community Wealth Ventures, said Crowe had a unique way of making others feel at ease.
“He was always laughing, and it didn’t matter if you told the dumbest joke,” Paulsen said. “He always would find it funny and could find something hysterical about it.”
A Dallas native, Paulsen said Crowe helped him obtain a position as an intern, and later a staffer, in Johnson’s office, where the two worked together for a year-and-a-half.
Paulsen recalled a time in December 2009 when he and Crowe participated in a retreat for staffers in Johnson’s office in Texas. Identifying the experience as one of his fondest memories of Crowe, Paulsen said people he knew from his home state easily made friends with Crowe.
“For me, it was kind of two worlds coming together: my D.C. life and my Texas life,” Paulsen said. “I wasn’t really sure how people would react to some of my D.C. friends and Chris, but he just had this way of becoming really close with people and everybody just absolutely adored him.”
Jason Mida, the Victory Fund’s vice president of development, knew Crowe from his days as an intern at the organization in 2005 and said Crowe had a unique way of drawing others to him.
“It didn’t matter who you were, it didn’t matter what your political affiliation was,” said Mida, who’s gay. “People were drawn to Chris. He was a ball of life and people wanted to be around him because you just felt better. You felt better about yourself; you felt better about things in general when he was around.”
Scott Simpson, press secretary of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, knew Crowe from working together on the LGBT Congressional Staff Association and said he admired the confidence that gave Crowe the ability to speak with anyone.
“He had an ease about dealing with any range of people,” Simpson said. “Chris wouldn’t think twice about calling up the highest-level person in an agency or to the lowest-level person.”
Simpson said Crowe’s care for others enabled him to stay engaged with friends even as he struggled with meningitis for several months.
“This was a man who was in the emergency room,” Simpson said. “He was sending e-mails, text messages, asking how things are going, asking if he can help. If you didn’t know that Chris was sick, if you weren’t informed about it, people never knew.”
While always eager to have a good time with others, Crowe was also known among his friends as a passionate worker in both legislative affairs and LGBT advocacy.
Murphy, a communications specialist for the National Minority AIDS Council, recalled that Crowe’s dedication enabled him to rise quickly to become a high-level staffer for Johnson and to get elected as president of LGBT Congressional Staff Association.
“Everything that I heard about him was that he was amazing — not the greatest writer — but he had dyslexia, but he worked through that very well and didn’t let anything hold him back,” Murphy said.
Simpson recalled his days as president of the LGBT Congressional Staff Association before he left Capitol Hill when Crowe served as his deputy. The two worked on recreating the association after it had long been dormant.
Even though their work in recreating the association involved activity on rewriting bylaws and other less-than-exciting tasks, Crowe found ways to make the work enjoyable.
“Chris made people come to these meetings and actually enjoy themselves and actually laugh,” Simpson said. “He understood that in order to commit people to make change, they had to have a good time and that, I believe, was his secret weapon.”
As evidence of Crowe’s jovial personality, Simpson noted that Crowe would only refer to him as “Girl!” during the course of their work together. Simpson joked that he didn’t know if Crowe actually knew his name.
In his days as a Victory Fund intern, Mida said Crowe was dedicated and passionate about LGBT advocacy. He took a personal interest in working to elect Vivian Paige, a lesbian who ran in 2005 for city treasurer in Norfolk, Va.
“I remember how visibly upset he was when Vivian lost that night,” Mida said. “We’d only been there a few days, but he was so invested. I think that across the board —whether it was his work and whether it was relationships with folks — he immediately became invested in folks, and as a result, people were invested in him.”
Among the activities that friends cited as Crowe’s favorite was travel. In his work on foreign affairs issues for Johnson, Crowe would often take opportunities to go abroad as part of his work as a congressional staffer.
Murphy recalled that Crowe traveled to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates as part of his work for Johnson, which Murphy said gave Crowe “a travel bug.”
Among the trips that Murphy took with Crowe was an expedition with him and his mother on a Key West cruise in 2009.
“We were both redheads and so we just kind of looked like brothers, so we just starting telling everybody that we were brothers from that cruise ship on — and I referred to his mom as ‘Mama,’” Murphy said.
Murphy recalled that he and Crowe went to Peru in 2008 and Crowe traveled with other friends to Bangkok and Hong Kong. Before Crowe’s death, Murphy said his friend had asked him to put together another trip together.
But dreams for travel and ambitions for further work on LGBT issues and politics were cut short. Murphy, who was present at the hospital where Crowe died, was the first of his friends to know.
“His mom had called me and was kind of frantic telling me the doctors had come out of the operating room saying they didn’t know if he was going to make it, so I rushed to the hospital,” Murphy said. “By the time I got there, he had passed.”
Murphy said in the operating waiting room he encountered Crowe’s mother, who was crying and at first unable to speak, but then said, “We lost him.” Murphy said the news was devastating, but he took on the responsibility of sending e-mails to Crowe’s friends and fellow Hill staffers to inform them.
Paulsen was one of the recipients of the e-mails and, in a state of shock, said he immediately left work upon hearing the news.
“I walked all the way over to Chris’ apartment to be with his roommate and family,” Paulsen said. “At first I couldn’t process it, but it was just very sad.”
Another e-mail recipient, Simpson said Crowe’s death came as a surprise because those who knew him thought he could just “smile through” his disease to become healthy.
“It didn’t seem real,” Simpson said. “I knew that Chris was sick, but it was never always clear that it would be this bad.”
Simpson observed that deaths at a young age are relatively uncommon in the younger generation of gay men — unlike what older gay men faced during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early ’90s.
“We’re not used to death,” Simpson said. “He was the first of my peers to pass on. If you talk to gay men who are in their 40s and 50s, they had peers pass away all the time. That was one of those moments that I started to understand that this was just a hint of what gay men who were around in the ’80s were going through.”
Still, the memory of Crowe and his sparkling personality remain an inspiration for those who knew him.
Paulsen said he would always remember Crowe’s ability to find greater potential in others.
“He found some talents in me when we worked together and he made sure to always bring those up to the congresswoman or the chief of staff,” Paulsen said. “I think that’s what I’ll take from him — to try to make sure I see these things that might not be visible to everybody else and make sure that they’re aware of some of their talents.”
Murphy, who said he’s often a wallflower in social situations or nervous around guys he likes, expressed admiration for what he said was Crowe’s ability to embrace every situation head on and would try to emulate that approach to life.
“I think that’s something we and all of his friends really appreciated and his family, too,” Murphy said. “It’s something we’ll all probably try to live up to.”
For Simpson, Crowe’s memory inspires him to be proud of who he is and helps him stay grounded.
“Chris was aware of who he was and he fucking loved it, and played it up,” Simpson said. “Chris just knew that you have to be OK with who you are, but you have to be not just OK with it, but you have to own it and love it.”
A memorial service for Crowe is set to take place on Thursday at 12 pm in Room LJ-119 in the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and the LGBT Congressional Staff Association are hosting the event. House chaplain Rev. Daniel Coughlin is set to officiate over the service.
Chicago has another openly gay alderman
Wed, Apr 6th 2011, 09:04Congrats to Alderman-elect James Cappleman. From the Victory Fund:
James Cappleman has won a runoff election Tuesday to represent the 46th Ward on the Chicago City Council. Cappleman will become Chicago’s second openly gay alderman on a city council of 50 members.
“This victory is about the future of Chicago and the future of the 46th Ward and all who live here. We set out to change our community, and I’m so grateful that the Victory Fund stood with us and helped us do that. Never believe that you can’t change politics as usual. You can, and we have,” said Cappleman, who celebrated his win Tuesday night.
Openly-gay candidate James Cappleman wins Chicago's 46th ward
Wed, Apr 6th 2011, 08:57Cappleman will become the second openly-gay alderman for the City of Chicago, joining the 44th ward's Tom Tunney.
Cappleman received the endorsement of 48th ward Alderman Mary Ann Smith, the LGBT advocacy organizations Equality Illinois and Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and a number of high-profile Democrats including Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, State Senator Heather Steans and State Rep. Deb Mell.
Cohen's campaign victories
Tue, Mar 29th 2011, 12:26Sherrie Cohen just hit the trifecta of elections. The community organizer and LGBT candidate for City Council-at-Large just learned that she is one of only two Pennsylvania candidates who has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund; the other is Bruce Kraus, who is running for reelection to Pittsburgh City Council. Not only has Victory Fund endorsed Cohen’s candidacy, she is one of its “focus” candidates.
So if, like me, at first you didn’t believe that Cohen’s chances were good, it might be time to sit up and take note of her campaign, since it is about as hot as a campaign can get.
The Victory Fund is a national LGBT organization that works with out candidates to get them elected. Endorsement brings both funds and organizational support along with it. It is also a seal that says, “We believe this person is in a good place to win.”
As the Victory Fund itself stated, “Sherrie Cohen was endorsed by the Victory Fund Saturday at a meeting of our Victory Campaign Board. She’s among our “Focus Candidates” ... as with all of the Victory Fund’s endorsements, the board’s decision to endorse means Cohen meets our endorsement criteria, among which is a requirement that the candidate must be deemed viable in the race.”
And the Victory Fund knows what it is doing: After all, this year the Victory Fund is celebrating 20 years of helping to elect openly LGBT candidates to public office. Since its founding, the number of out elected officials serving in the United States has gone from 49 to more than 400.
As to that trifecta. Cohen filed more signatures than any other citywide candidate from both parties for an at-large seat — and it’s a big field of more than 60 candidates in both Democrat and Republican parties. In the first financial filing of the campaign season, her campaign had raised more funds than any other candidate for an at-large seat. And, finally, she drew a top ballot spot. This campaign is really on a roll.
But let’s save the final word for the Victory Fund.
“It’s important to have authentic LGBT voices in government. People like Sherrie, who have the courage to step up and run for office while being open and honest about themselves, are making sure our community has a place at the table.”
Political Scene: Raises, longevity bonuses for some at State House
Mon, Mar 28th 2011, 08:47Cicilline key speaker at gay fundraisers
U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline has raised his profile in the gay community of late.
Cicilline was the keynote speaker at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s National Champagne Brunch in Washington, D.C., on March 20.
About 1,200 people attended the brunch, which was held at the Hilton Washington to celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary, according to the Advocate, a national gay and lesbian newsmagazine.
Earlier this month, members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in the D.C. metro area threw the former Providence mayor a fundraiser at the city’s W Hotel.
Cicilline will also be a featured speaker in Houston on April 17 for another Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund event, to be held at The Corinthian in the city’s downtown.
He’ll be joined by Houston Mayor Annise Parker and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for that event.
Cicilline was Providence’s first openly gay mayor and, now, he’s Rhode Island’s first openly gay congressman.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is a Washington, D.C.-based group that provides financial and campaign support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates at all levels of government.
Dufty continues to retool mayoral campaign
Thu, Mar 24th 2011, 09:05Shortly thereafter Dufty announced he was abandoning his self-imposed restriction to limit donations at $200 from only people who live and work in San Francisco. That led to his gaining the endorsement last weekend of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, as the Bay Area Reporter reported on its website Saturday.
"Bevan is obviously highly qualified to lead San Francisco, and his passion for the city is well-known. He's focused on one goal – improving the lives of all San Franciscans through government that works," stated Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, in officially announcing the endorsement this week. "Bevan's commitment to city neighborhoods is legendary, and as a parent he's focused on making sure San Francisco's future is even brighter than its illustrious past."
Pushing to see Dufty receive the endorsement were a trio of lesbian friends: former San Francisco Supervisor Leslie Katz, who sits on the Victory campaign board, and Joyce Newstat and Laura Spanjian, who helped organize the fund's 2009 annual meeting in San Francisco. Newstat also sits on the fund's Leadership Institute board of directors.
Dufty, who attended the national group's training for candidates last month in Las Vegas, was in Washington, D.C. last weekend to attend the fund's 20th anniversary brunch and met with its executive committee about being endorsed. He is hoping it will give him the same boost in attracting financial support nationally as Annise Parker saw when she first ran for mayor of Houston two years ago, becoming that city's first lesbian mayor.
"The Victory Fund played a very important role of raising national visibility about her campaign and providing ongoing counsel and support," said Dufty. "I called the Victory Fund endorsement a tough love endorsement because they carefully assess a candidate's viability. They were direct with me that I had made some decisions about my campaign that were making good statements but the best statement I could make was to win this election."
SAN FRANCISCO: Victory Fund Endorses Supervisor Bevan Dufty For Mayor
Wed, Mar 23rd 2011, 17:23Openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty has picked up the endorsement of the Victory Fund in his bid to become mayor. That's a critical development for Dufty, who faces a mayoral field cluttered with almost two dozen declared candidates. SF Weekly reports:
The Victory Fund's endorsement signals a huge shift for Dufty's campaign, political consultants said. The group is known for its fund-raising prowess and it has a strong national donor network that helped Annise Parker get elected as the first openly gay mayor in Houston, Texas. And if it can help Houston elect a gay mayor, than San Francisco should be a no-brainer. "He can raise significant money from that community," said Jim Ross, a local campaign consultant. "This is really good." Ross pointed out that Dufty remains one of the most popular politicians, and comes from the largest voting district, which puts him in a strong position. More importantly, he can now access money from LGBT communities across the nation, which will help him make a comeback in this race.
San Francisco's mayor will be chosen by a ranked-choice method: "Under ranked-choice voting, voters list their first, second and third choices. If no candidate wins more than half the vote, last-place candidates are eliminated and second- and third-place votes from those ballots are redistributed until someone wins a majority." Confusing!
Victory Fund: Dufty for SF Mayor
Wed, Mar 23rd 2011, 16:25Bevan Dufty's mayoral aspirations were recently in trouble, but an endorsement from the Victory Fund may help the former city supervisor became San Francisco's first openly gay mayor.
The Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBT candidates to higher office and helped lesbian Annise Parker became mayor of Houston, recently announced their endorsement of Dufty for mayor. Edwin Lee is San Francisco's current mayor, but Lee is serving out the term of Gavin Newsom, elected last year as California's lieutenant governor. A mayoral election will take place in November — Lee will not be one of the people running.
The San Francisco Weekly reports that the Victory Fund endorsement will help Dufty increase donors to his campaign. "Dufty remains one of the most popular politicians, and comes from the largest voting district, which puts him in a strong position," reports the Weekly. "More importantly, he can now access money from LGBT communities across the nation, which will help him make a comeback in this race."
Bevan Dufty: Is He Making a Comeback in the Mayor's Race?
Wed, Mar 23rd 2011, 15:31In his effort to reboot his collapsing campaign, which he is now calling Dufty 2.0., the former supervisor zeroed-in on just the right target.
Yesterday, he picked up the endorsement of the Victory Fund, a national gay and lesbian organization that helped get the first openly gay mayor elected in Houston, Texas.
What this really means for Dufty is that he just might be back in the race -- financially speaking.
It was Dufty's self-imposed campaign cap -- which restricted him to $200 per donor -- that was setting him back, despite the fact that he had been collecting cash for more than two years.
The most recent campaign finance statements show that Dufty had raised only $108,305, as of December, although he said last month he had $225,000 in the bank. Still, that's weak compared to a less recognizable name like Joana Rees, who has managed to rake in more than $150,000 in the four months of her candidacy.
The Victory Fund's endorsement signals a huge shift for Dufty's campaign, political consultants said. The group is known for its fund-raising prowess and it has a strong national donor network that helped Annise Parker get elected as the first openly gay mayor in Houston, Texas.
And if it can help Houston elect a gay mayor, than San Francisco should be a no-brainer.
Cicilline Brunches With Victory Fund
Mon, Mar 21st 2011, 15:26As a freshman member of the Rhode Island legislature in the mid 1990s, David Cicilline, now the fourth openly gay member of Congress, was given advice by colleagues about how to deal with virulently antigay forces who would spew their rhetoric for hours at committee meetings: "Let the crazies be crazy."
"But I was determined — and every nutty, unproven, mean-spirited, homophobic statement they made, I challenged," Cicilline told a crowd of about 1,200 people at the Washington Hilton Sunday. "The committee meeting dragged on for six hours, but no one left believing their arguments had an ounce of legitimacy. And for those watching and particularly for young LGBT kids, it made a difference."
Praised by event organizers for upping the percentage of openly gay congressional representatives by 33% (he joins Jared Polis of Colorado, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts), Cicilline was the keynote speaker at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's National Champagne Brunch in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the group's 20th anniversary.
Cicilline, a cosponsor of House legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act introduced last week, called the Obama administration's February decision to no longer defend DOMA in court "a shining example of refusing to use the power of the presidency to sustain blatant discrimination against our community" and urged Congress to repeal the "horribly discriminatory law" it passed in 1996 (the Republican House leadership's position on defending DOMA in multiple lawsuits makes that a highly unlikely prospect in this term, though a Senate version of the bill introduced last week by California senator Dianne Feinstein was hailed by advocates as a breakthrough step forward).
"There's just so much more work ahead. Passing a fully inclusive ENDA is a top priority," Cicilline said, referring to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. "We need to wipe our laws clean of DOMA and treat all married couples equally. And we must gain the American right to sponsor our same-gender partners for immigration."
Speakers at the event included Victory Fund cofounders Vic Basile and Terry Bean; president and CEO Chuck Wolfe; Oregon secretary of state Kate Brown; Sherry Harris, the group's first endorsee, who won a Seattle city council race in 1991; and Chris Armstrong, the University of Michigan's gay student assembly president who rose to national prominence after the state's assistant attorney general attacked him for promoting a "radical homosexual agenda."
Out Vote
Mon, Mar 21st 2011, 15:20Since 1991 the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has propelled thousands of out LGBT candidates to electoral firsts at all levels of government. Based in Washington, D.C., the group provides financial and campaign support to candidates with the conviction that increasing the number of out elected officials improves the political climate for equality. “The Victory Fund gave me early support and mentoring that were crucial in my first run for state assembly and then for Congress,” says U.S. representative Tammy Baldwin. On the occasion of the group’s 20th anniversary, Baldwin and several other recipients of Victory Fund support spoke of their experiences in office and gave advice to aspiring candidates.
Tammy Baldwin
U.S. representative from Wisconsin
First political office held: Van Hise Middle School student council. “Our small group of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders took on problems that many people either ignored or thought they just couldn’t change. I learned that the actions of a small group of people could make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.”
Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “I honestly believe that the vast majority of voters care much more about my positions on the issues that affect their lives than my sexual orientation. When I meet with constituents, I talk about our shared values: ensuring health care for all, creating jobs and growing a sustainable economy, protecting our environment, and supporting quality public education, among other things. I believe that my commitment to these causes is what my constituents care most about.”
David Cicilline
U.S. representative from Rhode Island
First political office held: Narragansett High School class president.
Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “Be honest about who you are, recognize your talents, and fight hard to win. America needs you.”
Bonnie Dumanis
San Diego County district attorney
First political office held: “The first leadership position I ever held was in high school when I was president of the United Synagogue Youth, an international group that brings Jewish teenagers closer to Judaism and Israel through learning and social interaction.”
Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “My advice to LGBT candidates is to be yourself, be authentic and hold your head up high.”
Annise Parker
Mayor of Houston
First political office held: Founding member of the first LGBT support group at Rice University in 1979.
Advice for up-and-coming LGBT candidates: “A favorite quote by Andre Gide: ‘It is better to be hated for what one is than loved for what one is not.”
20 years of ‘Victory’
Mon, Mar 21st 2011, 11:48Sometimes being conspicuous is a good thing.
It was for Sherry Harris, an electrical engineer in Seattle who holds the record for being the first candidate ever endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that works to help LGBT candidates get elected to public office at all levels of government.
The group, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend with a Sunday brunch at the Hilton in Washington (go to victoryfund.org for details), helped Harris win a four-year term on Seattle City Council.
Harris, who’ll be in town this weekend to speak at the brunch, remembers that her involvement with the then-new fund in 1991, started innocuously.
She was in D.C. to meet with former U.S. Rep. Jolene Unsoeld (D-Wash.) and heard about the Fund through friends.
“Someone just told us about it, I’m not sure who,” Harris says. “But we went over to their offices. … They were going to be having an event while I was there and said, ‘Why don’t you come to this event?,’ and referred me to that. I was happy to hear about the organization but I wasn’t expecting anything.”
Harris was asked to speak that night and found herself with support. She says a “process” the Fund put her through — which it does to this day to vet candidates – was “more of a formality” in those early years.
On a mailing list sent to Fund supporters, Harris says her status as a black lesbian helped her stand out.
“I seemed to draw a lot of money,” she says. “I did very well. Back then there were almost no black women running. I think I stood out because I was so unusual.”
Though Harris served only one term — she lost her bid for a second — she is essential to the Victory Fund story. It, too, began somewhat innocuously.
Two gay political activists — Vic Basile and Terry Bean — had noticed that a group called Emily’s List had, since 1985, done wonders at helping female candidates campaign competitively against better-funded male opponents by establishing a network of donors who agreed to contribute at least $100 to two or more List-endorsed candidates. Basile and Bean wondered if the model could be adapted to help more gays and lesbians get into office. After researching the idea, they came to feel such an entity was desperately needed.
“I believe it helps change people’s opinions about members of our community and lets everybody else know there isn’t a special agenda, they have the same agenda,” says Chuck Wolfe, Victory Fund president. “They’re there working on what their constituents need. Their transportation needs, from fixing potholes to building a new highway connector. They’re there doing what everybody else is doing and the idea that they’re there and simply changing the fabric of leadership in their community has a huge advantage for us. It pays dividends in so many ways but more importantly, it lets everybody see that there’s no reason to be exclusionary in hiring practices, in the business sense. It has ramifications across sectors.”
The organization has grown enormously in the last two decades. Initially, the only employee was the first director, William Waybourn, a former Blade co-owner. About $30,000 was directed to candidates that first year. In recent years, more than $1 million has been given each year. The Fund now employees 21 full-time staff members and has endorsed 952 LGBT candidates over 20 years that has resulted in 637 wins. Last year was the organization’s most successful with 107 races won out of 167 endorsed.
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), now in her seventh term in the House, credits the Fund for helping her achieve her goals.
“The Victory Fund’s early support and mentoring not only helped me get elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, but gave me the encouragement, skills and crucial financial backing to run for a seat in Congress,” Baldwin wrote in an e-mail. “By propelling openly LGBT candidates into office, the Victory Fund continues to change the face of American politics for the better.”
State Sen. Matt McCoy (D-Iowa) said in an e-mail that his years in office, aided by the Fund, have helped achieve pro-gay strides there.
“Iowa is well positioned on equality issues having adopted the non-discrimination act and applied this to [LGBT] citizens,” McCly wrote. “Iowa has also adopted anti-bullying legislation that bans school and cyber bullying based upon real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. I have had the privilege to serve while these progressive decisions were adopted and signed into law. I believe that having a visible, out gay state senator has positively impacted the public debate and ensured positive results.”
Harris, who enjoyed her time in politics but is now content in the private sector, agrees.
“It’s very important that we be open and show our presence in this country where there’s still discrimination and prejudice to this day,” she says. “It is very important for gay and lesbian candidates to run and to have people in these rooms speaking on our behalf. … It makes a profound difference when we have a seat at the table.”
U.S. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) first became a Victory Fund candidate in the early ‘00s when he ran successfully for mayor of Providence, R.I.
“They’ve done a spectacular job over the last 20 years to ensure members of our community are elected to office,” he says. “I’m a firm believer that one of the most powerful and effective ways we move forward is by having members of our community serving in elected office. There’s no question the Victory Fund has done it very successfully.”
Gay candidates sometimes seek help from the Fund; other times the Fund contacts them. Many candidates go through a four-day training program that’s held four times a year. Between 150 and 200 are trained each year.
Candidates are evaluated for their “viability” as opposed to “winability,” Wolfe says. He says the Fund looks for “reasonable investments” and potential leaders who’ll be “solid” once they’re in office.
Fund staff occasionally help closeted officials to come out in a planned, strategic way. The Fund made a “case study” video using gay U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) as an example.
A Victory Fund endorsement can mean direct cash, independent expenditures, bundled money, technical assistance, field work or staffing, depending on the needs of the candidate.
Additional anniversary brunches will be held in Houston (April 17), Sacramento, Calif. (Oct. 23) and New York (Sept. 18). A San Diego brunch was held in February. The Fund is based in Washington.
EXCLUSIVE: Md. lawmaker comes out
Wed, Mar 9th 2011, 16:38The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund also praised Murphy’s announcement.
“It’s still a courageous thing for public officials who are gay or lesbian to serve openly and honestly, so we applaud Delegate Murphy’s decision,” said Denis Dison, Victory Fund’s vice president of communications. “As we’ve seen during the current debate over marriage, out lawmakers can have a tremendous impact on both their colleagues and their constituents, and the Maryland LGBT Caucus has certainly been at the center of this fight.
“With eight openly gay and lesbian members of the legislature, Maryland now has the largest LGBT caucus of state legislators in the country.”
Murphy has been a member of the House of Delegates since 2007. He was born in Washington, D.C., and attended American University and George Washington University.
Gay legislators having impact in marriage debates
Mon, Mar 7th 2011, 09:00According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which recruits and supports gay political candidates, the number of openly gay and lesbian legislators nationwide has increased from 44 in 2003, when it started counting, to 85.
Chuck Wolfe, the fund's president, said gay legislators were having an impact even in relatively conservative states where gay marriage has no short-term prospect of winning approval. He cited the example of Arkansas Rep. Kathy Webb, whose heartfelt arguments played a role in the rejection of a bill to bar gays from adopting or foster-parenting.
Gay lawmakers "are people, as opposed to issues," Wolfe said. "The impact of having one of your colleagues directly affected by the legislation on the table is very powerful."
Bevan Dufty scraps self-imposed campaign cap
Wed, Mar 2nd 2011, 08:41The move also allows Dufty, the only openly gay candidate in the race, to accept contributions from supporters across the country. He is seeking the backing of the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
"The reality is he had friends in a lot of places that wanted to contribute ... that wanted to elect a gay candidate," said Dufty's new campaign manager, Michael Terris. "It made a lot more sense to welcome everybody into the fold then tell them they couldn't help."
For First Time, White House Picks a Man to be Social Secretary
Fri, Feb 25th 2011, 17:08Mr. Bernard has a long history working in the gay rights community. He has served on the board of A.N.G.L.E (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. He also worked on LGBT advisory committees of the Los Angelese County Sheriff, Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles mayor’s office.
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2011/02/25/white-house-picks-a-man-for-social-secretary/?mod=google_news_blogWhite House Taps Gay Man, Jeremy Bernard, for New Social Secretary
Fri, Feb 25th 2011, 15:54"He previously served as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee."
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/25/white-house-taps-first-openly-gay-man-as-new-social-secretary/The White House Gets Its First Male Social Secretary
Fri, Feb 25th 2011, 15:49A San Antonio, Tex., native, Bernard previously served as the White
House liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities and a finance
consultant for Obama's presidential campaign.
Bernard also will be the first openly gay White House social secretary,
having been a board member of of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay &
Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, as
well as several LGBT advisory committees to Los Angeles government.
Obama Appoints Openly Gay Man as White House Social Secretary
Fri, Feb 25th 2011, 15:42Bernard has also been active in gay rights causes, serving as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee, and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/obama-appoints-openly-gay-man-as-white-house-social-secretary-20110225Jeremy Bernard, former board member of gay Victory Fund, is new White House Social Secretary
Fri, Feb 25th 2011, 14:48The White House today announced Jeremy Bernard has been named Special Assistant to the President and Social Secretary. He joins the White House staff from the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where he serves as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador. Prior to this role, he worked as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“Jeremy shares our vision for the White House as the People’s House, one that celebrates our history and culture in dynamic and inclusive ways. We look forward to Jeremy continuing to showcase America’s arts and culture to our nation and the world through the many events at the White House,” the President said.
“I am deeply humbled to join the White House staff as Social Secretary and support President Obama and the First Lady in this role,” said Jeremy Bernard. “I have long admired the arts and education programs that have become hallmarks of the Obama White House and I am eager to continue these efforts in the years ahead.”
“I look forward to working with Jeremy to continue the great work of the Social Office, from fun and educational student workshops to elegant State Dinners that welcome world leaders to the White House. Jeremy’s creativity, perspective and skills will be a welcome addition to our East Wing team, as we showcase the White House and celebrating America’s arts and culture,” said Tina Tchen, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama.
“What stood out in Jeremy’s work at the National Endowment for the Humanities was his humor, good will, and high standard of professionalism,” said National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Bernard currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy of Paris. He served as the White House Liaison to the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2008 to 2010. Previously, Bernard was a California Finance Consultant for the Obama for American campaign. He was a Principal of B&G Associates from 2007 to 2009, Vice-President of Mapleton Investments from 1999 to 2006 and Director of Government Affairs of Falcon Cable TV from 1996 to 2006. Appointed by President Clinton, Bernard served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2009. He previously served as a board member of A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay & Lesbian Equality) and the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He was also a member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's LGBT Advisory Committee, the Los Angeles Police LGBT Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Mayor's LGBT Advisory Committee.
Wash. State Senate Introduces Marriage Bill
Tue, Feb 15th 2011, 09:50Monday's senate bill was introduced by gay state senator Ed Murray of Seattle, reports the Victory Fund's Gay Politics blog.
"Gay and lesbian families in Washington now enjoy the same state spousal rights that their married straight friends enjoy — except for the name ‘marriage,'" Murray said in a release. "The recognition that their loving, lifelong commitment is no different from the loving, lifelong commitment of straight couples is the final step to achieving full equality. I believe the legislature and the public are both ready to take that final step."
I Advocate ... Joel Burns
Wed, Feb 9th 2011, 17:32...The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The Victory Fund and its research and education arm, the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, arguably give you the most bang for your buck of any LGBT organization. Thanks in part to their financial and consulting resources, I became the first openly LGBT elected official in Fort Worth history. This support allowed me to speak up in the aftermath of the 2009 raid on Fort Worth’s Rainbow Lounge, to expand Fort Worth’s nondiscrimination ordinance, and to craft and pass a measure providing domestic-partner benefits for city employees. As a friend of mine, Houston councilwoman Sue Lovell, likes to say, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” The Victory Fund helps LGBT America secure that place at the table. VictoryFund.org
S.F. Plans Gay Walk of Fame
Tue, Feb 8th 2011, 09:35Dufty is running for mayor of San Francisco this year — he says he's raised $125,000 already and is preparing for a Victory Fund campaign training event in Las Vegas later this month.
"I got the biggest present when [state senator] Mark Leno decided not to run for mayor," Dufty says with a laugh. Aside from his LGBT voter base, Dufty is "working on building a base that includes the Westside, Republican voters, and the Chinese and Latino communities, and demonstrating my proven ability to build city services when our budget is challenging."
Out Md. Lawmakers Influence Marriage Debate
Tue, Feb 8th 2011, 09:28The Victory Fund, which endorses out LGBT candidates for elected office, reports on the presence of a record seven out state legislators in Maryland as of this year, and what their advocacy and presence means for the marriage equality bill. One first-time sponsor of the bill, Del. Eric M. Bromwell, credited out lawmakers with influencing his support, according to the Maryland Gazette.
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/02/07/Out_Md_Lawmakers_Influence_Marriage_Debate/Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund formally endorses Parker in Houston, Hightower in Arlington
Tue, Feb 1st 2011, 16:49Houston Mayor Annise Parker and Arlington City Council challenger Chris Hightower were among eight openly LGBT candidates who received formal endorsements from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund today.
Parker was elected to a two-year term in 2009, making Houston the largest U.S. city with an openly LGBT mayor. Hightower is vying to become the first openly gay council member in Arlington’s history.
The Victory Fund has now endorsed 14 candidates in 2011, including three in Texas. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns was the first candidate to receive the group’s backing this year.
From GayPolitics.com:
“We are proud to support Mayor Parker. Her success in Houston is proof of the remarkable talent and leadership LGBT Americans have to offer their communities as public servants,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.
Parker welcomed the Victory Fund’s backing.
“I am grateful for the early and strong support of the Victory Fund. The Victory Fund is more than just a force for LGBT equality – it educates and equips qualified candidates to excel in public service for the benefit of all whom they represent. I will use the Victory Fund’s support to run a campaign that reaches out to every Houstonian and asks each one to join us in protecting and enhancing what is best about the city we share,” said Parker.
East Point’s Rhodes picks up early endorsements
Tue, Feb 1st 2011, 10:38Two-term gay politician Lance Rhodes made it clear nearly a year before voters head to the polls: He wants a third term. Now, he’s collecting early endorsements from LGBT political groups.
On Monday, Rhodes said that he’s picked up nods from Georgia Equality and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund as he steams toward a third term on the East Point City Council as its Ward B representative. Rhodes announced his re-election effort in December, nearly 11 months before the election in the Atlanta suburb.
“In a world defined by difference, our strength depends on our common humanity,” Rhodes said in announcing the endorsements. “During my two terms in office, East Point citizens have demonstrated vision and a steadfast resolve to support equal rights within the LGBT community. We have seen a range of actions from the adoption of Domestic Partner Benefits to the inclusion of the LGBT community in our City Charter. Georgia Equality’s mission to build a fair majority has provided the foundation necessary to realize the dream of the LGBT community to receive equal and fair opportunity. Thank you Georgia Equality and Victory Fund for providing the resources necessary to support East Point in becoming a star for the LGBT community in Georgia. Your continued endorsement is the corner stone of our success.”
Rhodes’ tenure on council has included history-making steps for LGBT equality: Council colleagues made him the first openly gay man to serve as mayor pro tem earlier this year, he helped to successfully lobby the council to expand the city’s nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity in December 2009, and in 2005, he led successful efforts to offer domestic partner benefits to city employees
In September, Rhodes was named a grand marshal of the Atlanta Pride parade.
But this year as tensions heightened between Mayor Earnestine Pittman and the council, Rhodes charged that she abused her power in soliciting contributions through her monthly newsletter paid for by taxpayer funds and filed an ethics complaint.
In October, Rhodes filed a complaint with the East Point Police Department alleging a terroristic threat was made against him after a heated city council meeting.
The full endorsement from the Victory Fund:
Lance Rhodes has been active in his East Point community since first establishing his residency there. He began his service early on by serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition, he served on the Finance and Budget Committees and Pension Board.
During his tenure on the East Point Council, Mr. Rhodes received the high honor of the elected official of the month award from a leading Georgia civil rights organization, Georgia Equality. Mr. Rhodes was the first recipient of this award that has historically been reserved for national and state representatives. In addition to being a member of Georgia Equality, Councilman Rhodes is a member of the Human Rights Campaign and a member of Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
The Victory Fund is proud to endorse Mr. Rhodes a third time for a seat on the East Point City Council.
Life as the "first lad"
Tue, Feb 1st 2011, 10:28The couple started dating soon after they met and around 2006, Polis expressed an interest in running for Congress. Both he and Reis understood that campaigning as an openly gay man would have consequences, especially when it came to messaging. "If he was elected, he didn't want to be known as a gay legislator, as his interests are immigration and education," said Reis.
The two worked with the Victory Fund, a nonprofit that helps LGBT leaders campaign for public office. "They prepared us for the media frenzy that would happen after his coming out. I think after being on the phone with them [Jared] realized it wouldn't be such a big deal," said Reis. Though the couple was ready for the worst, Reis recalled only two negative letters sent to Polis while he was running. Polis beat his opponent, Republican Scott Starin, with a healthy 62 percent of the vote.
Why Obama’s Appointment of ‘Damn Lesbian’ Roberta Achtenberg to the Civil Rights Commission is Important
Tue, Feb 1st 2011, 10:20On Wednesday, Jan. 27, President Obama appointed Achtenberg to the US Commission on Civil Rights with barely a mention from the mainstream press and plaudits from the LGBT media. Achtenberg was one of three LGBT appointments and nominations announced by the White House yesterday. The Victory Fund notes that the Obama administration now has made 159 appointments in the president’s first two years in office, compared to about 140 during Clinton’s two terms in office.
The difference in the reception towards LGBT appointees between 1993 and 2011 is remarkable.
That is not to say that hate groups such as the Family Research Council and Townhall.com columnists such as Alan Sears aren’t still rankled that LGBT people like Chai Feldblum, Obama’s recess appointee to the Equal Opportunity Commission, are elevated to positions of power, arguing that gays will try to impose the “homosexual agenda” on democracy, which Sears sees as a threat to American liberty. But while the culture war rhetoric over abortion rights has seriously ticked up, mainstream antigay hate speech seems to have become more marginalized – even Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain was criticized during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell debate for suggesting that allowing open service by gays would cause military deaths.
But in 1993, even the idea of Boxer and Achtenberg together was anathema to the coddled hyper-antigay late North Carolina Republican Sen. Jesse Helms. During her 1992 senate campaign, Boxer, who is 4-foot-11 inches tall, would joke about standing up to the 6 foot tall Helms. And asked by The Washington Times why he wouldn’t vote for Achtenberg, Helms snapped, “Because she’s a damn lesbian.” Later Helms added that she was “a militant, activist, mean lesbian.”
Helms and fellow Republican Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott organized a campaign of hate against Achtenberg – not just
Sen. Jesse Helms Photo from Wikipedia
her confirmation – but Achtenberg as a person, dragging her then-partner Judge Mary Morgan and their child into the public fight. Interestingly, Republican Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas expressed concern that Helms’ rhetoric would paint the GOP as the party of intolerance – though Dole, even then the presumptive GOP presidential nominee in 1996, made no effort to temper other harbingers of hate such as California Reps. Bill Dannemeyer and Bob Dornan who joined the chorus of religious hate mongers such as Rev. Jerry Falwell in saying AIDS was God’s “punishment” for homosexuality.
For two days, Achtenberg endured ugly debate in the media and on the Senate floor. Her confirmation was considered a test: though mostly closeted gays virtually ran the Capitol behind the scenes and Clinton elevated gay visibility during an excruciatingly dark and deadly time, many LGBTs questioned whether they would want to put themselves through that process just as the still relatively new national Victory Fund was encouraging LGBTs to run as political candidates.
“I am not going to put a lesbian into a position like that,” Helms said. Other conservatives attacked Achtenberg for her work as San Francisco Supervisor in denying funding to the United Way because they supported the explicitly antigay Boy Scouts. “We’re not talking about some youth gang, the Bloods and the Crips,” Dole said. “We’re talking about the Boy Scouts!”
“Ms. Achtenberg is worse than intolerant,” said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. “By using her position to attack the Boy Scouts, she brought the power of government to bear against a private association because that private association does not mirror her beliefs about what is good and true and just.”
Sen. Barbara Boxer Photo by Karen Ocamb
Boxer was almost beside herself: “It’s not about qualifications, it’s about a private life style,” Boxer said. “I say
America is better than that.”
”Call it gay-bashing if you want to. I don’t call it that. I call it standing up for America’s traditional family values,” an emotional Helms said on the Senate floor.
”We are crossing the threshold into the first time in the history of America that a homosexual or a lesbian has been nominated by a president of the United States to a top job in the U.S. government.”
On May 24, 1993, the Senate approved Achtenberg’s confirmation on a 58-31 vote, with five Southern Democrats joining the 26 Republicans. However, 13 Republicans joined the 45 Democrats in voting yes. One of those Democrats was Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sam Nunn of Georgia, the man most responsible for scuttling Clinton’s effort to lift the ban on gays serving openly in the military and the subsequent “compromise” of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell was seen whispering to Nunn before the vote.
“Roberta Achtenberg has broken down a wall and made it possible for future nominees to be judged on the merits” instead of prejudice, Gregory King, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign Fund, told the Los Angeles Times. HRCF and the gay community contributed at least $3 million to Clinton’s election campaign, which Helms claimed was extortion for the nomination.
“No doubt we should show tolerance and respect for those among us who are gay,” said Dole, who voted against Achtenberg. “But showing tolerance and respect should not force us to embrace an ideological agenda most Americans do not accept.”
“The real issue,” California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein told the LA Times, is whether “the United States Senate should vote down a nomination without regard to a candidate’s overwhelming qualifications simply because she is gay.”
Two months later, Boxer told National Women’s Political Caucus that the confirmation experience was “as ugly as it gets on the floor of the United States Senate. . . . You could feel the politics of hate and fear and divisiveness.” Boxer wagged her finger, imitating Helms who warned, “this vote will be remembered.” Boxer said, “It will be remembered, because we stood up. We stood up–and we won!”
Achtenberg served for two years before leaving for an unsuccessful run for San Francisco mayor. While at HUD, she made some improvements for LGBTs but she was ultimately unable to end housing discrimination against LGBTs.
“The major goal of the Fair Housing Enforcement Effort at HUD was to re-invigorate a bureaucracy that had been so depleted and demoralized because of 20 years of a lack of civil rights enforcement of any kind. My job was a very different job,” she told the San Francisco Weekly in 2009. Additionally, the George W. Bush Administration “willfully” did a lot of damage to the HUD’s civil rights enforcement. “They essentially eviscerated the fair housing enforcement division. As people retired they didn’t fill jobs. They froze appropriations at the 1990 levels — and didn’t even ask Congress for increased amounts of money despite increased prevalence of racial and ethnic-based housing discrimination. They didn’t pursue one fair-lending case related to the subprime mortage debaucle.”
But “times have changed,” she said. “I do think the Obama administration might indeed be amenable to issuing an executive order to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in federally financed housing.”
Last Thursday, Jan. 20, HUD proposed new regulations that finally prohibit LGBT discrimination in housing. Additionally, HUD is conducting the first-ever national study of discrimination against LGBTs in the rental and sale of housing.
“This is a fundamental issue of fairness,” HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a press release. “We have a responsibility to make certain that public programs are open to all Americans. With this proposed rule, we will make clear that a person’s eligibility for federal housing programs is, and should be, based on their need and not on their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The Victory Fund’s Gay Politics blog reports that the Civil Rights Commission is an 8-member, independent federal body “that investigates, reports on and makes recommendations concerning civil rights issues. Achtenberg, who was an early advisor to the LGBT community’s ongoing Presidential Appointments Project, is believed to be the first openly LGBT commissioner appointed to the panel. She also currently serves on the board of trustees for the California State University.”
Achtenberg’s appointment is significant for several reasons, not the least of which because she is once again an LGBT “first” on the Civil Rights Commission. She is a person who knows first hand what antigay hatred feels like, regardless of one’s station in life. Surely she will handle this appointment as more than an intellectual exercise.
Achtenberg’s appointment also shows the clear, unrelenting through-line in antigay political attitudes – some of the same rhetoric is being used today, against the backdrop of a change in public opinion about LGBT equality.
But perhaps most importantly, Achtenberg and this appointment profoundly illustrate that it does get better – that merit can triumph over ignorant bias. And, for those of us too afraid to leave a hard-won job to pursue a dream – only to fade from public view if the dream doesn’t come true – Achtenberg’s return to the federal stage goes to show that significant second acts are possible in a lifetime of service.
A week before the Super Bowl, gay candidate kicks off City Council bid in host city Arlington
Thu, Jan 27th 2011, 14:40A week before Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, openly gay Realtor Chris Hightower is set to kick off his campaign for the District 5 seat on the City Council.
According to the Washington, D.C.-based Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which has endorsed Hightower, he would be the first openly gay city councilmember in Arlington’s history.
Hightower is an Arlington native who is the son of former Democratic State Rep. Paula Pierson. He lives with his partner in the historic “azalea house” at Park Row and Davis, according to his campaign website:
“I am running for City Council because I love Arlington,” Hightower writes. “From the classrooms of my childhood to the elected offices of today, I have witnessed firsthand what good can come from the hard work of those who care about our hometown. They have made this city into the place that I love. Now, it is time for my generation to step forward and provide leadership for our city’s future just as the generations before us have. It is my hope that children living in Arlington today choose to stay here and raise their families — not because they see the great things I saw in our city while I was growing up, but because they saw something even better.”
Hightower is trying to unseat District 5 incumbent Lana Wolff, who is seeking a fifth term on the council. Other candidates expected to run in District 5 include attorney Terry Meza and UTA student Christopher McCain.
According to his Facebook page, Hightower will host a kickoff party at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 29 at 2316 Woodsong Trail in Arlington.
He becomes the second candidate from Texas endorsed by the Victory Fund this year, joining Fort Worth Councilman Joel Burns, who’s seeking re-election to his District 9 seat.
The other known openly gay candidate in North Texas is James Nowlin, who plans to run for the District 14 seat on the Dallas City Council if incumbent Angela Hunt steps down to run for mayor.
Whites, men dominate new Ohio governor's Cabinet
Fri, Jan 21st 2011, 11:43Denis Dison, vice president of the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which promotes diversity of sexual orientation in public office, said the issue is not tokenism.
"You often hear, 'I'm going to search for the most qualified candidates.' If your contention is that the best qualified people were all white and mostly male, then you haven't looked too hard," he said. "Picking the friends-of-friends, the contemporaries from schools, is dangerous because you create this sort of cadre of yes-men in an echo chamber, people who have only had one set of experiences."
Nichols strongly disagreed with Dison, noting that Kasich has made history with some of his choices, including women who are his chief of staff and running mate, as well as the appointment of the state's first female adjutant general to oversee the Ohio National Guard. The chairman of Kasich's inaugural is also gay.
"I reject the question," Nichols said. "We have a lot of women in the cabinet and the show over here, in terms of our chief of staff. No echo chamber here."
So How Anti-Gay IS the GOP These Days? :: Reading the Tea Leaves
Thu, Jan 13th 2011, 09:04Homophobia is still more permissible in politics than anti-Semitism or racismn, however, at least according to Denis Dison, vice president of external affairs at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
"You don’t see Fox News or CNN inviting white supremacists on the air to provide regular political commentary, but they often invite the leaders of viciously anti-LGBT groups like the Family Research Council to talk about employment non-discrimination, marriage, the military ban, etc," Dison said. "Frank Rich wrote a column in which he said homophobia was still at most a misdemeanor in Washington. I think that’s right."
The article Dison referred to criticized the Smithsonian’s decision to pull a segment of David Wojnarowicz’s "A Fire in My Belly" from an exhibit at The National Portrait Gallery.
The film, an expression of Wojnarowicz’s grief and fury over the death of his former lover and mentor from AIDS, received little attention until William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, an organization many consider a one-man band.
Congress gets 4th openly gay member
Wed, Jan 12th 2011, 09:13Cicilline earned the endorsement of many national LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
“This is an historic day for LGBT Americans, and another step toward a government that truly reflects our country’s diversity,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.
Congress gets 4th openly gay member
Wed, Jan 5th 2011, 15:07Cicilline earned the endorsement of many national LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
“This is an historic day for LGBT Americans, and another step toward a government that truly reflects our country’s diversity,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/01/05/congress-gets-4th-openly-gay-member/Atkins, Gleason head Victory Fund
Mon, Jan 3rd 2011, 15:35Two San Diegans were recently elected to the board of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, one of the nation’s largest political action committees.
Susan Atkins is the new chair of the organization and Robert Gleason was elected vice-chair.
“I am honored to lead the Victory Fund as it celebrates its 20th anniversary and enters its third decade working to grow the number of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elected officials in government,” said Atkins, who has worked from more than 20 year in communications management in life sciences and technology. She is the first woman to chair the Victory Fund board since it restructured in 2006.
Gleason is currently the chief financial officer and general counsel of Evans Hotels, which owns and operates commercial properties and resorts, including The Lodge at Torrey Pines as well as the Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Resort Hotel.
For more information on the Victory Fund visit www.victoryfund.org.
The political context of the next gay rights fight and Mayor Sam Adams
Mon, Dec 20th 2010, 17:35In 2008, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund helped get Adams elected mayor. His campaign reported receiving $29,400 in cash and in-kind contributions from the fund, which accounted for about 8 percent of Adams’ contributions that year. That race made Adams the first openly gay leader of a major U.S. city.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2010/12/the_political_context_of_the_n.htmlVictory Fund Supports Fort Worth's Burns
Fri, Dec 10th 2010, 18:04The Victory Fund has made its first endorsement for 2011 — getting
behind the reelection effort of Joel Burns, the gay Fort Worth city
councilman who in October made an impassioned speech in council chambers
on LGBT youth suicides.
Burns's speech has been watched 2.5
million times, and the Victory Fund — which works to elect LGBT
candidates to political office — says he has become a role model because
of it. The councilman is running for reelection next year to represent
the Texas city's District 9.
"Joel represents what the Victory
Fund is all about — making sure LGBT voices are represented in
government, and making sure we are heard," Chuck Wolfe, president and
CEO of the Victory Fund, said in a press release.
Daily Business Report — Dec. 10, 2010
Fri, Dec 10th 2010, 17:08San Diegans Susan Atkins and Robert Gleason have been elected to leadership positions in the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, an organization that works to increase the number of openly LGBT elected officials in the country. Atkins was elected chair and Gleason vice chair. Atkins, a member of the Victory Fund board since 2004, has 20 years of communications management experience in life sciences and technology. In 1999, she founded one of the most successful agencies in the United States providing investor and public relations exclusively to life science companies and organizations, and sold the firm to Porter Novelli in 2005. Atkins becomes the first woman to chair the Victory Fund board since it restructured in 2006. Gleason is the chief financial officer and general counsel of Evans Hotels, which owns and operates commercial properties and resorts, including The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla as well as the Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Resort Hotel, both on Mission Bay. The Victory Fund board also elected Steve Elmendorf of Washington, D.C., as secretary, and Harvey Hurdle of Philadelphia as treasurer. Frank Selvaggi of New York, N.Y., was also elected to serve on the Victory Fund board.
http://sandiegometro.com/2010/12/daily-business-report-%E2%80%94-dec-10-2010/Your daily dose of Joel Burns
Fri, Dec 10th 2010, 13:58Ever since his “It Gets Better” speech, it seems not a day (or even an hour) goes by that we don’t hear something new about openly gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns. Today’s news comes from GayPolitics.com, which reports that Burns is the Victory Fund’s first endorsed candidate for 2011.
His powerful October speech about the suicides of young gay people, delivered in the chambers of the Fort Worth City Council, has been viewed nearly 2.5 million times on YouTube, prompting media outlets from across the country (and the world) to seek interviews to discuss the issue of anti-LGBT bullying.
Councilman Joel Burns has become a hero to LGBT youth who so desperately need role models — people who are successful and respected, but who are also open and honest about being gay.
Now Burns is also the first 2011 candidate to earn the Victory Fund’s endorsement. He’s running for re-election to represent District 9 on the Fort Worth City Council, and the Victory Fund is out to make sure he wins.
“Joel represents what the Victory Fund is all about — making sure LGBT voices are represented in government, and making sure we are heard,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund.
San Diegans to lead national gay & lesbian political organizatiion
Fri, Dec 10th 2010, 09:28Two San Diegans were elected to the top posts of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which bills itself as one of the largest political action committees in the nation.
Susan Atkins, a longtime communications expert, was selected as chair, the organization announced Thursday.
Robert Gleason, an executive with Evans Hotels, was named vice chair.
“I am honored to lead the Victory Fund as it celebrates its 20th anniversary and enters its third decade working to grow the number of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elected officials in government," Atkins said in a statement released by the political action committee.
"Helping to elect the LGBT people who fight for equal rights for all every day, the Victory Fund is engaged in a mission that’s focused and effective. Our win rate was 65% this year. That's phenomenal. Now more than ever it will be important for leaders from our community to be heard, and I look forward to leading the national organization that’s making that happen.”
The organization's release says Atkins has 20 years of communications management experience in life sciences and technology. In 1999, she founded an agency that provided investor and public relations exclusively to life science companies and organizations, and sold the firm to Porter Novelli in 2005. Atkins becomes the first woman to chair the Victory Fund board since it restructured in 2006.
The Victory Fund board also elected Steve Elmendorf of Washington, D.C., as secretary, and Harvey Hurdle of Philadelphia as treasurer. Frank Selvaggi of New York, N.Y., was also elected to serve on the Victory Fund board.
In 2010, the Victory Fund endorsed 164 candidates for public office, and 107 won their elections.
Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference
Tue, Dec 7th 2010, 09:06Openly LGBT leaders in politics, government and non-profit work met for the 26th International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference of the Victory Fund in Washington throughout the weekend. On Thursday the conference began with a reception with featured speakers including Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe, incoming Victory Fund Board Chair Brandon Hernandez and D.C. City Councilman David Catania.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/12/06/gay-lesbian-leadership-conference/Marriage Equality Coming to Maryland?
Fri, Nov 19th 2010, 09:56Out Maryland state senator Richard Madaleno said he is “guardedly optimistic” that the state legislature will pass a marriage equality bill in early 2011.
In an interview with Gay Politics, Madaleno put chances in the “six, seven eight range” on a scale of one to 10 for the bill's passage in the next 90-day session from January to mid-April of next year.
“His optimism stems from a number of developments on Election Day 2010, some of which ran absolutely counter to national trends,” reported Gay Politics. "In the Maryland Senate, Democrats actually expanded their majority to a 35-12
advantage over Republicans. And some Democrats who lost their seats did so in primary fights with more progressive challengers, many of whom vowed to be even stronger champions for marriage equality.”
Maryland also increased its number of out gay lawmakers from four to seven.
Madaleno said he felt confident the senate could pass a vote, but it was more difficult to predict the outcome in the House of Delegates. Governor Martin O’Malley has promised to sign a bill if it reaches his desk.
Woman becomes nation's 1st transgender trial judge
Tue, Nov 16th 2010, 17:57
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has said she is the first openly transgender trial court judge in the country.
Kolakowski spent the past three years as an administrative law judge
settling energy contract and environmental compliance disputes for the
California Public Utilities Commission. She underwent gender
reassignment surgery in 1981.
Victory Fund: State Legislatures Void of Openly Gay Republicans
Tue, Nov 16th 2010, 17:52There will be zero openly gay Republicans serving in state legislatures this January, according to the Victory Fund:
Among the nearly 4,000 Republican state lawmakers expected to serve across the U.S. come this January, none will be openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The development marks the first time in years that an openly LGBT voice will be absent from Republican politics at the state level.
“Unfortunately our endorsed GOP candidates for 2010 lost elections for state legislative positions in Nevada and Michigan, and the three sitting openly gay Republican state senators – in California, Massachusetts and Minnesota – are leaving office at the end of this year,” said James Dozier, deputy political director at the Victory Fund.
2010 Out 100 Portfolio
Fri, Nov 12th 2010, 10:44As the president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, Chuck Wolfe oversees the organization’s identification, training, and support of LGBT political candidates, campaign staff, and public officials, including the 164 candidates the fund endorsed in 2010. “We know out elected officials can be a leading political indicator of real change,” he says. “ So it’s exciting to see so many candidates stepping up to run for office this year.”
http://out.com/Out100/slideshow.asp?slideshow_title=OUT100&theID=170#TopLexington to become third-largest U.S. city with an openly-gay mayor
Mon, Nov 8th 2010, 09:28The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based group that endorses and supports openly gay candidates, had named Lexington's contest among the "Ten Races to Watch" across the country.
Denis Dison, vice-president of the Victory Fund, compared Gray to Annise Parker, another openly gay candidate whose election as mayor of Houston, Texas, in 2009 surprised many people.
"But she was very pro-business and pro-development," Dison said. "A lot of people would think of gay candidates as being left of center and that's not always the case. In Gray's case he's a businessman and he runs a large and successful company, and that would give business leaders more comfort."
Unlike the Lexington mayor's race, Parker's campaign was marked by anti-gay fliers around Houston.
"The fact that did not materialize in Lexington is a real credit to Mayor Newberry and to the community at large," Dison said.
The Victory Fund endorsed 164 openly gay candidates in Tuesday's election, and a record 106 of them were elected.
Dison said about 30 cities across the country, most of them small, have openly gay mayors.
Congress will now have four open gay or lesbian members
Mon, Nov 8th 2010, 09:14The Victory Fund, a national organization dedicated to nurturing and electing qualified LGBT candidates, pointed to other elections around the nation to claim a record number of gay and lesbian candidates winning office.
Kevin Lembo, for instance, won his race to become the Connecticut state comptroller, putting him among the few gay people elected to statewide office in the nation.
Laurie Jinkins of Washington, Marcus Brandon of North Carolina, Patricia Todd in Alabama, Kathy Webb and Jack Jackson, Jr. of Arizona, Ricardo Lara in California, Lucia Guzman in Colorado, Simone Bell and Karla Drenner in Georgia, Matt McCoy in Iowa, Stan Rosenberg and Carl Sciortino of Massachusetts, and Heather Mizeur and Mary Washington of Maryland all won races for their states’ legislatures, as did Scott Dibble in Minnesota, Jeanette Mott Oxford and Michael Colona of Missouri, Diana Sands of Montana, Frank Ferri, Gordon Fox and Deb Ruggiero in Rhode Island, Jason Lorber and Suzi Wizowaty of Vermont and Cathy Connolly in Wyoming.
Those are in addition to Nickie Antonio, Ohio’s first out state legislator, and other local officials elected across the nation.
None of the Republicans endorsed by the Victory Fund for state legislative races were successful.
Midterms a Mixed Bag for LGBT Equality
Mon, Nov 8th 2010, 09:10From the House of Representatives to Lexington, Kentucky, which just elected its first gay mayor, one of the most prominent groups tied to the victory of LGBT candidates is The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. This nonpartisan, federal, political, action committee funds, trains and promotes candidates for public office through donations, its Leadership Institute and a fellowship program. By focusing on politics through the endorsement and promotion of LGBT candidates, the fund seeks to gain equality for all LGBT people regardless of political affiliation.
In fact, since its 1991 founding, the fund's web site reads, "the number of openly LGBT elected officials serving in the U.S. has grown from 49 to more than 500." And the fund has backed many of them.
This campaign season, it backed a record 164 LGBT candidates, including Democrat, Republican and nonpartisan candidates - and saw a record 106 succeed. No Republican Congressional or state legislator backed by the fund, however, won election, according to Denis Dison, the fund's spokesperson.
Of its successes, the fund's CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a statement, "We can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America. Out public officials are having a sizable impact on the local, state and national debates about LGBT equality. Increasing their numbers is a vital part of a long-term strategy to change America's politics and make our country freer and fairer for everyone."
Gays Win Seats, but See House GOP Landslide as a Setback
Fri, Nov 5th 2010, 09:38The steps forward, he said, included the addition of the fourth openly gay member of Congress, Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline, who will fill the seat vacated by Rep. Patrick Kennedy. Numerous local anti-discrimination ordinances passed, and according to a nationwide count by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, 106 gay candidates won public offices.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/11/04/gays-add-to-ranks-in-office-but-see-house-gop-landslide-as-a-s/Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:57In early October, Chuck Wolfe, the chief executive of the Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, a group that supports gay candidates, offered some startling news to the campaign of Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who represented what had for years been considered a reliably safe district.
Mr. Wolfe had been at a Capitol Hill restaurant the evening before and overheard a Republican advertising strategist discussing his new assignment, to attack Mr. Frank with an expected budget of $1 million and a strategy to “piss him off, because you know how Barney gets.” Mr. Wolfe said afterward, “That anybody thought Barney could be vulnerable in his district seemed surprising.” Mr. Frank survived.
Others were not so lucky.
Alameda County voters elect country's first transgender judge
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:51Yet the congratulatory calls were already coming in and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helped Kolakowski raise money for her campaign, featured her on a call with its major donors Wednesday.
Her campaign had attracted national attention, with the mainstream media playing up the history-making potential of her campaign. But Kolakowski said voters paid little attention to her transgender status and were more focused on her resume.
Gay-rights groups view election as major setback
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:44In California's Alameda County, Victoria Kolakowski was elected a Superior Court judge; the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund said she is the first openly transgender trial court judge in America.
"There is no sugar-coating the loss of so many of our straight allies in Congress," said Victory Fund president Chuck Wolfe. "But we can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America."
Election Results: LGBT Leadership Orgs Need To Be Asking, “What Now?”
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:36The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund today announced that more openly LGBT candidates won election to public office in the U.S. in 2010 than in any year in America’s history.
Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe issued the following statement about the group’s success:
“There is no sugar-coating the loss of so many of our straight allies in Congress, but we can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America. Out public officials are having a sizable impact on the local, state and national debates about LGBT equality. Increasing their numbers is a vital part of a long-term strategy to change America’s politics and make our country freer and fairer for everyone. We will continue to focus on training committed, qualified candidates, and we will work hard to get them elected to public office.”
Record 106 gay candidates elected in 2010
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:29A record number of openly LGBT candidates have been elected to public office in 2010, according to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
“There is no sugar-coating the loss of so many of our straight allies in Congress, but we can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. “Out public officials are having a sizable impact on the local, state and national debates about LGBT equality. Increasing their numbers is a vital part of a long-term strategy to change America’s politics and make our country freer and fairer for everyone. We will continue to focus on training committed, qualified candidates, and we will work hard to get them elected to public office.”
At least 106 of the group’s record-breaking 164 endorsed candidates were winners as of Wednesday morning, the Victory Fund said.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise came in Lexington, Kentucky, where openly gay construction company executive Jim Gray won election as mayor. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the news shortly after the polls closed at 6 p.m. Gray has been serving as the city’s vice mayor and defeated incumbent mayor Jim Newberry.
The paper said the campaign has been one of the most expensive in the city’s history and only the second time a sitting mayor has been defeated. The ballot in Lexington does not indicate party affiliation. According to results published by the Herald-Leader, Gray won with 53 percent of the vote, to Mayor Jim Newberry’s 46 percent. The Herald-Leader noted that Gray lost a bid for mayor in 2002, when his sexual orientation was not public. Gray came out before running successfully for an at-large seat on the Urban County Council.
In another southern state, North Carolina, openly gay candidate Marcus Brandon of High Point won his first-time run for state representative and, in doing so, becomes the state’s first openly gay legislator. According to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Brandon also becomes only the fifth openly gay African-American elected to a state legislature anywhere in the country. As of 10:30 Tuesday night, three hours after polls closed, the state Board of Elections showed Brandon with 70 percent of the vote, compared to Republican Lonnie Wilson. The race was to represent North Carolina’s District 60, which encompasses Guilford County in the middle of the state. Brandon told the News-Record newspaper of Greensboro that his sexual orientation was not a secret but that “This is not something I wanted to take over my campaign.”
“Nobody in a year-and-a-half ever asked me about my sexuality,” Brandon said, in an Oct. 15 blog by an editorial writer in which the paper noted his race was one of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s “Ten Races to Watch” this year.
Most LGBT Candidates Elected ever in 2010
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:24The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund today announced that more openly LGBT candidates won election to public office in the U.S. in 2010 than in any year in America’s history.
At least 106 of the group’s record-breaking 164 endorsed candidates were winners as of Wednesday morning, including Providence, R.I., Mayor David Cicilline (pictured), who will become the fourth openly gay Member of Congress when the House convenes in January.
Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe issued the following statement about the group’s success:
“There is no sugar-coating the loss of so many of our straight allies in Congress, but we can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America. Out public officials are having a sizable impact on the local, state and national debates about LGBT equality. Increasing their numbers is a vital part of a long-term strategy to change America’s politics and make our country freer and fairer for everyone. We will continue to focus on training committed, qualified candidates, and we will work hard to get them elected to public office.”
Important 2010 election results include:
–David Cicilline’s election to Congress. The Providence, R.I. mayor will be the fourth openly gay member of the U.S. House of Representatives, joining Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Jared Polis, who each won reelection.
–Jim Gray’s election as mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, the state’s second-largest city.
–Nickie Antonio’s election to the Ohio House. Antonio will be the first openly LGBT person to serve in the state legislature.
–Marcus Brandon’s election to the North Carolina House. Brandon will be the state’s only openly gay state legislator and one of just five out African Americans to serve as state lawmakers.
–Victoria Kolakowski’s election as a Superior Court judge in Alameda County. Kolakowski becomes the first openly transgender judge in America.
–Kevin Lembo’s election as Connecticut State Comptroller. Lembo joins just a handful of openly LGBT candidates to have been elected to statewide positions.
–Laurie Jinkins’ election to the Washington State House. Jinkins is Washington’s first openly lesbian state legislator, and could help her gay colleagues pass a marriage equality bill in the next legislative session.
–Maryland’s and California’s expanded LGBT state legislative caucuses. Each will include seven openly gay and lesbian lawmakers. In Maryland, the caucus is poised to help pass marriage equality legislation, which the reelected Gov. Martin O’Malley has vowed to sign.
–Dan Hill’s loss in his Nevada House race. The Victory Fund’s endorsed Republican candidates for state legislative seats were not successful, meaning no openly LGBT Republicans will be serving as state lawmakers next year.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT elected officials at all levels of government in the U.S. It has grown that number from 49 to more than 500 since its founding in 1991. A full 2010 Election Scorecard will soon be available at www.victoryfund.org.
Lexington's New Mayor
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:13The Victory Fund, which first noted his success, included a statement from Chuck Wolfe, its president and CEO, who said in the statement, "This is a tremendous victory for Lexington, for Kentucky’s LGBT community and for fairness. We are proud of Jim Gray and his fantastic campaign staff who fought hard for this win."
http://metroweekly.com/poliglot/2010/11/lexingtons-new-mayor.htmlFirst Gay Winner of the Night
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 17:08The first openly gay candidate to win an election Tuesday is Sen. Benjamin Cruz of Guam.
Cruz, a Democrat and the vice speaker of the Guam senate, was the author of Guam's contested civil union bill in 2009. He was formerly the chief justice of the Guam supreme court.
Cruz is not a Victory Fund candidate, but the group tweeted his victory early Wednesday morning Guam time (Guam is 14 hours ahead of Washington, D.C.).
Rep. Barney Frank Cruises to Victory, Cicilline to Join Him in Congress
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 13:52The Victory Fund's president and CEO, Chuck Wolfe, celebrated Frank's victory, announcing in a statement, "Barney Frank is nothing if not a fighter, and we're very happy he will return to the House and continue to fight for the people of Massachusetts and for all LGBT Americans. Nobody has worked harder or longer in the U.S. Congress for fairness and equality for the LGBT community."
David Cicilline, the out mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, will join Frank in Congress in January. With 90 percent of the precincts in the district reporting, Cicilline is up by more than 8,000 votes at 10:30 p.m. with more than 50 percent of the vote. According to the Rhode Island Board of Elections:
David N. CICILLINE (DEM) 70230 50.6%
John J. LOUGHLIN, II (REP) 61668 44.5%
Kenneth A. CAPALBO (IND) 5611 4.0%
Gregory RAPOSA (Fox) 1190 0.9%
The Victory Fund's Wolfe said in a statement, "Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law."
Out Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) did not face races that even reached to the challenge that some had claimed Frank faced.
Polls, meanwhile, have not yet closed in out Democrat Steve Pougnet's challenge to Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R) in California.
Cicilline becomes 4th gay member of Congress
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 13:45The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is reporting that Providence Mayor David Cicilline has won his race for Congress in Rhode Island.
“Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law,” said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. “We are enormously proud of him and grateful to Rhode Island voters.”
Cicilline will join openly gay Reps. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado, all Democrats.
And David Cicilline makes four (updated)
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:52Chuck Wolfe, CEO for the Victory Fund, commended Cicilline for his victory in a statement.
“Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law,” Wolfe said. ”We are enormously proud of him and grateful to Rhode Island voters.”
Cicilline’s election positions him to become the fourth sitting openly gay member of the U.S. House when the 112th Congress begins in January. He’ll succeed Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), who’s retiring from Congress at the end of this year.
The Providence mayor was seen as the favorite to win because he was running in Democratic stronghold and was seen as a powerhouse fundraiser. According to Federal Election Commission reports, Cicilline raked in nearly $1.7 million over the course of his campaign.
The Rhode Island politician earned the endorsement of many national LGBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund.
In a statement, Michael Cole, an HRC spokesperson, said he’s “thrilled” that Cicilline will join the members of Congress who are openly gay.
“No doubt he will carry on the record of retiring Rep. Patrick Kennedy in ensuring Rhode Island’s first district is represented by an effective congressman in promoting equality for all people,” Cole said.
Signs showed the race was tightening in the week before the election. While earlier polls showed Cicilline ahead of Loughlin by double-digit numbers, the lead dropped to single digits in some polls the week before the campaign.
The Loughlin campaign also engaged in what could be seen as gay-baiting in the weeks before the election. Loughlin ran ads emphasizing that he’s a husband and a father — possibly a reference to the fact that Cicilline is gay and single — and defended “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” during a debate.
Despite this win, the results on Election Day were unfavorable for other non-incumbent openly gay candidates seeking election to Congress.
Both were Democratic candidates who facing the challenge of unseating incumbent Republicans in traditionally GOP districts during an election that was seen as a Republican wave.
Steve Pougnet, who’s gay and mayor of Palm Springs, Calif., lost his bid to unseat six-term incumbent Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.).
According to the California secretary of state’s web site, with 445 of of 624 precincts reporting, Bono Mack claimed 51.5 percent of the vote compared to the 42.1 percent of the vote earned by Pougnet. A third-party conservative candidate, Bill Lussenheide, won 6.4 percent of the vote.
Prior to the start of this Congress, Bono Mack had the support of many in the LGBT community for voting twice against the Federal Marriage Amendment. She also supported hate crimes legislation as well as a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
But the Republican lawmaker’s vote this year against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal earned the rancor of many LGBT people. Others in the LGBT community also flocked to Pougnet because his election would have made him the first person in a same-sex marriage and the first gay father elected to Congress.
Pougnet lost the race even though he managed to be on par with Bono Mack in terms of fundraising throughout much of the campaign. According to FEC, the Democratic candidate raised nearly $1.7 million while Bono Mack raked in more than $2.2 million.
Both HRC and the Victory Fund had endorsed Pougnet in his bid and expressed disappointment in his loss on Election Day.
Cicilline Becomes Fourth Gay Rep
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:48The 49-year-old mayor of Providence, R.I., survived a last-minute attack on his sexual orientation in the form of a flier reading, “Alert!!! Before you vote for U.S. Congress, you should know that ... John Loughlin is a husband and father and believes in traditional family values. ... Cicilline is an openly gay man who supports same sex marriage."
Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, welcomed the news.
“Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law,” said Wolfe. “We are enormously proud of him and grateful to Rhode Island voters.”
Openly gay candidates: Some surprise victories in 164 races
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:45The results for some high profile openly gay candidates are often mixed, and they were Tuesday night—with nine of eighteen openly LGBT candidates winning. But there was one big surprise Tuesday night and one shining star and, overall, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund reported that 106 of the 164 openly gay candidates running Tuesday won their races.
The big surprise came in Lexington, Kentucky, where openly gay construction company executive Jim Gray won election as mayor. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the news shortly after the polls closed at 6 p.m. Gray has been serving as the city’s vice mayor and defeated incumbent mayor Jim Newberry. The paper said the campaign has been one of the most expensive in the city’s history and only the second time in history that a sitting mayor has been defeated. The ballot in Lexington does not indicate party affiliation. According to results published by the Herald-Leader, Gray won with 53 percent of the vote, to Mayor Jim Newberry’s 46 percent. The Herald-Leader noted that Gray lost a bid for mayor in 2002, when his sexual orientation was not public. Gray came out before running successfully for an at-large seat on the Urban County Council.
In another southern state, North Carolina, openly gay candidate Marcus Brandon of High Point won his first-time run for state representative and, in doing so, becomes the state’s first openly gay legislator in the state. According to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, Brandon also becomes only the fifth openly gay African-American to a state legislature anywhere in the country. As of 10:30 Tuesday night, three hours after polls closed, the state Board of Elections showed Brandon with 70 percent of the vote, compared to Republican Lonnie Wilson. The race was to represent North Carolina’s District 60, which encompasses Guilford County in the middle of the state. Brandon told the News-Record newspaper of Greensboro that his sexual orientation was not a secret but that “This is not something I wanted to take over my campaign.”
“Nobody in a year-and-a-half ever asked me about my sexuality,” Brandon said, in an October 15 blog by an editorial writer in which the paper noted his race was one of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s “Ten Races to Watch” this year.
America Is So Post-Racial, We Don’t Even Need Black People in Our Senate
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:40Also, more LGBT candidates than ever before were elected yesterday.
http://feministing.com/2010/11/03/america-is-so-post-racial-we-dont-even-need-black-people-in-our-senate/Victory Fund: Gay Providence, R.I., Mayor David Cicilline elected to Congress
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:30News release from Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund:
Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, issued the following statement tonight about the election of Providence, R.I., Mayor David Cicilline to the U.S. House of Representatives (RI-1):
“Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law. We are enormously proud of him and grateful to Rhode Island voters.”
KY jolly: Gay man to lead major Southern city
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:24This just in from the Victory Fund:
Kentucky’s second-largest city has elected an openly gay man as its next mayor. Vice-Mayor Jim Gray was victorious tonight in his second campaign for the city’s top job, beating incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry.
BREAKING: Lexington, Kentucky elects openly gay mayor [Gay Politics]
Lexington KY Elects Openly Gay Mayor
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:18The Victory Fund reports that Lexington, Kentucky, the state's second-largest city, has elected openly gay candidate Jim Gray as mayor.
Vice-Mayor Jim Gray was victorious tonight in his second campaign for the city’s top job, beating incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry. This is a tremendous victory for Lexington, for Kentucky’s LGBT community and for fairness. We are proud of Jim Gray and his fantastic campaign staff who fought hard for this win,” said Chuck Wolfe, Victory Fund’s president and CEO.
Kentucky! SRSLY!
Kentucky’s 2nd-largest city elects gay mayor
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 12:11Our first big gay result from Election Night is in.
Lexington, Kentucky’s second-largest city, has elected an openly gay mayor:
From GayPolitics.com:
Vice-Mayor Jim Gray was victorious tonight in his second campaign for the city’s top job, beating incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry.
“This is a tremendous victory for Lexington, for Kentucky’s LGBT community and for fairness. We are proud of Jim Gray and his fantastic campaign staff who fought hard for this win,” said Chuck Wolfe, Victory Fund’s president and CEO.
Gray is one of more than 100 candidates endorsed by the Victory Fund on the ballot today. To follow Victory-fund endorsed candidates throughout the night, go here.
Gay Mayor for Lexington, Ky.
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 11:50Gray received support from the Victory Fund, whose president and CEO, Chuck Wolfe, called the election “a tremendous victory for Lexington, for Kentucky’s LGBT community, and for fairness.”
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/02/Gay_Mayor_for_Lexington_Ky/Election Night 2010 Open Thread: LGBT edition
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 11:46The Victory Fund will be monitoring races with LGBT candidate at GayPolitics.com, where we just learned about the first LGBT victory of the night:
Kentucky’s second-largest city has elected an openly gay man as its next mayor. Vice-Mayor Jim Gray was victorious tonight in his second campaign for the city’s top job, beating incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry.
LGBT Candidates Score Record Wins
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 11:29The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reports a record-breaking number of wins for LGBT candidates for public office across the United States in 2010.
According to a statement released Wednesday morning by the Victory Fund, “At least 106 of the group’s record-breaking 164 endorsed candidates were winners as of Wednesday morning, including Providence, R.I., Mayor David Cicilline, who will become the fourth openly gay Member of Congress when the House convenes in January.”
Other victories among many notable wins include the election of Jim Gray as mayor of Lexington, Ky., the state’s second-largest city, and the election of Nickie Antonio to the Ohio house, making her the first openly LGBT person to serve in the state legislature.
Victory Fund president and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in the statement, “There is no sugar-coating the loss of so many of our straight allies in Congress, but we can be proud that our community continues to expand its voice at all levels of government in America, Out public officials are having a sizable impact on the local, state and national debates about LGBT equality. Increasing their numbers is a vital part of a long-term strategy to change America’s politics and make our country freer and fairer for everyone. We will continue to focus on training committed, qualified candidates, and we will work hard to get them elected to public office.”
But while it was a successful night for LGBT Democrats, none of the wins went to Republicans. No openly LGBT Republicans will be serving as state lawmakers next year.
See a more extensive list of Victory Fund winners here.
What The Midterm Elections Mean For LGBT Equality
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 11:26The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund announced that “at least 106 of the group’s record-breaking 164 endorsed candidates were winners as of Wednesday morning” and in the table below, I summarize some of the positive and negative results from last night as they pertain to equality issues:
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/11/03/lgbt-midterms/Dear Lexington, Kentucky - THIS ROCKS!
Thu, Nov 4th 2010, 11:22Yay!
The people of Lexington, Kentucky - the second largest city in the state - have elected their first openly gay mayor, Jim Gray!
Chuck Wolfe, the President and CEO of Victory Fund - which endorsed Gray - says:
“This is a tremendous victory for Lexington, for Kentucky’s LGBT community and for fairness. We are proud of Jim Gray and his fantastic campaign staff who fought hard for this win.”
This was his second time running for the position, and he beat out incumbent Mayor Jim Newberry for the spot.
Just wonderful!
Congratulations are certainly in order for Gray, and to the people of Lexington!
Record number of openly gay candidates
Wed, Nov 3rd 2010, 07:05There are 123 openly gay people running for public office this election year, a record number according to the Victory Fund which finances openly gay candidates.
They include David Cicilline who is running in Rhode Island for the 1st Congressional District seat. The former mayor of Providence, R.I. could become just the seventh openly gay person to serve in Congress, and only the third to be elected for the first time as an openly gay candidate.
Victory Fund also finances candidates like Rep. Patrick Murphy (Pennsylvania, 8th Congressional District) who is not gay and is an Iraq War veteran. Murphy fought for an amendment to repeal the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell' policy in May.
Some of these races are important to the gay community not just because the candidates are gay, but because they are in states where legislation that affects gays is up for debate. Rhode Island, Maryland, New York, Washington and Colorado have state legislative and gubernatorial elections that could determine whether bills will pass granting gays domestic partnership benefits.
"If Democrats and openly LGBT candidates do well, we could see an attempt to establish civil unions in Colorado and full marriage equality in Maryland," the Victory Fund told supporters on election night. "Washington's LGBT state legislative caucus could attempt to convert their strong civil unions law into a marriage equality law, and the New York State Senate makeup will determine whether state organizers will make another run at winning marriage rights there."
Huge LGBT Wins in Midterms – Thanks Victory Fund!
Wed, Nov 3rd 2010, 06:54And perhaps the story of the night for LGBT people, the Victory Fund, has helped to deliver (as of 1:00 am on Tuesday night) 93 wins. 93 openly LGBT people will be holding local and national elected positions. Among those endorsed winners by The Victory Fund are Jim Gray, the first openly gay mayor of a major city in Kentucky, Gray will be leading the way in Lexington, KY., also Marcus Brandon who will be holding a Representative seat in North Carolina, Brandon, an openly gay African American will fill a void left by retiring State Senator and openly-lesbian Julia Boseman.
Back in the Summer, I was invited to an event at a house in lower Manhattan to help raise some visibility for the openly-gay Mayor of
Providence, RI, David Cicciline. The following day, David would be announcing his intention to run for Congress. Tonight, David became the 4th openly-gay US Congressman.
We may have suffered some losses tonight, but we need to be proud of the work we have done in electing our allies and so many openly-LGBT candidates. I hope we can take a moment and realize just how important it is that people are having real conversations about who we are. People are looking past their preconceived notions and voting for LGBT people because they are the best people for the job. Tonight, with loads of help from the brilliant Victory Fund, we made great strides, and we will continue to so long as we talk about equality.
Dem Cicilline wins Kennedy's RI congressional seat
Wed, Nov 3rd 2010, 00:58Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national organization dedicated electing more gay officials, said the group was proud of Cicilline and grateful to voters.
"Mayor Cicilline will be a strong advocate for all Rhode Islanders, but he will also be an authentic voice for the millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans who long for the day when we will be treated equally under law," he said.
Vote Blue? Vote Red? …. Vote Rainbow!
Thu, Oct 28th 2010, 11:50Over 300 members of Missouri lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community leadership, advocates and allies gathered at the Victory Fund Champagne Brunch at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown St. Louis, Oct. 24.
Victory Fund's Champagne Brunch is an annual event that celebrates the accomplishments of LGBT leaders and provides critical support to community candidates across the country. Since 1991, the Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBT candidates win election to local, state and federal offices.
The event featured Emmy award-winning entertainer Leslie Jordan, who charmed the room as master of ceremonies; Georgia State Representative, Simone Bell, the first African American lesbian elected to public office; Missouri’s own State Senator, Jolie Justice and Victory Fund President and CEO, Chuck Wolfe. All gave high regards of Victory Fund and stressed the need to elect openly LGBT public officials. Also present were openly gay politicians Missouri State Rep Mike Colona and St. Louis City Alderman Shane Cohn, both of whom received training and support from Victory Fund.
Organized by Victory Fund Event Manager, Martin Espinoza, the brunch was sponsored by Bill Donius and co-chaired by St. Louis activists Frank Siano and Amie Needham.
To volunteer or donate to Victory Fund and support LGBT political candidates across the US, visit www.victoryfund.org.
Oakland mayor's race divides LGBTs
Thu, Oct 28th 2010, 09:08As she did two years ago, Kaplan has proven to be a strong campaigner. She picked up the Oakland Tribune's endorsement as well as those of the Bay Area Reporter and the San Francisco Bay Guardian, along with the East Bay Young Democrats and the California Nurses Association. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has also endorsed Kaplan, a sure sign she is seen by the national group as a formidable candidate.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=5192Obama Appoints Record Number of Gays
Tue, Oct 26th 2010, 15:55President Barack Obama has appointed more gay people in less than two years than any other president, the Associated Press reports.
While the cabinet does not include any openly gay or lesbian appointees, more than 150 policy officials, advisers, commission members, and other high-level staff members are out, according to Denis Dison of the Victory Fund. The closest contender is President Bill Clinton, who appointed about 140 gays and lesbians to such positions throughout his eight years in office.
Dison said the appointments were part of an effort from the administration to increase its diversity. White House spokesman Shin Inouye also confirmed the amount and added that Obama has hired more gay and lesbian officials than presidents Clinton and George W. Bush combined.
Clinton made waves in 1993, when he appointed then–San Francisco supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development. She was the first lesbian to hold such a high post, even after a tumultuous confirmation hearing when notoriously conservative senator Jesse Helms called her a "militant extremist."
Openly Gay David Cicilline Front-Runner In Rhode Island House Race
Tue, Oct 26th 2010, 15:04Providence Mayor David Cicilline is the front-runner in the race to represent Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District.
The openly gay Cicilline is up by double digits in the polls. According to the New York Time's FiveThirtyEight Election Forecast, Cicilline has a 91.9 percent chance of winning on November 2.
The 49-year-old Cicilline, who has served two terms as mayor of Providence, enjoys the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay elected officials, and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate.
He also holds a fundraising advantage against his Republican rival, John Loughlin II.
If elected, Cicilline would become the fourth House member who is openly gay, provided Democratic front-runners Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado win their re-election bids.
Cicilline boosters say he's up in the polls because his campaign has focused on jobs and the economy.
“He has a strong reputation for building Providence's economy and I think that focus for him has really been what has propelled him to the front of this race,” Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Victory Fund, told CNN.
Brand added that Cicilline's honesty about his sexuality is a plus in the eyes of many voters.
“It's clear that it may not be easy to run as openly gay or lesbian, but they are being open and honest about who they are. Voters really respect that, and I think that, in some ways, can really be an advantage especially in times like this.”
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund vice president, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Every year more and more brave people are stepping up to run for office while being honest about who they are,” Dison told On Top Magazine in an email. “That's going to change politics in America.”
A fifth openly gay candidate, Steve Pougnet, is challenging Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack in California.
Openly gay candidate a front-runner in R.I. House race
Tue, Oct 26th 2010, 09:41If elected, Cicilline, 49, would be one of four openly gay members of Congress -- joining the ranks of Democratic Reps. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Jared Polis of Colorado (assuming they win their re-election bids).
Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, said her nonpartisan political action committee decided to endorse the mayor mainly because of his leadership track record.
"He had been a successful state legislator, successful mayor and really came out of the starting gate as the front-runner in this race," Brand said. "He is a really strong campaigner."
But he still has work to do, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
The report deems the district "Lean Democrat." It previously changed its ranking in September from "Likely Democrat" to "Lean Democrat" after Cicilline was forced to acknowledge that the city had "improperly given him pay raises as mayor between 2006 and 2009."
It's a point that Loughlin was able to capitalize on.
"David Cicilline illegally collected more than $20,000 in salary that he was not entitled to -- and he only gave it back because he got caught," Loughlin said at a press conference last week. "If we can't trust him to watch our money in city hall, how can we trust him to watch our money in Washington?"
Cook Political Report points out that while Loughlin has begun to rip into Cicilline's record as mayor, "Cicilline still enters the homestretch in reasonably good shape. ... Loughlin doesn't have a ton of money left, and Cicilline is ahead anywhere from one to two dozen points in public polling."
Brand said that Cicilline's record on gay and lesbian issues is hardly a reason why he may appeal to a large swath of Democratic voters in the district, a seat now held by Rep. Patrick Kennedy, a liberal Democrat, who isn't seeking re-election.
Cicilline's "focus has been on the issues that people care about right now, which is economic development and jobs," she said. "He has a strong reputation for building Providence's economy and I think that focus for him has really been what has propelled him to the front of this race and put him in a really strong position to win this seat on November 2."
The state's largest newspaper -- The Providence Journal -- is also supporting him.
The paper's endorsement reads: "Mr. Cicilline has been an honest, energetic and often innovative mayor. ... He has cleansed city government of much of its reputation for corruption and hired capable people. ... He has brought a level of fiscal discipline (including in relations with the city's far too powerful public-employee unions) that has not been seen in the city for many decades."
Perhaps the most likely reason that Cicilline can win, Brand added, is that voters are less likely now to care about a candidate's sexuality because of the economic problems facing the country.
"Ultimately, voters vote for candidates who are going to help improve their lives. It doesn't matter if you're gay or lesbian," she said. "If you've demonstrated that you've helped improve people's lives on the issues they care about, our research shows that being openly gay or lesbian is really secondary to that."
And that's certainly the case for Laure Rondeau, an elderly Catholic woman in Providence, who told NPR that sexuality doesn't play a factor in her vote.
"[Sexual orientation] doesn't bother me at all,'' Rondeau said in the interview. "He's been a good mayor of Providence, and I think he'd do well in Congress.''
In many ways, his sexuality may be a plus to some voters angry at Washington's backroom deals and candidates deemed distant, out of touch and dishonest, Brand said.
"It's clear that it may not be easy to run as openly gay or lesbian, but they are being open and honest about who they are," she said. "Voters really respect that, and I think that, in some ways, can really be an advantage especially in times like this."
Across the country, another openly gay House candidate -- backed by the Victory Fund -- is hoping to ride that same wave.
Steve Pougnet, 47, the Democratic mayor of Palm Springs, California, is running against Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack in the state's 45th Congressional District.
Record number of openly gay officials serve in Obama administration
Tue, Oct 26th 2010, 09:12"From everything we hear from inside the administration, they wanted this to be part of their efforts at diversity," said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Presidential Appointments Project of the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.
The pace of appointments has helped to ease broader disappointment among gay rights groups that Obama has not acted more quickly on other fronts, such as ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military.
In a sign of how times have changed, few of the appointees — about two dozen required Senate confirmation — have stirred much controversy. It's a far cry from the 1993 furor surrounding Clinton's nomination of then-San Francisco Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg as assistant secretary for Housing and Urban Development.
Achtenberg was the first openly gay official to serve at such a senior level, and she won confirmation despite contentious hearings and Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, who denounced her as a "militant extremist."
"It's both significant and rather ordinary," said Michael Cole, a spokesman for the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign. "It's a simple affirmation of the American ideal that what matters is how you do your job and not who you are."
Gay activists, among Obama's strongest supporters, had hoped he would be the first to appoint an openly gay Cabinet secretary. While that hasn't happened — yet — Obama did appoint the highest-ranking gay official ever when he named John Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees the nation's 1.9 million federal workers.
Other prominent names include Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Fred Hochberg, chairman of the Export-Import Bank. Obama also named Amanda Simpson, the first openly transgender appointee, as a senior technical adviser in the Commerce Department.
White House spokesman Shin Inouye confirmed the record number, saying Obama has hired more gay officials than the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations combined. He said Obama "is proud that his appointments reflect the diversity of the American public."
"He is committed to appointing highly qualified individuals for each post," Inouye said. "We have made a record number of openly LGBT appointments and we are confident that this number will only continue to grow."
Dison's group lists 124 of the appointees on its website. He said the remainder are not listed because they are lower-level officials not formally announced by the White House.
"We learn about a lot of these through informal networks and then work to confirm that they are indeed appointed and that they are openly LGBT," Dison said.
Advocates Hope Transgender Identity Is Not a Defining One
Mon, Oct 25th 2010, 08:59
And while the issues that face gays and transgender people often differ,
a recent spate of suicides among young gay men has intensified the need
for positive political role models, said Chuck Wolfe, the president and
chief executive of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which backs gay
and lesbian political candidates.
“Knowing there’s openly gay people sitting in those positions will definitely have an impact,” he said.
Mr. Wolfe said that recently he had seen more and more “inspired,
comfortable and confident” transgender people in his group’s training
classes. There are also more gay and lesbian candidates in general now, a
surge that Mr. Wolfe ascribes, in part, to newly elected — and openly
gay — leaders like Mayor Annise Parker in Houston and Simone Bell, a
lesbian who won a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives in
December.
West Hollywood Mayor: The Gay Place In Politics
Wed, Oct 20th 2010, 17:27Another reason for the growth in LGBT elected officials is the tremendous work being done by the Victory Fund. The Victory Fund train people to run for office and have helped people raise money to run their campaign. The Victory Fund has largely been responsible for many of the newer LGBT elected officials. The Victory Fund has provided crucial guidance and support to people running in areas where there haven’t been LGBT elected before.
http://dot429.com/articles/2010/10/20/west-hollywood-mayor-gay-place-politicsWatch: Ellen Talks to Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns and His Mom About Anti-Gay Bullying
Wed, Oct 20th 2010, 16:24Fort Worth City Councilman, Joel Burns, whose powerful and emotional anti-bullying statement has been seen around the world, appeared on Ellen today (along with his mom) to talk about his message.
(via the victory fund)
National attention for Marcus Brandon
Fri, Oct 15th 2010, 11:42Guilford County legislative candidate Marcus Brandon makes the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund's national list of Ten Races to Watch.
The group's press release notes, "With the retirement of N.C. State Sen. Julia Boseman, Brandon would become North Carolina’s only openly LGBT state legislator, and one of just five out African-American state lawmakers in the U.S."
The attention surprised Brandon, a Democrat who ousted Earl Jones in the party's May primary in House District 60. He faces Republican Lonnie Wilson in the heavily Democratic district. Both candidates live in High Point.
Brandon doesn't consider his sexuality relevant in the campaign, he told me today.
"This is not something I wanted to take over my campaign," he said, adding that his slogan is "It's About You."
"I didn't want this to turn into something that's about me."
The main issues are jobs and economic development in a district where many residents are poor and unemployed.
"Nobody in a year-and-a-half ever asked me about my sexuality," Brandon said, "and I think that is a powerful place to be in North Carolina."
It's not a secret, he said, adding that most people who know him personally are aware. But it's not all of who he is.
Nor does it shape his agenda -- except for his concern about bullying of gay teenagers.
I agree there are much more important issues in the campaign. Brandon has run an energetic campaign and has been very successful so far -- especially for a first-time candidate.
His sexuality doesn't matter -- and I brought it up here only because of the Victory Fund press release.
Pelosi Stumps for Votes, Says DADT Soon a ‘Memory’
Fri, Oct 15th 2010, 09:58Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who might have to relinquish the Speaker’s gavel over to GOP Minority Leader John Boehner if the House changes hands, is trying to counter the flagging enthusiasm. On Sept. 29, she received an award at the Victory Fund’s 10th annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards. She again assured the audience that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be a memory “by the end of the year,” according to LGBT reporters on hand, even though the Senate failed to move the National Defense Authorization Act forward, with the attached DADT repeal amendment. Pelosi also reiterated that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act would have to wait until after DADT is repealed.
Openly gay Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., also spoke at the Victory Fund event, stressing the importance of keeping a Democratic majority in Congress. Frank described Pelosi as “the single most important public official in the history of the United States to be fully committed to our agenda—not just as a matter of support—but as a matter of her own personal involvement,” according to the Washington Blade.
But Frank was less gracious about disaffected gays. “I understand people being unhappy about that,” Frank said, referring to failure to pass LGBT bills. “What I do not understand is people who think that the way to respond to the fact that we weren’t able to get things done is to further empower the people who kept us from getting them done.”
After the Victory Fund event, Pelosi spoke with reporters, telling The Advocate that DADT will end “with or without Congress. We wanted to sort of put our imprimatur on it, but I don’t think it has to depend on whether it passes the Senate. The process will work its way through and the president will make his pronouncement on it.”
Watch: Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns' Amazing Tearful Statement to Bullied Gay Teens
Wed, Oct 13th 2010, 11:57Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns broke down at last night's City Council meeting during an emotional personal statement about his own taunting by anti-gay bullies as a teen.
"I was cornered after school by some older kids who roughed me up. They said that I was a fag, and that I should die and go to Hell where I belonged."
Burns went on to discuss meeting his partner, getting elected, and developing a bond with his dad, promising teens, "It gets better."
Don't miss this.
Writes The Victory Fund: "Burns became the first openly gay candidate elected to public office in Tarrant County, Texas, when he won a special election for a seat on the Fort Worth City Council in 2007. He was reelected in 2009."
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund Celebrates Nancy Pelosi and Political Equality at W Hotel in DC
Tue, Oct 12th 2010, 17:51Business-clad guests mingle while sipping on cocktails and nibbling sushi at the new W Hotel in downtown DC. Mood lighting and hip music set the tone for this young and politically energetic crowd, who wait anxiously for Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House to take the stage. Clearly, this isn’t your typical political gala but then again, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund isn’t your typical progressive organization.
On Wednesday September 29 at 7:30 p.m., the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund hosted its annual Leadership Awards and this year Nancy Pelosi was honored for her committment to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. While protesters outside of the hotel called on Pelosi to renew funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), attendees paid up to $1,200 to support the Victory Fund as well as to have the opportunity to network and enjoy hors d’oeuvres and complimentary drinks.
Emmy-award winning actor Leslie Jordan served up jokes as the evening’s emcee and introduced the evening’s distinguished speakers including the Victory Fund’s president and CEO Chuck Wolfe, as well as members of Congress, Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi. Notable guests at the event included former Miss DC 2009 Jennifer Corey.
The Victory Fund was founded in 1991 and it provides strategic, technical and financial support to openly gay and lesbian candidates and officials across the United States, helping them win elections at local, state and federal levels. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has successfully helped elect several hundred openly LGBT candidates to Congress, state legislatures, school boards and city councils. The organization also offers programs and training to elected officials.
The gala called for equality for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in society and couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. With the influx in media coverage of teen bullying based on sexuality, I think we can all agree that bullying should never be a part of any young person’s life…no matter you’re political persuasion.
Victory Fund announces ‘Ten Races to Watch’
Mon, Oct 11th 2010, 13:08A gay Republican seeking office in the Nevada State Legislature and a gay politician vying to become mayor of a Kentucky city are among the candidates the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is highlighting as part of its recently announced “Ten Races to Watch.”
On Monday, the Victory Fund identified the names of ten endorsed candidates in races that the organization believes could have a significant impact on LGBT community.
The ten candidates represent a portion of the 164 candidates the organization has endorsed in all of 2010 and more than 100 candidates who are facing election in November, according to the Victory Fund.
In a statement, Chuck Wolfe, the Victory Fund’s president, predicted that 2010 will be “a banner year” for the organization and its mission to elect openly LGBT people to public office.
“We know out elected officials can be a leading political indicator of real change, so it’s exciting to see so many candidates stepping up to run for office this year,” Wolfe said.
The Victory Fund statement highlights each of the candidates running in the “Ten Races to Watch” in alphabetical order:
Chuck Wolfe: A Banner Year for Gay Politics
Thu, Oct 7th 2010, 09:09This year may not turn out to be the best one for congressional Democrats, but it’s likely to be a historic one for openly LGBT candidates across the country.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed 163 out candidates for offices ranging from local school boards to Congress, making this our largest endorsement slate ever. But the numbers alone don’t describe how transformative some of these races may be, especially in places and offices that have never had openly LGBT office holders.
Of course last Tuesday brought one of the year’s biggest victories; Providence, R.I., Mayor David Cicilline won the Democratic primary to replace Rep. Patrick Kennedy in the House of Representatives. In deep blue Rhode Island, this win means David is well-positioned to become the fourth sitting openly gay Member of Congress, joining Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Jared Polis.
Steve Pougnet is the Democratic nominee for Congress in the 45th Congressional District in California. The current mayor of Palm Springs could become the first openly gay parent in Congress if he defeats the incumbent, Rep. Mary Bono Mack.
Adding more out members of Congress will further expose their straight colleagues to the reality of who we are. When the House debates things like partnership rights or military service, they’ll be talking about the lives and experiences not only of some abstract community, but of colleagues who may be standing next to them on the House floor. There is tremendous power in that.
But congressional politics are only part of the story. Victory Fund candidates are seeing success in key states where legislatures are close to enacting laws that will represent concrete progress toward full equality for LGBT people, and their voices will be vital in those debates.
In Maryland, three gay and lesbian candidates are set to join four out incumbents in the state legislature, giving the state an unprecedented seven openly LGBT lawmakers. This is phenomenal news for same-sex couples who will be pushing for a marriage equality bill next year--a bill Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has promised he’ll sign.
In Ohio, Nickie Antonio will take a seat in the State House after winning her hard-fought primary. She faces no general election opponent, so she will become the first openly LGBT member of the Ohio state legislature. It’s likely lawmakers will again try to pass legislation banning employment discrimination against LGBT people, and Nickie’s voice will figure prominently in that fight.
In Colorado, Lucia Guzman won her primary to keep the State Senate seat she was appointed to earlier this year. Her win this November will give Colorado four gay or lesbian state lawmakers next year, when advocates will try to finally pass a bill protecting the rights of same-sex couples.
And last Saturday in Hawaii, the state’s two out legislators won tough re-election primaries. They’ll likely try again next year to pass a sweeping civil unions bill, and this time Gov. Linda Lingle won’t be around to veto it.
Our progress demands our participation in the political process--not just as advocates or lobbyists, but as voting representatives of our local communities and the LGBT community. Pro-equality legislation is far more likely in places where out candidates run and win, so much so that it has become a leading political indicator of progress to come.
When they win, these candidates and dozens more like them around the country won’t represent victories just for a party or even a set of policy goals. They’ll become the face and voice of the LGBT community in the places where they serve. They’ll become our most important champions for real change, for true equality and for the idea that all Americans deserve the rights and responsibilities our Democracy promises.
As established organizations face new perspectives and groups, LGBT advocacy is evolving – despite setbacks and challenges
Thu, Oct 7th 2010, 09:00For groups like the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which works to
elect qualified LGBT candidates, this has impacted the organization's
work.
''My job is to work with the candidates and the officials,'' Victory
Fund President Chuck Wolfe says. ''Anything I can do that helps them
win, that's what we do. And, in some cases, that's advising candidates
on how to traverse some of these questions when organizations might
disagree with each other on positions.''
With House in question, is Frank ’running scared’?
Tue, Oct 5th 2010, 15:42Frank is both a Democrat and a Democratic leader. He
chairs the House Financial Services Committee. He’s also the most senior
and most visible of the House’s three openly gay members.
While
he’s gotten $9,000 from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and almost
$9,500 from the Human Rights Campaign, that’s less than three percent of
the $635,500 he’s received from various political action committees. In
all, as of the Aug. 25 report to the Federal Elections Commission, his
campaign has raised $2.4 million.
U.S. Could Get First Openly Gay Lieutenant Governor
Mon, Oct 4th 2010, 09:12Also, the Victory Fund has stated their support for the state senator: "Tisei has earned the respect of his colleagues and stands an excellent chance of becoming the party’s nominee for Lieutenant Governor if he can beat back the forces of intolerance on the extreme right wing of his party. A group has emerged that’s urging Republican voters to reject Tisei because of his strong support for marriage equality, his support of teachers and because of his pro-choice stand."
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/10/us-could-get-first-lieutenant-governor.htmlOfficial to Face Hearing Over Blog Attacks
Mon, Oct 4th 2010, 09:05
Mr. Armstrong, who did not respond to a request for an interview, was an intern this summer with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in the past with the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
Denis Dison, communication
“We are advocating that nobody engage in the type of harassment that he was engaging in,” Mr. Dison said.
Mich. assistant attorney general's blog targeting gay student leader raises free speech issues
Fri, Oct 1st 2010, 10:20"This is just another tactic bringing awareness to what Chris really
stands for," Shirvell said. "The substance of the matter is, Chris
Armstrong is a radical homosexual activist who got elected partly funded
by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund to promote a very deeply radical
agenda at the University of Michigan. ... I'm a Christian citizen
exercising my First Amendment rights."
Denis Dison,
spokesman for the Washington-based organization, denied that the fund
donated money to Armstrong's campaign earlier this year. Dison said
Armstrong, who was an intern with the fund two summers ago, told him
about Shirvell's actions and he urged him to report Shirvell to police.
"It sounded like it was getting a little strange," Dison said. "I think everyone thinks it has crossed the line."
"If I'm a gay person living in Michigan, this does not
instill confidence that the attorney general's office has my best
interests at heart," he added. "It's surprising that you would keep an
employee who would damage the credibility of the work that you're trying
to do in the state."
Mich. AG's Blog Targets Gay Student President
Fri, Oct 1st 2010, 10:10Shirvell replied: "Chris Armstrong is a radical homosexual activist who
got elected, partly funded by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, to
promote a very deeply radical agenda. ... His biggest issue is
gender-neutral housing."
Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helps
gay political candidates mount campaigns, tells the Upshot that
Armstrong was an intern at their offices two years ago and went through
candidate training at that time, but has received no funds from them.
They do not endorse student government politicians.
Regional elections spotlight LGBT issues
Fri, Oct 1st 2010, 10:032010 Victory Fund Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards honors Speaker Pelosi
Thu, Sep 30th 2010, 14:10The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund held its gala awards ceremony honoring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the W Hotel on Wednesday. Protesters outside of the hotel called on Pelosi to renew funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Inside the hotel, attendees paid up to $1,200 to support the Victory Fund as well as to have the opportunity to network and enjoy sushi and complimentary drinks. Speakers included actor Leslie Jordan, the Victory Fund’s president and CEO Chuck Wolfe, as well as members of congress Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/09/30/2010-victory-fund-gay-lesbian-leadership-awards-honors-speaker-pelosi/Obama's DADT Dilemma
Thu, Sep 30th 2010, 13:56House speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged the administration’s predicament last night following an event where she received an award from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund for her work on LGBT issues. During her speech, Pelosi reiterated her pledge to an adoring crowd that “’don’t ask, don’t tell’ would “be gone by the end of the year.”
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/09/30/Obamas_DADT_Dilemma/Pelosi foresees ‘Don’t Ask’ end by year’s end
Thu, Sep 30th 2010, 10:47The speaker spoke to reporters after she gave a speech at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards at the W Hotel, which was hosted by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
During her speech, Pelosi made similar assurances and promised that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will be “gone by the end of the year.”
“Some are here tonight who serve in the military,” she said. “God bless you for your courage and your patriotism. … But because of courage of some of them, this will be gone by the end of the year.”
Pelosi previously predicted in May that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be “a memory” by the end of this year during an interview with the Hill newspaper.
Speaking to reporters, Pelosi said Congress got the ball rolling on repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to get lawmakers on record on the issue and so the change would be “in statute and all of that.”
The House in May passed an amendment that would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as part of the fiscal year 2011 defense authorization bill.
“But even the bill that we passed said that it was contingent upon the recommendation of the president’s … review,” she said. “The only difference would be statute versus the president [making a policy change.]”
Pressed on whether she thinks the executive branch would ultimately be responsible for ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Pelosi replied, “That’s where it was anyway.”
“Others wanted to have more, so we tried to do more,” she said. “We’ll work very closely to try to see what happens after the election.”
Pelosi has previously said President Obama can issue an executive order to stop discharges under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” without action from Congress.
Supporters of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal have been calling on Obama since the beginning of his administration to issue an order to stop the discharges under the law, but the president hasn’t taken such action.
Asked whether she would call on Obama to issue an order to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Pelosi replied, “That is the unfolding that we will see.”
“I’m very pleased with the course that the president’s on, but I think that they we shouldn’t be discharging people until that happens — so that, we have a little separation of — in terms of policy on that,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi added House members who support “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal were “very disappointed” the Senate didn’t have sufficient votes to end a filibuster on moving forward with legislation that would end the law.
“In the Senate, the Republicans held up the bill entirely so it couldn’t even be considered, so it was very disappointing,” she said. “They went really out of their way to try to block this.”
Pelosi also reiterated her position that the Employment Non-Discrimination Act wouldn’t see a House vote until legislative action is complete on repealing the 1993 law barring open service in the U.S. military.
“I told everyone that right from the start — that if we want to go down the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ route, then we’d have to put ENDA in a different place,” she said.
Pelosi said initial plans for the 111th Congress were to take on hate crimes protections legislation followed by ENDA and then “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” But she said the House ended up acting on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” first before ENDA because there was “a lot of enthusiasm about changing the order.”
During her speech, Pelosi maintained the importance of the mid-term elections and said “the fabric of our middle class and strength of our democracy” is at stake.
Pelosi added that the election results will also “accelerate the pace of passing ENDA or set us back.”
The speaker said she believes the votes are in the U.S. House to pass ENDA, but expressed concern about a motion to recommit that could derail the bill.
The motion to recommit is a legislative manuever that opponents of ENDA could use to scuttle the bill when it comes to the House floor.
“I think we have the votes for it, but we have to resist the motion to recommit,” Pelosi said. “We can’t pass the bill unless we can resist all of the bad things that they could do to the bill along the way.”
Also speaking at the event were gay Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
During his speech, Frank emphasized the importance of keeping a Democratic majority in the next Congress and questioned those who would criticize lawmakers who support LGBT rights for the lack of progress on pro-LGBT bills.
“I understand people being unhappy about that,” he said. “What I do not understand is people who think that the way to respond to the fact that we weren’t able to get things done is further to empower the people who kept us from getting them done.”
Frank urged attendees to “bitch and fight” all the way to the polls to re-elect a Democratic majority in the U.S. House because Pelosi has been such a strong supporter of LGBT rights.
“Neither Tammy, nor I, nor anybody else has ever had to ask for her to support us,” Frank said. “We take that for granted and she has been the been the single most important public official in the history of the United States to be fully committed to our agenda not just as a matter of support, but as matter of her own personal involvement.”
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/09/30/pelosi-foresees-dont-ask-end-by-years-end/Pelosi: DADT "will be gone by the end of the year"
Thu, Sep 30th 2010, 09:04House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was optimistic about the end of the military's ban on gay and lesbian service, saying on Wednesday night, "'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' will be gone by the end of the year. It will just be a sad memory." This, she said, despite last week's vote in the Senate against bringing the bill containing repeal language to the floor for debate.
Talking about "the pain [DADT] has caused people," Pelosi told the crowd at the Victory Fund's 10th annual Gay & Lesbian Leadership Awards that "some are here tonight who served in our military. ... Because of the courage of some of them, this will be gone by the end of the year."
Pelosi was introduced by Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), who had been, in turn, introduced by Victory Fund president Chuck Wolfe.
Her comments, however, about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- a bill sponsored by Frank -- were far more equivocal.
Pelosi -- whose decision not to bring ENDA the House floor for a vote has led to multiple occasions in which people were arrested for protesting that inaction -- on Wednesday said that the upcoming mid-term elections were essential to moving forward the bill outlawing anti-LGBT job discrimination.
"[A] lot is riding on this election," she told the crowd gathered at the W Hotel's main ballroom on Wednesday evening. "And part of the choice that will be made will either accelerate the pace of passing ENDA or set us back, and we have to realize that. We have to realize that."
For the co-director of Get Equal, the organization involved in those protests of Pelosi, tonight's speech was about leadership -- but more about, in Robin McGehee's view, Pelosi's lack of leadership on the bill.
Talking to Metro Weekly, McGehee said, "Leadership is about doing the right thing, not the politically safe thing. What I heard her saying is that even with controlling both chambers of Congress and having a Democratic president -- even with all of that -- her leadership has not been able to get ENDA passed out of committee and onto the floor.
"I don't want to have a Republican-dominated Congress. But I also don't believe we're the only progressive community dissatisfied with the lack of leadership," McGehee said. "I feel like she's punting on our position and our rights and yet asking us to give, and I'll give when we get equal. I'll vote for her, but I'm not going to give money or time."
WATCH: Victory Fund Asks What's at Stake for LGBT Voters on Nov. 2
Tue, Sep 28th 2010, 13:49Thinking of sitting out the mid-term elections on Nov. 2? Don't.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund releases a hard-hitting new web video entitled "What Will You Lose?" to explain what is at stake for the LGBT community. And there are dozens of reasons to vote in November, from health care reform to the Supreme Court. Most important: Preventing anti-gay conservatives from controlling Congress.
Shout out to hottie Democratic National Committee member Evan Low at 1:00, the mayor of Campbell, California and the youngest openly gay mayor in the country. And thanks to the Victory Fund for its help in electing Maryland's Mary Washington, the second openly lesbian Black legislator in the nation.
Victory Fund Video: What Will You Lose?
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 15:16With five weeks remaining before the midterm elections, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has launched a video campaign asking people to express what they will lose should antigay extremists succeed in consolidating their power.
The stark video cites antigay rhetoric from incumbents up for reelection like U.S. senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern. Some of the rights deemed to be at stake have not even been won yet, which points to the video's role as a motivation tool for disaffected Democratic voters.
“If they win, they'll kick brave troops out of the military, stop partner visitation rights in hospitals, and prevent gays and lesbians from adopting kids who need loving homes,” says the Victory Fund.
The campaign invites viewers to submit their own 15-second video about what they will lose in the event of antigay extremist wins.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/09/27/Victory_Fund_Video_What_Will_You_Lose/Gay And Lesbian Victory Fund Takes On Social Conservatives
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 15:06The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund released a jarring new video called "What Will You Lose?" in which they highlight what LGBT Americans would lose should social conservatives like Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) get their way. So, what's on the list: love, freedom, and dignity, among other things.
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/09/gay-and-lesbian-victory-fund-takes-on-social-conservatives.htmlJordan to Emcee Awards
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 15:01Comedian and actor Leslie Jordan will be the emcee at the 10th annual Gay and Lesbian Leadership Awards at the W on Wednesday evening.
The event will honor Speaker Nancy Pelosi and will feature remarks from Reps. Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin.
A conversation with Houston Mayor Annise Parker
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:15With 2.2 million constituents, Parker said she couldn’t be just the gay mayor, but she would continue to use her position to advance LGBT rights when possible. She helps raise money and speaks for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund around the country and said their training was extremely helpful.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/annise-parker-2-1045640.htmlGay Houston Mayor Gets High Marks
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:12A new poll indicates that a solid majority of Houston residents say that Mayor Annise Parker is doing a “good” or “excellent” job.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reported on the poll from 11 News/KUHF-Houston Public Radio.
“Fourteen percent of poll respondents rated Parker’s job performance as ‘excellent,’” reported the Victory Fund’s blog, GayPolitics.com. “Forty-two percent said she was doing a ‘good’ job. Twenty-seven percent described her performance as ‘fair,’ and just six percent said she was doing a ‘poor’ job.”
Parker was elected last December and made Houston the largest U.S. city to date to elect an openly gay mayor.
SLIDESHOW: Victory Fund Brunch NYC
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:10Today I attended the first annual Victory Fund brunch in NYC, where headliner Rep. Barney Frank talked at length about the difficulties we face in the repeal of DADT and even getting ENDA to a vote. Comedian Alec Mapa hosted, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke, anti-Quinn activists protested outside, and a literal who's who of political homorati mingled over mimosas.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2010/09/slideshow-victory-fund-brunch-nyc.htmlMary Washington to Become 2nd Blk Openly Lesbian State Lawmaker
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:07Brava and congratulations to Mary Washington, who was one of 33 openly LGBT candidates in the nation endorsed by the Victory Fund during this cycle. Washington follows in the footsteps of Georgia's Simone Bell, who in December 2009 became the first openly lesbian black state legislator in U.S. history. Connecticut's Jason Bartlett and Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox are the nation's only openly Black male state legislators.
http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2010/09/mary-washington-on-track-to-become-americas-2nd-black-openly-lesbian-state-legislator.htmlPrimary results: 29 of 33 openly gay candidates advance, Victory Fund says
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:04Tuesday’s primaries brought mostly good news to openly gay candidates supported by the Victory Fund, as 29 of 33 pols either advanced in primaries or won their elections outright.
Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, was in Providence, R.I., Tuesday night as Providence Mayor David Cicilline was declared the winner of the Democratic primary to represent Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. Rhode Island is a very blue state, and so is the district, thus Cicilline immediately becomes the favorite to win in November.
“I’m very grateful that the Victory Fund and their supporters believe in this campaign, and I thank you for your hard work on our behalf. Together we really can change politics in Rhode Island and across the country, and make sure that all Americans have a voice in their government. I hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we work hard for a big victory this November,” Cicilline said in a statement.
If elected, Cicilline would become the fourth openly LGBT member of Congress.
Gay Pols Nearly Sweep Primaries
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 14:00Twenty-nine of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's 33 endorsed candidates in primary contests Tuesday won their party's nomination or the election outright.
The Maryland legislature will have at least seven openly gay and lesbian members if three newcomers who won primaries Tuesday join four incumbent members. House of delegates candidates Luke Clippinger, Bonnie Cullison, and Mary Washington hope to join incumbents Annie Kaiser, Maggie McIntosh, and Heather Mizeur along with state senator Richard Madaleno. Washington would be only the second out lesbian African-American state legislator in the United States if elected.
Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, said the wins in Maryland will be key for a possible push in the Maryland legislature to pass a marriage equality bill, which Gov. Martin O'Malley said he would sign into law if he were to be reelected.
"It's going to be a powerful thing for people to talk openly about what this legislation means to them," he told The Advocate.
One of the more notable wins on primary night was that of Providence, R.I., mayor David Cicilline, who is running to represent the state's first congressional district. If elected in November, he would become the fourth out member of the U.S. House of Representatives, joining Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin, and Jared Polis.
“I’m very grateful that the Victory Fund and their supporters believe in this campaign, and I thank you for your hard work on our behalf," he said in a statement. "Together we really can change politics in Rhode Island and across the country and make sure that all Americans have a voice in their government. I hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we work hard for a big victory this November.”
Dison said the results from last night overall were "remarkable," but the premier race for his organization was Cicilline's primary, which he won in a heavily Democratic district.
"He does have a Republican opponent, so we're not out of the woods, but the fact that he is the top vote=getter in a race with four Democratic candidates is a good sign."
In New York, Monroe County legislature minority leader Harry Bronson won the primary for his state assembly district. Bronson would be the only out gay New York state legislator from the upstate region, since the five currently in the senate or assembly are from the New York City area.
Bronson is running to replace longtime assemblywoman Susan John. Bronson said he planned to continue John's focus on labor and jobs, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. John is retiring after a 20-year career in the legislature.
Looking toward the November vote, Dison said there are more than 100 Victory Fund–backed candidates up for election.
LGBT Rhode Islanders largely applaud Cicilline’s victory
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 13:54Cicilline has received the backing of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. In addition, two openly gay state politicians endorsed Cicilline: House Majority Leader Gordon Fox (D-Providence) and state Rep. Frank Ferri (D-Warwick).
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=110366Beyer falls short in bid for legislature
Mon, Sep 27th 2010, 13:50Elsewhere in Maryland, seven openly gay and lesbian candidates won their races. Incumbent Dels. Heather Mizeur (D-Dist. 20), Maggie McIntosh (D-Dist. 43) and Anne Kaiser (D-Dist. 14) advanced to the general election, along with newcomers Mary Washington (D-Dist. 43), Luke Clippinger (D-Dist. 46) and Bonnie Cullison (D-Dist. 19). Gay Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Dist. 18) also won his race. With those victories, Maryland is poised to join just a handful of states served by seven openly gay and lesbian state legislators, according to a statement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/09/15/beyer-concedes-maryland-primary-race/Cicilline Wins in RI, Stachowski Loses in NY, O'Donnell Wins in DE
Wed, Sep 15th 2010, 10:45"The 49-year-old Providence mayor cruised to a comfortable victory
Tuesday, winning more than a third of the vote in a hard-fought four-way
race, according to unofficial election results."
Said Victory Fund CEO and President Chuck Wolfe of Cicilline's win:
"Adding more authentic LGBT voices to Congress is a Victory Fund
priority, and Mayor Cicilline’s win tonight puts us one giant step
closer to doing just that. When he wins this November, he will join
Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Jared Polis as the only openly gay and
lesbian members of Congress—our greatest champions for real change and
real progress toward full equality. We’re proud to have supported Mayor
Cicilline throughout his political career, and thrilled about this
historic victory."
Dems Give Nod To Openly Gay David Cicilline For Congress
Wed, Sep 15th 2010, 10:39The 48-year-old Cicilline, who has
served two terms as mayor of Providence, enjoys the endorsement of
the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay
elected officials, and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's
largest gay rights advocate.
ldquo;Adding more authentic LGBT voices to
Congress is a Victory Fund priority, and Mayor Cicilline's win
tonight puts us one giant step closer to doing just that,” Chuck
Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, said in a statement.
HRC President Joe Solmonese cheered
Cicilline's win.
“We are thrilled that David Cicilline
has advanced to the general election,” he said in a statement. “He
has proven himself as a state senator and strong mayor and will no
doubt be an active and effective congressman in promoting equality
for all people.”
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund vice
president, told On Top Magazine that the increasing numbers of
openly gay elected officials is slowly changing the political
landscape.
“Every year more and more brave
people are stepping up to run for office while being honest about who
they are,” Dison said. “That's going to change politics in
America.”
Gay candidates for Congress draw interest, hope
Mon, Sep 13th 2010, 14:56"There are so few people
on the Hill who can speak authentically about what these things mean in
their own lives," said Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund, a group that works to elect gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender politicians. "We are vastly underrepresented."
Sexual
orientation and gay marriage are not the flashpoints in this midterm
election that they have been in the past. There are no statewide ballot
measures on gay marriage this November, and polls have shown a growing acceptance of same-sex
unions. Five states now allow gay marriage, including Rhode Island's
neighbors Massachusetts and Connecticut.
That has bolstered the hopes of advocates, who would like to see the number of openly gay members of Congress increase.
The
Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay
rights group, has poured money into both races. The California seat has
also been targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's
"Red to Blue" program as one of the seats it sees as having the best
chances of moving from Republican to Democrat, although analysts say it
could still be tough in what's expected to be a Republican year.
A fourth openly gay member of Congress?
Mon, Sep 13th 2010, 14:48Among the national LGBT groups that have endorsed Cicilline are the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Human Rights Campaign.
Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Victory Fund, said Cicilline is “doing very well” as he approaches his primary.
“He’s working very hard; he’s raised a very competitive amount of money,” she said. “We are feeling that he’s in a very strong position going into Sept. 14.”
Cicilline’s main opponent in the primary is William Lynch, former head of the Rhode Island State Democratic Party. Other candidates in the running are Anthony Gemma, a businessman, and David Segal, a Rhode Island State House member.
Brand said primary results are sometimes hard to predict because turnout is often unpredictable, so Cicilline’s chances next week will depend on the ground game of getting out supporters.
“You’re also trying to message to a relatively small number of voters,” she said. “A lot of times, primary campaigns are really driven by endorsements and by personal connections to the community.”
But Cicilline has a number of factors in his favor as he enters the Democratic primary. A poll published last month by Brown University found the Providence mayor leading in the pack of Democratic candidates.
According to the poll, 32 percent said they would vote for Cicilline while 15 percent would support Lynch, 11 percent would support Gemma and 5 percent would support Segal.
Still, a number of votes could be up for grabs. In the poll, 35 percent of respondents identified as undecided.
Cicilline has also been a powerhouse fundraiser whose war chest dwarfs other Democratic opponents in the race.
According to the most recent Federal Election Commission reports, Cicilline has raised $1.16 million for his campaign and has more than $900,000 in cash on hand.
Comparatively, Lynch has raised $286,000, Gemma has raised $240,000 and Segal has raised $144,000.
Brand said both the poll and the fundraising numbers “absolutely” bode well for Cicilline as the primary approaches.
“You’d rather be ahead than behind, especially if we’re talking significant spread margins, which have been demonstrated not only in the fundraising, but also in the polling,” she said.
But Brand said the Cicilline campaign is “taking nothing for granted” despite these numbers and has “been building a strong field organization for months” in anticipation of the primary.
Still, Cicilline’s opponents are hammering on the problems facing Providence during his stewardship of the city as mayor, such as underperforming schools and high unemployment.
In a radio debate on Aug. 18, Gemma said Providence was in “shambles” and said Cicilline is not fit to serve in Congress, while Lynch said city schools are a “disaster,” according to the Associated Press.
Cicilline didn’t attend Wednesday’s debate reportedly because it was held during the “Buddy Cianci Show.” The show’s host, Cicilline’s predecessor as mayor, served time in federal prison for corruption.
In response to these criticisms, Brand said the situation in Rhode Island isn’t different from many other places that are facing economic problems.
“The frustration that voters are feeling about the state of the economy is happening across the country,” she said. “I think what voters are looking for is strong leaders, and David Cicilline is a strong leader.”
Brand said the Victory Fund hasn’t seen Cicilline’s Democratic challengers employ anti-gay campaign tactics in an attempt to derail the candidate in the primary.
Gay Navajo man poised to join Ariz. Senate
Thu, Sep 2nd 2010, 09:20"In most places, minorities are underrepresented in government," said Denis Dison, vice president external affairs at Victory Fund. "That’s especially true for LGBT people. Only about 500 or more than 500,000 elected officials in the U.S. are openly LGBT."
The Victory Fund endorsed Jackson’s campaign. And Dison said: "Jack easily met all our endorsement criteria."
"LGBT people who are also racial or ethnic minorities tell a more accurate story about our community," he added. "It’s part of our strength that we identify as a community, but I think we’re even stronger when we realize we’re also a subset of every other community, including the Navajo Nation."
For his part, Jackson he said he will work to bring equality to all Arizonans.
Mehlman news fuels divisive reaction
Fri, Aug 27th 2010, 15:01Meanwhile the Victory Fund, a gay and lesbian political group, issued a more tepid response, saying, "We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public."
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/26/mehlman-news-fuels-divisive-reaction/Mehlman coming out draws mixed reactions
Fri, Aug 27th 2010, 14:59Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said he was
hoping to win Mehlman’s support on LGBT issues in the future.
“Coming out is a personal decision, and it can have a profound impact
on families, friends, colleagues and constituents,” Wolfe said. “We
hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will
now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay
campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical
attempts to manipulate the American public.”
Political Notebook: State lawmakers endorse Oakland judicial candidate
Fri, Aug 27th 2010, 14:54Equality California PAC, the political arm of the statewide LGBT group, and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund are co-hosting this weekend's fundraiser for Kolakowski. The event costs $100 and will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the home of EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors and his partner James Williamson, co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center's board.
http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=5028Right and Left Alike Pile on Out Former RNC Chair Ken Mehlman
Thu, Aug 26th 2010, 17:42"We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public," said Chuck Wolfe, the head of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political organization that supports GLBT candidates in races around the nation.
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc2=news&sc3=&id=109588Ken Mehlman: I'm 'At Peace' With Myself, There's 'Absolutely' Room For Gays In The GOP
Thu, Aug 26th 2010, 17:36Many high-profile LGBT activists have already embraced Mehlman since his announcement earlier Wednesday. "We hope the fact that Ken Mehlman has reached this level of honesty will now encourage other political leaders to reject divisive anti-gay campaign tactics which, as Mr. Mehlman now admits, are purely cynical attempts to manipulate the American public," Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a public statement. Openly gay Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf told the Huffington Post that it was "great for the community to get new converts" because "until we get 51 percent of the American public supporting us on these issues, it's really important that we welcome people who want to come help us."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/25/ken-mehlman-gay-interview-marriage-equality_n_695040.htmlMixed Primary Night for Gay Pols
Thu, Aug 26th 2010, 17:31Jack Jackson Jr., a former Arizona state representative who once ran for the U.S. House of Representatives, essentially won election to the state senate Tuesday night, as he won the Democratic nomination and has no opponent in the general election. According to Denis Dison at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, with Jackson, there will be at least five openly LGBT people in the Arizona state legislature when the new session convenes. Jackson, a member of the Navajo Nation, spent the evening celebrating with his colleague Tom Chabin, who won his state house race Tuesday.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/08/25/Gay_Pols_Win_Big_or_Go_Home/Richard Sorian Latest Openly Gay Obama Appointee
Mon, Aug 23rd 2010, 09:31In June, the White House announced that
Obama has appointed more openly gay staffers than the administrations
of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton combined.
ThePresidential
Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by
the Gay &
Lesbian Victory Fund, was responsible for bringing many of the
appointments, including Sorian, to the attention of administration
officials.
The Gaying of CT Politics
Fri, Aug 20th 2010, 11:08“It’s still very rare for an openly gay or lesbian candidate to win
statewide office,” says Denis Dison, a spokesman for the national Gay
and Lesbian Victory Fund. “Not many even run.”
“There are still states where they’ve never had an openly gay or
lesbian state legislator,” Dison says, citing Florida and Pennsylvania
as two examples. In Connecticut, where gay state lawmakers are now
almost routine, Dison says “The electorate becomes more used to it; the
media becomes more used to it. It just becomes less controversial and
less interesting.”
SDGLN to host LGBT candidates forum on Aug. 30 at Anthology
Wed, Aug 18th 2010, 17:18Denis Dison, vice president of external affairs for the Gay &
Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, said San Diego is a model
for the rest of the country.
"San Diego is a Victory Fund success story. The LGBT community there
has really embraced our mission, which is to change politics by electing
openly LGBT candidates for public office,” Dison said.
“Some of the city's true LGBT heroes have been its elected officials, and we're proud to have played a role in that."
3 gay nominees held up in Senate
Fri, Aug 13th 2010, 09:14The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has pushed for the appointment of LGBT people through the federal government as the coalition leader in the Presidential Appointments Project.
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, said he had no knowledge of anti-gay bias holding up the confirmation process.
“My understanding is there are tons of nominees that are still being held,” Dison said. “I think that if the president is nominating a number of LGBT people, they’re just as likely to get caught up in the politics as straight nominees.”
Victory Fund To Host First New York Brunch In September!
Thu, Aug 12th 2010, 15:49One of the most anticipated events every April in Washington DC is the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's annual brunch. The sold out event in the Mayflower Hotel attracts Washington's best and brightest. This year the Victory Fund is launching its first New York Brunch to be held on September 19th at noon. The elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel is the location of this event.
The lineup is impressive and the list is just the beginning: Congressman Barney Frank who is Chair of the House of Representatives Banking Committee, New York City Council President Christine Quinn and President of the Victory Fund Chuck Wolfe. My favorite part of this event is that comedian and talented actor Alec Mapa is going to be Master of Ceremonies. Without a doubt, he is one of the funniest people in the entertainment industry. If you've ever seen his one man theatrical show, you know what I am talking about.
Legendary New York activist Joy Tomchin and I have agreed to CoChair the event. There are a number of table captains already. You can order your tickets by clicking here. This promises to be a fun event.
Out With the Old
Thu, Aug 12th 2010, 15:38Bryce Bennett, a gay 25-year-old seeking a seat in Montana’s house of representatives, hopes his promise to create jobs and fight pollution wins voters over. Bennett captured the Democratic primary for the relatively liberal district around Missoula, giving him a good shot of taking the seat of retiring congressman Robin Hamilton. Like Washington and Pougnet, the University of Montana graduate has been endorsed by the Victory Fund, the D.C.-based group that works to elect gay candidates to office.
“Being young and gay isn’t helping or hurting the campaign,” Bennett says. “Everyone I talk to tells me they want a legislator who will roll up their sleeves and deliver.”
Optimism may be a political requirement for candidates, but both Szekeres and Denis Dison, the communications vice president for the Victory Fund, sound a more cautious note.
Electoral success for gay candidates in yesterday's primaries
Wed, Aug 11th 2010, 14:25Via Denis Dison at Gay Politics, there were some big wins for Victory Fund endorsed candidates in primaries in Connecticut, Colorado and Georgia. And, it looks good for all three moving towards November:
In Connecticut, Kevin Lembo (pictured) won the Democratic primary for State Comptroller. Now a favorite to win the general election, Lembo’s on his way to becoming one of just a handful of openly LGBT candidates to win statewide office in the U.S.
Colorado State Senator Lucia Guzman won her Democratic primary, and is well-positioned to keep the seat to which she was recently appointed. Guzman is an ordained minister and an out lesbian who hopes to invigorate efforts to pass legislation that secures key partnership rights for LGBT people and their families.
In Atlanta, Joan Garner, an openly lesbian African-American, won her race for a seat on the Fulton County Commission. Because no other candidates qualified to be on the ballot in November, she will become the commission’s first openly LGBT member.
Congrats.
Time to call her Commissioner-elect Joan Garner
Wed, Aug 11th 2010, 12:25Garner collected the endorsements of three key LGBT groups – Georgia Equality, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats and the national Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund – on her way to victory, along with deep support from key LGBT political types. Waites dismissed those endorsements and didn’t publicly court gay voters, though she did receive a late endorsement from a co-owner of the Eagle. The Atlanta Progressive News’ Matthew Cardinale, a gay activist and journalist, also endorsed Waites.
With the win, Garner joins Alex Wan and Simone Bell in making local LGBT electoral history. Wan won a runoff last December to become the first openly gay man – and third overall openly LGBT person – to serve on the Atlanta City Council. Bell won a special election last year to become the nation’s first openly lesbian African-American state lawmaker. Bell faces no opposition this November in her campaign to win a full term in the General Assembly.
Gay Candidates Make Primary Election Gains
Wed, Aug 11th 2010, 10:47Openly gay and lesbian candidates backed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund scored primary election day wins in Colorado, Connecticut and Georgia on Tuesday.
According to the Victory Fund’s blog, GayPolitics.com, winners include Kevin Lembo, who won the Democratic primary for state comptroller in Connecticut. He appears poised to win the general election, and become one of few openly LGBT candidates to win statewide office.
In Colorado, the Victory Fund reports that state senator Lucia Guzman, an ordained minister and out lesbian, won her primary and looks on track to keep the seat to which she was recently appointed. And Joan Garner, an openly lesbian African-American, won her race for a seat on the Fulton County Commission in Atlanta, where she faces no opposition in November and will become the commission’s first openly gay member.
Candidate profile: Lieutenant governor Democrat Howard touts a broad appeal
Fri, Aug 6th 2010, 09:38Howard, who is openly gay, said he frequently hears from voters that his
being gay is not an issue, but that they won't support him because they
are worried he can not get elected because he is gay.
Vermont
Freedom to Marry, the organization which lobbied to get the same sex
marriage bill passed during the last biennium, did not endorse anyone in
the lieutenant governor's race, something which disappointed him given
that he worked to convince fellow lawmakers to support the bill he
cosponsored and given that voted for it to pass despite a veto, Howard
said.
“It was one of the proudest moments of my career,” he said.
Thursday Howard won an endorsement from a national group, the National Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
Judge's personal life debated after gay ruling
Fri, Aug 6th 2010, 09:26In response, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political action committee for gay candidates, launched an online petition accusing Gallagher's group of "gay-baiting."
But the debate raises the question: Why is sexuality different from
other personal characteristics judges posses? Can a female judge rule on
abortion issues? A black judge on civil rights?
Maggie Gallagher Blasts Prop 8 Ruling, Judge
Fri, Aug 6th 2010, 09:16The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that promotes openly gay elected officials, initiated
a petition drive Thursday against Gallagher's remarks.
"Sign this petition and tell Maggie gay-baiting has no place in the national debate over LGBT equality,” the petition says.
Sexual Orientation an Open Issue for Cicilline
Thu, Aug 5th 2010, 10:24Cicilline’s candidacy has drawn the attention of at least two national interest groups, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. Both have helped bundle campaign contributions for the mayor in recent weeks and are considering funneling more resources into the district before the primary on Sept. 14.
The HRC helped coordinate a July fundraiser for Cicilline in Philadelphia, while the Victory Fund recently helped arrange donor meetings in California.
“It’s exciting to see an openly gay candidate as the frontrunner,” HRC Political Action Committee Director Mike Mings said, noting that his organization would likely send “at least one staffer” to Rhode Island in the coming weeks to help coordinate field operations. “It’s uncommon to have someone in such a good position.”
Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe, who has already visited Cicilline in Rhode Island multiple times this cycle, acknowledged that gay candidates regularly face bias across the country.
“It’s definitely going on, but it’s obviously less in New England,” he said. “But there is the church question: How strong is the Catholic church and how strong will any church influence be?”
The organizations have endorsed Cicilline and two other openly gay Congressional candidates this cycle. But Cicilline has the best chance of becoming the fourth openly gay Member in the next Congress, following Democratic Reps. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Jared Polis (Colo.) and Barney Frank (Mass.).
http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003718548&cpage=1Iowa Senator Matt McCoy Called 'Chief Sodomite' At NOM Rally
Mon, Aug 2nd 2010, 17:32McCoy, who has served four terms in the state Senate,has the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay elected officials.
"McCoy has been instrumental in promoting equality across Iowa for years,” the group said in its endorsement. “When a ban [on] marriage equality was proposed in 2005, Republicans controlled the state Senate – without Matt's eloquent advocacy, many onlookers believe the ban would have passed."
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=6148&MediaType=1&Category=26Parker to China: Gay Rights Good for Business
Mon, Aug 2nd 2010, 14:47According to GayPolitics.com, Parker is on her first trip abroad since being elected in December, when Houston become the largest U.S. city to date to elect an openly gay mayor. The purpose of her visit to China is to encourage business links, especially new direct air carrier routes, between Houston and Shanghai.
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/08/02/Parker_Visits_China,_Speaks_about_Gay_Rights/Cicilline "continues to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbyist, corporate PAC and insider money to fund his campaign."
Mon, Aug 2nd 2010, 11:43Lynch also said that Cicilline received contributions from "corporate PACs." Our review showed that of the almost $35,000 Cicilline accepted from Political Action Committees this year, only about $6,000 or so came from so-called "corporate PACs," which we defined as a political committee directly associated with a corporate entity, such as a law firm. We did not include those affiliated with ideological causes such as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which also gave to Cicilline.
Add the lobbyist and corporate PAC contributions and you get just under $50,000. That's roughly 4.3 percent of the $1.16 million he accepted this year. It's hardly the "hundreds of thousands of dollars" that Lynch talks about.
The joy of giving
Fri, Jul 30th 2010, 09:17“We’ve long been … supporters of the [Gay & Lesbian] Victory Fund,” Fleming said. “It’s been one of the chief tenets of the Victory Fund that it’s really terrific to have friends, but it’s even better to have folks from our own community elected.”
Although there has been criticism that the Obama administration and Congress have not moved quickly enough on pro-LGBT legislation, Fleming said this perceived lack of progress hasn’t been a factor in his advice as Bohnett’s political director.
Queery: Denis Dison
Fri, Jul 30th 2010, 09:13That was 20 years ago. Four years ago, the 42-year-old self-described political junkie joined the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund where he’s vice president for external affairs. He’d worked in editorial and marketing jobs before but he’s been putting his writing skills to use blogging at Fund-sponsored gaypolitics.com and is also a spokesperson for the organization.
“It can be a bit jarring moving from the non-profit world, but I saw this as a unique opportunity to contribute to the greater equality of LGBT people and I’ve always felt if you have the opportunity to work for the community you’re part of, you should take it.” Things are “incredibly busy,” he says. This year’s batch of 147 Fund-backed hopefuls includes six (three incumbents) running for congressional seats.
Garner's Fulton bid enjoys gay support
Tue, Jul 20th 2010, 15:41Garner has picked up a host of endorsements in the race, from gay groups Georgia Equality, Atlanta Stonewall Democrats and Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, to the Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee and Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council, AFL-CIO. The Committee for a Better Atlanta even chimed in, giving Garner its “well qualified” seal of approval.
Ashburn: It's time for Republicans to fight for gay rights
Tue, Jul 20th 2010, 15:35In the piece published on the website gaypolitics.com, run by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund that supports gay and lesbian candidates for office, Ashburn writes, "Gay people being treated with respect and having the same opportunities for a good life regardless of sexual orientation should not be topics of political debate. How can it possibly be that there is a partisan political divide over equal rights in America?"
Ashburn had one of the Legislature's strongest records of voting against bills to expand rights for LGBT Californians, but he says he deeply regrets those votes and wrote, "I look back now knowing there is so much more I could have done to inform the public about LGBT people and to fight for equal rights under the law. Regrettably and selfishly, I took another path in my life and political career -- I chose to conceal who I truly am and to then actually vote against the best interests of people like me. All this was done because I was afraid -- terrified, really -- that somehow I would be revealed as gay."
Tossing the rainbow hat into the ring
Tue, Jul 20th 2010, 13:20If elected, Washington, a real estate agent, could become just the second openly lesbian African-American state legislator in the country.
"I am running for the Maryland House of Delegates because I believe the district needs more vigorous, more progressive leadership and the community needs elected officials who can inspire public trust, serve as a catalyst for positive change and work effectively to expand social and economic justice," Washington told OUTloud.
The native of Philadelphia earned a Ph.D in Sociology from Johns Hopkins University. Washington is troubled that divisions along the lines of race, class and sexual orientation plague the district and the city—a condition she says has persisted for decades. "I’m afraid the city just hasn’t had the kind of representation we need, the kind of leadership we need to bring our communities together."
She admits it's a challenge, but she loves challenges. "My work has been all about bringing people from all walks of life together to solve city problems. Throughout my career, I have worked with all kinds of people – rich and poor, black and white, gay and straight – to create social change."
Washington, who also received an endorsement from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, believes her record on lgbt issues will convince people she will be a powerful advocate in Annapolis. She has argued on behalf of same-sex couples having the right to choose civil marriage. As an elder at the First and Franklin Street Presbyterian Church, she worked with church leadership to back a Friend of the Court brief supporting the Deane and Polyak lawsuit for equal marriage rights in Maryland. And she advocated equal marriage rights as a member of the Stonewall Democrats of Central Maryland as well as other forums.
She strongly supports state judges who are willing to endorse second-parent adoptions for gay and lesbian families in Baltimore and Maryland. "I believe we must ensure that children of gay families and gay children of straight families are treated fairly in our schools, that sex education curricula do not treat homosexuality as a medical condition or pathology and that lgbt students have the same rights to meet in our public schools as all other students do."
Gay Fla. city councilman seeks U.S. House seat
Fri, Jul 16th 2010, 12:02Among the national LGBT organizations that are backing Galvin are the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the National Stonewall Democrats. Galvin said Florida Together, a local LGBT organization, also has thrown its support behind him.
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Victory Fund, said his organization endorsed Galvin because he met the criteria considered in the organization’s endorsements. Such criteria include having a plan necessary to raise the money to compete.
“The political team and our board both agreed that there was a path to victory for Scott,” he said.
One of the factors that Dison cited in the Victory Fund’s endorsement was the crowded Democratic primary.
“When there are nine people running for this nomination, it’s much different than if you just have one or two people competing,” Dison said.
On political homophobia, fear and being like the NRA
Wed, Jul 14th 2010, 09:37Yesterday, the Victory Fund's Chuck Wolfe has a post at Bilerico about political fear. He basically describes political homophobia. People inside the beltway know exactly what this is. They hear it from our supposed allies all the time:
In the last decade these numbers have moved in only one direction--toward fairness and inclusion. And yet, Congress still hasn't enacted significant protections for LGBT Americans. Why?
Fear, mostly. Fear that despite their distinct minority status, anti-LGBT extremists wield inordinate power when directly challenged. Swat that nest, the thinking goes, and the hornets will swarm. Incumbents, especially this year, aren't eager to add perceived obstacles to reelection.
LGBT activists often debate whether this fear is rational. On one side are Beltway types who see it up close every day. It's the elephant in the room at every conversation with a moderate Democratic senator from the Midwest, a gay Republican staffer for a House member, and even White House strategists.
Whether one believes it's rational or not, this fear exists, and it's part of working in LGBT politics in Washington. It must be understood, or the conversation stops.
The conversation stops because people in these DC offices don't fear us. They fear the other side. And, although candidates often want our support (mostly money), they won't take the votes necessary to give us our rights. Wolfe's solution is: "Our job as advocates is to come together to find a solution, address the fear and create the conditions to win."
We do need to create the conditions to win. And, we're not going to get there by playing nice. For one thing, our advocates need to call out "political homophobia" when they see it. And, we need to make politicians fear us, not our opponents.
Wolfe: Who's afraid of equality?
Mon, Jul 12th 2010, 13:07What's keeping Congress from enacting broadly popular LGBT equality legislation? The Victory Fund's president and CEO, Chuck Wolfe, weighs in.
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/whos_afraid_of_equality.phpMessage heard: "The gAyTM is closed." So what now?
Mon, Jul 12th 2010, 11:42The Victory Fund is dedicated supporting LGBT and allied candidates. The Progressive Majority is also a pro-equality progressive political fund you can trust with your money. You should also consider supporting Progressives who have fought for us (even if they happen to be Democratic). Candidates in my region include Jim McDermott and Suzan DelBenne.
Not all politics are national, local politics can have a lasting effect as well. Look around you and find the diamonds in the rough. Believe it or not, we do have friends.
Palm Springs (GO)Party?
Wed, Jul 7th 2010, 09:50One of those was Rep. Mary Bono-Mack (R-Calif.), who was married to the late singer-turned-politician Sonny Bono. Bono-Mack has represented Palm Springs since winning this special election for his seat in Congress in 1998 and received HRC's endorsement as recently as 2006. In this fall's election, however, HRC is backing challenger and out gay Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet (D), who also is backed by the Victory Fund in his race.
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=5396GLBT Event Moved Due to Immigration Furor
Wed, Jul 7th 2010, 09:04The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute, who had been considering holding its 2011 conference in Phoenix, has chosen Las Vegas instead.
Up until recently, Phoenix was considered the frontrunner to host the December 2011 conference.
The Phoenix Host Committee, led by Councilman Tom Simplot and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, had been working furtively to secure the conference. The conference would have attracted hundreds of gay and lesbian elected leaders.
GLLI alluded that the immigration debate in Arizona caused them to chose another site, according to the Phoenix Host Committee.
GLLI said in a letter, "The current political and legal climate in Arizona makes it complicated to accept your hospitality."
GLLI helps equip gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with the tools for success. The institute assists hundreds of individuals who go on to influential careers in politics, government, business and advocacy each year.
Gay GOP Group GOProud Backs Rep. Mary Bono Mack
Tue, Jul 6th 2010, 16:36The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed the campaign of Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, an openly gay politician raising two children – Beckman and Julia – with his husband Christopher Green, a pharmaceutical sales representative. The couple married in 2008 during the brief June-to-November window when gay marriage was legal in California.
While the Victory Fund is nonpartisan, its endorsement card tilts heavily Democrat.
LaSalvia quickly denounced Pougnet's ties to “the gay left,” saying they “would have you believe that Mary Bono-Mack is somehow an enemy of the gay and lesbian community.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth. The decision of organizations like the Human Rights Campaign to oppose Mary's re-election is a shameful reminder of just how slavishly the gay left is willing to [go to] do the bidding of Nancy Pelosi and the DCCC,” he said. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest gay rights advocate.
The forty-seven-year-old Pougnet has labeled Bono Mack anti-gay for her recent vote against repeal of the law that bans gay troops from serving openly.
“In a perfect world, people like Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack would treat all Americans the same,” Pougnet said after the House voted to repeal the law. “They wouldn't vote against gays and lesbians just to gain favor with extremists on the right.”
“I know we don't live in that perfect world yet, but I was still shocked to learn that Bono Mack voted against the amendment to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'” he added.
Denis Dison, a vice president with the Victory Fund, also disagreed with LaSalvia's characterization of Bono Mack as a gay ally.
“She had the chance to stand up for gays and lesbians serving in uniform, and she didn't take it,” Dison said in an email to On Top Magazine.
Kaplan enters Oakland mayor's race
Thu, Jul 1st 2010, 10:17"I don't want to run just to run," Kaplan said. "This is about running to win the seat that is the head of the executive branch in our city."
Kaplan has secured the endorsement of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. She has also been endorsed by Oakland businessman Geoffrey Pete, vice chair of Oakland's Black Caucus, Joyce Gordon of the Joyce Gordon Gallery, and the Reverend Dr. Harold Mayberry of First AME Church of Oakland.
Online Extra: Political Notes: Congress likely to see new LGBT members in 2011
Thu, Jul 1st 2010, 10:13It is more than likely that the current three-person LGBT congressional delegation will have a few more members come 2011 as a dozen out candidates are seeking congressional seats this year.
In a positive sign for the viability of several candidates' campaigns, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed six of the House candidates. The national group only backs those LGBT candidates deemed to have credible chances of winning their races, and the endorsement allows them to tap into the group's nationwide donor network.
In addition to the three Democratic incumbents seeking re-election to the House this year – Barney Frank (Massachusetts), Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), and Jared Polis (Colorado) – the Victory Fund also endorsed three gay men looking to join them on Capitol Hill.
In California, Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet won the group's backing in his race for the state's 45th Congressional District. Pougnet ran unopposed in the June Democratic primary and will take on incumbent GOP Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack this fall.
Providence Mayor David Cicilline picked up the group's endorsement in his four-way race to be the Democratic nominee for Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District. Next week state Democratic Party leaders will open their convention to select who the party's favored candidate will be in the September 14 primary.
Cicilline's biggest opponent in the race to succeed Representative Patrick Kennedy appears to be Bill Lynch class="vitstorybody">, a former state Democratic Party chairman in Rhode Island. But Cicilline had outpaced Lynch in fundraising according to the latest disclosures in April, and he is considered a heavy favorite to not only best his primary opponents but also to keep the House seat in Democratic hands.
The third gay candidate winning Victory Fund support is Scott Galvin, a North Miami Beach city councilman who is running in a crowded Democratic primary set for August 24 to represent Florida's 17th Congressional District. With nine people in the race, it is anyone's guess who will come out on top.
But in a twist, Galvin's being a white, gay man may give him an advantage. He is running against several African American candidates in a district with a heavy concentration of black voters, and pundits have speculated they could split their vote enough to allow Galvin to eke out a victory.
The district is considered a safe one for Democrats, so whoever wins the party primary is expected to easily capture the seat in November.
There are five other House races with out candidates this year, but none have gained the Victory Fund's support as of yet.
What Is The Best National Political LGBT Organization In The Country?
Fri, Jun 25th 2010, 09:37The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in Washington, DC is simply one of the best LGBT political organizations in the country. The Fund is operated, top to bottom, with excellence, good management, effective use of funds and creating long term impact in the struggle for full equality. The change it has created by electing openly LGBT candidates to public office is simply immeasurable.
The purpose of the organization is to get early resources to the campaigns of viable LGBT candidates for public office. Then to continue with that support through election. They offer candidates expertise on how to deal with LGBT issues in campaigns but also had to run effective campaigns. They have raised millions for openly LGBT candidates in their 12 years of existence.
A huge number of people have been responsible for its prominent place in the community. The Victory Fund's present CEO Chuck Wolfe deserves enormous praise for taking it to the next level and its current success.
The victories of the organization run from names like Congressman Barney Frank, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Jarad Polis to big city mayors like Mayor Annise Parker of Houston, Mayor Sam Adam of Portland and Mayor David Cicilline of Providence. In the last dozen years the number of LGBT elected officials has risen from 49 to over 500 openly LGBT elected officials! This year alone they have endorsed a record breaking 123 candidates running for office including 6 running for the United States Congress! They have elected people in hardcore conservative states. They not only endorse for Congress but also for such agencies as the Metro Water Reclamation Board in Illinois.
In addition, the Victory Fund runs the best candidate and campaign training programs in existence. Recently they took over the international organization for LGBT elected officials. This year's conference for international LGBT elected officials will be held in Washington, DC this December.
Hope you will free some of those valuable resources you all have and support the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. It's worth it.
Senate Confirms Gay Museum Board Nominee John Coppola
Thu, Jun 24th 2010, 13:31The Presidential Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was responsible for bringing the three appointees to the attention of administration officials.
“John is one of a growing number of LGBT appointees to federal boards and commissions,” Denis Dison, a vice president at the Victory Fund, told On Top Magazine in an email. “The Presidential Appointments Project is seeking more LGBT applicants who, like John, are willing to serve on these important panels and help shape federal policy.”
Mike Huckabee 'Ick Factor' Comments Slammed By Gay Rights Groups
Wed, Jun 23rd 2010, 09:46Denis Dison, Vice President of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, also responded to the comments, writing in an email to Politico: "The man keeps putting his foot in his mouth...Talk about 'ick factor.' One can only guess Gov. Huckabee has discovered he gets more press hits every time he says something stupid about gay people."
Huckabee has exhibited a penchant for making inflammatory statements concerning gay rights. In an April interview with the College of New Jersey's student publication, the Perspective, the former Governor compared gay adoption to experimentation and reminded reporters that "Children are not puppies."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/mike-huckabee-ick-factor_n_621284.htmlObama Expands Federal Benefits, Hires Over 100 Gay and Lesbian Staffers
Tue, Jun 22nd 2010, 16:22This high number is driven by the Presidential Appointments Project, part of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, aimed at placing qualified LGBT people in jobs within the administration. The PAP offers an application form that interested LGBT people can fill out, and then they present those people as candidates to fill vacant slots. Their website lists the full roster of gay folks they’ve sent to the White House and beyond.
Now, it’s never wise to just assume that a high number means progress, but I’m convinced this is a really great thing. Of course I’d like the number to be higher. But I’d also like to see a day when we don’t even have to count, where it’s not an issue in the first place.
Gay groups hit Huckabee
Tue, Jun 22nd 2010, 09:17That history, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Vice President Denis Dison wrote in an e-mail, is what gay groups find so objectionable.
“The man keeps putting his foot in his mouth,” said Dixon. “Talk about 'ick factor.' One can only guess Gov. Huckabee has discovered he gets more press hits every time he says something stupid about gay people.”
Obama administration has hired over 100 gay staffers
Mon, Jun 21st 2010, 17:04The Presidential Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, suggested the hiring of many of the over 100 openly gay appointees serving in the administration.
“This has always been the point of the project – to make sure LGBT voices and their perspectives are heard at the highest levels of the U.S. government,” said George Walker, a vice president at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute.
Long Beach councilman Robert Garcia named to "40-Under-40" list by The Advocate: First District leader selected for national honor.
Mon, Jun 21st 2010, 09:15Garcia is one of approximately 485 openly gay elected officials in the country at all levels of government, from local to federal, said Denis Dison, communications vice president with the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a political action committee that endorses nonpartisan candidates.
When the group formed in 1991, 49 openly LGBT elected officials were in office.
President Barack Obama has made more LGBT appointments than any commander-in-chief
Fri, Jun 18th 2010, 13:56The Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute published a list of Obama administration appointees.
The institute trains LGBT candidates on how to run an effective campaign and is related to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helps raise money for endorsed candidates.
Some of the better-known names include Margarethe Cammermeyer, who is a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. Cammermeyer is the highest-ranking woman to be dismissed from the military.
Obama Appoints Record Number Of Gay, Trans Staffers
Fri, Jun 18th 2010, 11:18The Presidential Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was responsible for bringing many of the appointees to the attention of administration officials.
“This has always been the point of the project – to make sure LGBT voices and their perspectives are heard at the highest levels of the U.S. government,” George Walker, a vice president at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, said.
Cambridge Mayor comes out during Pride Brunch
Wed, Jun 16th 2010, 08:57"Good for Mayor Maher. No matter where they serve, it’s still a brave and good thing for elected officials who are gay to talk about that openly and honestly. Having out officials in leadership roles does a lot to dispel fears about LGBT people. It demonstrates we’re as committed and dedicated to our communities as everyone else," said Denis Dison, Vice President of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. "Cambridge now has its third openly gay mayor in a row, and the Massachusetts GOP’s candidate for lieutenant governor is openly gay, which are extraordinary developments. That said, out elected officials are still rare in America, and many states have still never elected an openly gay state legislator, including large states like Florida and Pennsylvania."
http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=106949
Cambridge, Mass. Mayor Comes Out
Tue, Jun 15th 2010, 11:28Maher, 51, has been with his partner for more than 30 years, the Chronicle reports. He took office in February.
As the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reports, Maher follows former mayors Ken Reeves, who was the first African-American openly gay man to serve as a mayor in the United States, and E. Denise Simmons, who became the country’s first out lesbian African-American mayor.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/06/15/Cambridge_Mass_Mayor_Comes_Out/
SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The Victory Fund's Robin Brand
Mon, Jun 14th 2010, 12:01SGN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: The Victory Fund's Robin Brand
by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer
Robin Brand, deputy executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, will be in Seattle for a June 14 event with local LGBT political leaders and supporters.
The Victory Fund describes itself as an organization that 'identifies, trains, and elects LGBT leaders to all levels of office, in every corner of America.'
It claims a 68% win rate for its endorsed candidates.
Brand is no stranger to Washington, having been executive director of the state's Democratic Party in the mid-'90s.
She spoke exclusively with SGN about the Victory Fund's strategy and how that will pay out in Washington state.
"We've endorsed over 100 candidates this year," she told SGN, "the most ever. We've endorsed three in Washington - Marko Liias, Jamie Pedersen, and Laurie Jinkins. She will be the first openly Lesbian member of the legislature. It's very exciting!"
Liias is running for reelection as a State Representative in the 21st District, as Pedersen is in the 43rd. Jinkins is running for an open House seat in Tacoma's 27th District.
"Washington state has a great history with LGBT electeds!" Brand said. "I remember Cal Anderson. And Ed Murray - he's kind of the patriarch of LGBT electeds."
"It will be interesting running under the new primary laws - the top two go to the general [election]," she added. "It will be a different dynamic than in the past."
Brand then outlined other races she believed were especially important.
"We have two great congressional candidates," she said. "David Cicilline, the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and Steve Pougnet, the mayor of Palm Springs. That's a swing district where we think we have a good chance to pick up the seat."
"[Pougnet's opponent, Mary Bono Mack ] voted against 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal," Brand added.
Republican incumbent Mack, onetime wife of the late Sonny Bono and his successor in Congress, voted the Republican party line 89% of the time and earned an 84% approval rating from the Christian Coalition.
"There's also an important primary in Ohio," Brand told SGN. "Nickie Antonio will be the first openly Gay member of the Ohio legislature."
Antonio won her Democratic primary on June 8. No Republicans have filed for the seat, and an independent candidate withdrew from the race, meaning Antonio is certain to win the seat in November.
"We have a number of what we call 'building our influence states' - Washington, Colorado, and Maryland for example," Brand continued. "This also coincides with the next tier of states looking to expand relationship recognition."
"We've noticed that where you have five or more LGBT members in the legislature, that's where they've passed significant relationship recognition laws," she explained. "Colorado and Maryland are right at that threshold level."
Asked if she was advocating a state-by-state approach to marriage equality, Brand replied, "The Victory Fund itself doesn't advocate for policy issues, but we do see the value in working in states where you have two, three, four, five members [of the legislature]."
Brand is optimistic about electing LGBT candidates, and says she is not worried about the Tea Party, or what some have begun to call the "new right."
"It's clear there's frustration among all voters with economic issues, deficits, cuts in services - that's never good for incumbents. But I'm not convinced it's going to be anti-Democratic or anti-progressive," she said. "There's anger towards the direction the country is going, but I don't think it's partisan."
"We're continually electing LGBT candidates. We have really competitive races in Montana, Colorado, and Oklahoma - it's only going in one direction," Brand concluded.
Brand added that the Victory Fund also tries to build working alliances with other constituencies that might have compatible political goals.
"Labor, for example. In California, we've worked very well with the California Nurses Association. Washington is ahead of the curve a little bit on this issue," she told SGN.
"We're always looking for candidates who represent many constituencies. We support many candidates of color - a high percentage - our commitment to diversity is very strong," she added.
Asked what candidates could expect to get from a Victory Fund endorsement, Brand listed several benefits the Victory Fund offers.
"Our goal is to have openly Gay office holders in every state. There are still 18 or 19 without one in the state legislature. So one thing we do is to recruit candidates.
"We also train candidates. It's really very hard work. Our Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute has worked with hundreds of potential candidates. Sometimes after going through the training, someone will decide that being a candidate is not for them&
"We offer financial support. We offer technical support. Our team divvies up the candidates and we go and meet with them, and we ask them, 'How is the campaign doing? How many doors have you knocked on? How much money have you raised?'"
Brand told SGN that LGBT victories in any part of the country benefit the community even in places where LGBT voters are not very visible or well organized.
"There's no doubt that our successes in states like Washington and Vermont are moving the needle across the country. It impacts where we are nationally," she said
"How do we get more influential? Openly Gay candidates - that's an important first step for voters in supporting Gay rights. The voter might say, 'Well, I think he or she will do a good job, and that's more important than being Gay.'"
"That's especially important in the more conservative states," Brand added.
Brand herself is closely identified with the Democratic Party, having led the Washington state party - "Through its darkest years!" she chuckles. "I came in in 1995."
Almost all the candidates endorsed by The Victory Fund run as Democrats. Asked if they had written off the Republican Party, Brand replied it had not.
"We have endorsed Republican candidates - a couple of them, anyway - and we're looking to expand the number," she said.
"There's an openly Gay Republican running for Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts," she added, noting "There's a very different dynamic in a Republican primary."
Brand will be the special guest at a June 14 event at Marjorie's, 1412 E. Union Street, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The $50 ticket goes to support the Victory Fund's Leadership Institute.
Hosts of the event include Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Clark and Tom Rasmussen, Tacoma City Councilmember Ryan Mello, Port Commissioner Rob Holland, State Sen. Joe McDermott, State Rep. Marko Liias, Anne Levinson, Tina Podlodowski, Michael Mattmiller and Jay Petterson, Kevin Thompson and Greg Ratliff, and Brady Walkinshaw.
http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews38_24/page1.cfm
Outing Politicians: Does It Ultimately Help or Hurt Us
Mon, Jun 14th 2010, 09:22Denis Dison, spokesman for the Victory Fund, which supports the efforts of openly LGBT politicians running for public office, agreed: "Having somebody who is secretly gay in public office doesn’t really help [the community], but the process of dragging that person out of the closet can have a negative effect if it reinforces the idea that being LGBT is extremely negative to the point somebody would want to lie about it," Dison told EDGE.
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=&sc3=&id=106870&pg=1
Trans candidate officially files against Kern
Fri, Jun 11th 2010, 14:00Both McAffrey and Kovach have the endorsement of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
Novotny has taken Victory Fund candidate training but has not sought their endorsement.
“Tom is in a very good position to win,” said Victory Fund spokesman Denis Dison. “He’s a known quantity with a good record.”
Dison called that district, which is south of Oklahoma City and includes the Oklahoma University campus, one of the most liberal in the state.
“Right now I’m on the city council,” Kovach said. “My ward is 40 percent of the district so most people here are familiar with me.”
He said he faces three other candidates in the primary.
“Two of them are college students in their early 20s,” he said.
The third person was a surprise last-minute filing and has mounted no campaign with just six week left before the primary.
Although his chances look good, Kovach is taking nothing for granted. He is taking the primary seriously, and he said the Republican challenger in the fall looks quite credible.
“There are enough independents in the district that there could be an upset,” he said.
Dison had no comment on Novotny’s race because she has not applied for Victory Fund’s endorsement.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/artman/publish/article_12995.php
Victory Fund candidates shine in last night's political races
Thu, Jun 10th 2010, 11:52Out LGBT candidates across the country had great success as at least 16 of 21 endorsed by The Victory Fund either won or advanced in primaries.
-As expected, openly gay Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, a Democrat, will face Republican Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack in the race to represent California's 45th Congressional District.
-In California, the State Assembly is likely to welcome three new openly gay and lesbian lawmakers after key primary wins last night put them on the road to victory this November. Toni Atkins (Dist 76), Rich Gordon (Dist 21) and Ricardo Lara (Dist 50) won their Democratic primaries in overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly districts. With one gay lawmaker leaving the California Senate due to term limits, the state is now likely to have a total of seven openly gay and lesbian state legislators in the next term, up from five currently.
-Also in California, Jill Ravitch won her race for Sonoma County District Attorney, beating an incumbent. She will become the state's second openly lesbian District Attorney, joining San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, a Republican who is unopposed in her reelection bid.
-Openly transgender lawyer Victoria Kolakowski also advanced to the general election in her race for Superior Court Judge in Alameda County, Calif.
-In Maine, out lesbian candidate Jill Barkley is now the heavy favorite to win a seat in the Maine State House after winning her primary last night.
-Montana is also likely to add at least one openly gay state lawmaker. Bryce Bennett won his Democratic primary to advance to the general election in November. He's running in a very Democratic district, so it's expected he'll join Rep. Diane Sands, who was unopposed in her reelection bid, in the Montana State House. Aaron Kampfe also advanced in his Democratic primary for a seat in the Montana Senate.
Growing number of gays on ballot in Maryland
Thu, Jun 10th 2010, 10:59The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed Clippinger, who said he’s benefitting from gay supporters.
“I have identified LGBT supporters across the district who are helping my campaign every day by holding meet and greets, going door to door, and raising money for my candidacy,” Clippinger said.
Also securing a Victory Fund endorsement is Washington, who is campaigning in District 43. If elected, she would become the second openly lesbian black state lawmaker in the country.
“I am running for the Maryland House of Delegates because I believe the district needs more vigorous, more progressive leadership,” she said, “and the community needs elected officials who can inspire public trust, serve as a catalyst for positive change and work effectively to expand social and economic justice.”
Political Notebook: Transgender judicial candidate claims first place
Thu, Jun 10th 2010, 09:02In Kolakowski's favor is the fact that Alameda County voters have not elected a sitting deputy DA to the court in more than 30 years. Nor do they elect white men; they have, instead, favored female and minority candidates. Also, the fall election is expected to attract more Democrats and independents to the polls, which could aide Kolakowski.
"The electorate or people voting in November will be a different segment of the total public. With contested Republican primaries, they had higher turnout. A lot of independent voters didn't vote at all," she said.
Her election will be a key race for LGBT groups this fall. Equality California, the statewide LGBT lobbying group, has already made it a top priority, while her first place finish this week is sure to boost attention to her campaign from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
Five Gay Candidates Advance In California Assembly Races
Wed, Jun 9th 2010, 17:09Four of the candidates – Perez, Atkins, Wilson and Lara – have the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay elected officials, but Ammiano does not. California's largest gay advocate, Equality California, has endorsed all five candidates.
Out Candidates Win Big in Primaries
Wed, Jun 9th 2010, 13:12Openly LGBT candidates made gains in primary elections across the country Tuesday, with wins in states including California, Montana and Maine.
According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which supports out candidates, "Openly LGBT candidates won political races literally from coast to coast last night, with key wins in California, Montana and Maine. At least 16 of the Victory Fund’s 21 endorsed candidates on the ballot yesterday either won their races outright or advanced to general elections."http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/06/09/Out_Candidates_Win_Big_in_Primaries/
Drew Hammill, Jason Mida
Mon, Jun 7th 2010, 08:50Drew Hammill and Jason Mida were married Saturday at their home in Washington. The Rev. Ryan C. Tisch, a minister of the World Christianship Ministries, officiated.
Mr. Hammill (left), 31, is the press secretary to Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington. He graduated from the University of Illinois and received a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics.
He is the son of Rebecca A. Hammill and Thomas E. Hammill of Pittsburg, Ill.
Mr. Mida, 30, is the vice president for development at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund in Washington. He graduated from Abilene Christian University. He is a son of Janet M. Mida of Frisco, Tex., and the late Harry Mida.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/fashion/weddings/06HAMMILL.html
Passalacqua, Ravitch courting west county vote at gay pride parade
Fri, Jun 4th 2010, 11:39It's unclear which district attorney candidate is supported by gay voters. However, Ravitch, who is gay, is probably more popular, Muller said. She has actively courted gay voters, soliciting donations on the national Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund website.
"The gay community, like everyone else, is a group of independent thinkers," said Muller, who's been in gay politics in Sonoma County for 30 years. "It's not a case of all gay people will vote for her because she's gay or there's an impression that she's gay."
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100604/NEWS/6041053/1033?p=1&tc=pg
Political Notebook: LGBT lawyers weigh in on judicial races
Thu, Jun 3rd 2010, 09:28Up in Sonoma County out lesbian Jill Ravitch is waging an intense fight to unseat incumbent District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua. It is the second time that Ravitch, a former prosecutor in Sonoma County who now works in the Mendocino County District Attorney's office, has tried to oust her former boss from office.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is backing Ravitch in the race; she reported last month amassing $232,000 in contributions for her campaign. Passalacqua has banked more than $381,000 for his re-election effort this year, but the Santa Rosa Press Democrat noted that he has lent more of his own money to his campaign.
Should Ravitch win, she would be the country's second out lesbian D.A. after Bonnie Dumanis in San Diego.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4829
Lesbian Judge Wins Statewide Race in New Mexico
Wed, Jun 2nd 2010, 15:47According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which endorsed Vanzi, she “was selected for a seat on the Court of Appeals in 2008 by Gov. [Bill] Richardson. Under New Mexico state law, appointed judges must stand for election in the next general election following their appointment. In the future, voters will be asked only if they wish to retain Vanzi on the statewide court.”
“Prior to her appointment,” reports the Victory Fund, “Vanzi served on the Second Judicial District court from 2004-2008. Vanzi’s legal career has spanned a broad range of issues from civil rights to employment law, personal injury, child abuse and neglect, and commercial law. Vanzi has been awarded the Judge of the Year award by the Albuquerque Bar Association and the Trial Judge of Year award by the American Board of Trial Advocates.”
Senate Approves Openly Gay Attorney Nominee Laura Duffy
Tue, Jun 1st 2010, 09:55“President Obama has appointed more than 100 LGBT Americans to his administration so far, with abut two dozen of those requiring Senate confirmation,” Denis Dison, a vice president at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay candidates, told On Top Magazine in an email.
Last month, the Senate confirmation of Marisa Demeo, a candidate to the D.C. Superior Court bench, drew widespread criticism from conservative groups because she is a lesbian.
http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5797&MediaType=1&Category=26Is Mary Cheney Helping Antigay McCollum?
Tue, Jun 1st 2010, 09:51As the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund points out on its blog, GayPolitics.com, any alliance between McCollum and Cheney is particularly interesting considering that Cheney and her partner, as the parents of two children, are two of the country's highest-profile lesbian parents.
http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/05/30/Mary_Cheney_Linked_to_Antigay_Florida_Candidate_McCollum/Mayor Lowe wants the focus off him being gay
Fri, May 21st 2010, 09:29While Lowe is proud to be the first gay mayor in this part of the world, he said sexuality matters not in terms of leadership.
But Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that helps gay candidates in campaigns, said Lowe's victory was monumental.
Growing up in Orange Park, Dison said he didn't expect to see a gay mayor in North Florida, and Lowe's victory is a milestone that was discussed in gay media across the country, in part because of the sign and homophobic, anti-Lowe fliers that were spread around town.
"I think the fact that he was elected mayor where he was elected is also why it was news around the country," Dison said.
Speaking about the "hateful" rhetoric against Lowe, Dison said, "You don't see it much in San Francisco or Manhattan."
But, Terry Fleming, Lowe's friend and the co-president of the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida, said he thinks the sign and the fliers were an aberration.
"Gainesville," he said, "is an incredibly welcoming and diverse community."
Mayor Lowe wants the focus off him being gay
Fri, May 21st 2010, 09:27While Lowe is proud to be the first gay mayor in this part of the world, he said sexuality matters not in terms of leadership.
But Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that helps gay candidates in campaigns, said Lowe's victory was monumental.
Growing up in Orange Park, Dison said he didn't expect to see a gay mayor in North Florida, and Lowe's victory is a milestone that was discussed in gay media across the country, in part because of the sign and homophobic, anti-Lowe fliers that were spread around town.
"I think the fact that he was elected mayor where he was elected is also why it was news around the country," Dison said.
Speaking about the "hateful" rhetoric against Lowe, Dison said, "You don't see it much in San Francisco or Manhattan."
But, Terry Fleming, Lowe's friend and the co-president of the Pride Community Center of North Central Florida, said he thinks the sign and the fliers were an aberration.
"Gainesville," he said, "is an incredibly welcoming and diverse community."http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100520/ARTICLES/100529935/1002/NEWS01?p=1&tc=pg
Ohio Gets Their First Openly LBGT Lawmaker
Tue, May 18th 2010, 18:18Come November, Nickie Antonio will make history as the Ohio's first openly gay state representative.
Antonio, who now sits on the Lakewood, Ohio City Council, won the Democratic primary May 4 for State Legislator, and no Republican filed in the district that includes parts of Cleveland and Lakewood. Her only opponent, an independent candidate, has dropped out of the race, leaving Antonio the only candidate on the ballot. When she’s seated, Ohio will finally come off the list of states with no openly LGBT lawmakers in their state legislatures. That will leave 18 states still on the list, including Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
"Hopefully, once the first [openly gay] thing is done, there doesn’t need to be so much of a focus on that," she tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "How to best fix a hole in the budget — that’s not an issue where sexual orientation makes a difference."
She was endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and The Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest daily.
http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/news/national-news/1443-ohio-gets-their-first-openly-lbgt-lawmaker.htmlPalmquist among 2010 Leadership Fellows
Tue, May 18th 2010, 18:14Ian Palmquist, executive director of Equality North Carolina and board chair of the Equality Federation, is among 10 individuals selected as Bohnett Leadership Fellows by the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute this year.http://goqnotes.com/6824/palmquist-among-2010-leadership-fellows/
Leadership Fellows to attend Harvard Kennedy School
Mon, May 17th 2010, 14:06The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI) has
announced its 2010 class of David Bohnett Gay & Lesbian Leadership
Fellows, made up of 10 openly LGBT leaders who will receive scholarships
to attend the Harvard Kennedy School this summer. The recipients will
attend the school’s three-week Senior Executives in State and Local
Government program for mid-career professionals in June and July.
Chuck
Wolfe, GLLI’s president and CEO, said, "The new Fellows have deep and
varied experience in public service as elected and appointed officials,
and as leaders in the LGBT movement. We are proud to work alongside the
David Bohnett Foundation to invest in the leadership capacity of some of
our community’s brightest and most talented people."http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=community&sc=community_guide&sc2=news&sc3=&id=105768
Gay Man Running for Conn. Comptroller
Mon, May 17th 2010, 14:03Health care advocate Kevin Lembo has entered the race for Connecticut comptroller, a post that oversees the state's financial reporting.
Lembo, a gay candidate supported by the Victory Fund, was previously running for lieutenant governor but ended his campaign once Nancy Wyman, Connecticut's current comptroller, agreed to become the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy. Before Lembo became a health care advocate, he was assistant state comptroller for more than six years and worked for Wyman — now he's looking to succeed her as comptroller.http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/05/13/Gay_Man_Running_for_Conn_Comptroller/150 Reasons to Have Pride in 2010
Tue, May 11th 2010, 17:02BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE OF US IN ELECTED OFFICE THAN EVER BEFORE
I’m
proud that the number of openly LGBT elected officials serving in
America is at an all-time high and that this year the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund is on track to endorse its largest slate of out candidates
ever. These courageous individuals give voice to our community in the
halls of power, speak authentically about our lives, and fight hardest
for laws and policies that make our country more fair and more free.
Last year Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay
mayor. Today, Annise Parker is serving 2.2 million Houstonians honestly,
openly, and with a quiet dignity that has the power to change hearts
and minds about what LGBT Americans have to offer their country. In
March, Parker issued one of the country’s most comprehensive LGBT
nondiscrimination policies governing public employees—a move that drew
howls of protest from the very antigay groups that fought to keep her
from winning. Their bigotry was as predictable as Parker’s
determination. Still, with more than half a million elective offices in
the United States, gay people are vastly underrepresented in government.
Fewer than 500 of those posts are filled with openly LGBT
officeholders—a 10-fold increase since the Victory Fund was founded in
1991, but not nearly enough. We’re committed to winning more of those
offices so that more out elected officials gain the same voice, the same
vote, and the same power that all Americans enjoy. —Chuck Wolfe,
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund president and chief executive officer
http://www.advocate.com/Print_Issue/Cover_Stories/150_Reasons_to_Have_Pride_in_2010/
Political Notes: DADT opponent Garamendi gains say over military policies
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:19The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund chose Manhattan Beach Mayor Mitch Ward's bid to be the first openly gay African American elected to California's Assembly as one of two campaigns across the country to highlight to its members this month.
Last week the national LGBT group's president and CEO Chuck Wolfe sent out an e-mail May 5 urging fund members to not only donate to Ward's campaign but also to the campaign of Cleveland resident Nickie Antonio, who would be Ohio's first out person elected to the state legislature in the Buckeye State.
It was the first time that the Victory Fund has highlighted the campaign of a gay candidate from California this year. And it is likely the only one it will do so ahead of the June 8 primary, as its next e-mail will be of little help to anyone running in next month's elections.
"If you look at the pecking order of races, there are breakthrough races that are very important to focus on. That does not mean we don't pay attention to other races but if we are trying to get the first out legislator in a state elected, that is a very important race," said Denis Dison, the Victory Fund's vice president for external affairs.
Ward is one of five out non-incumbent Democrats running for Assembly seats this year. While the fund has endorsed the entire quintet, it is Ward who is in one of the toughest election battles.
He is also the only one not to be endorsed by Equality California. The statewide LGBT lobbyist group is instead backing its board member Betsy Butler, a straight woman, in the Assembly District 53 race along the state's coastal region south of Los Angeles.
Wolfe acknowledged in his e-mail last week that Ward faces tough odds and that "he's going to need your help to win."
In a phone interview Friday, Dison said Ward was selected over the other LGBT candidates who will appear on primary ballots throughout the Golden State because of his greater need for resources.
"Looking at that race, he needs more money compared to the other races," he said.
http://ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4771Lakewood council member Nickie Antonio might become first openly gay state lawmaker
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:18"It's about building the farm team and being willing to run for office," said Collin Burton, a full-time staffer for the Ohio Democratic Party who solely works on outreach and candidate recruitment in the state's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) communities. "They do also need more attention and need to be given the confidence that they can win these races."
A national organization -- the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund -- also seeks to help Antonio and other GLBT candidates.
Spokesman Denis Dison said that national polling shows about 30 percent of Americans won't vote for a gay candidate no matter what. Still, he said 31 states currently have openly gay members in their state legislatures.
"There are built-in barriers so gay candidates need to understand they have to be better candidates and campaigners than straight people if they are going to win," said Dison, whose group's political action committee has cut a $5,000 check to Antonio.
Dison said his group helps candidates "navigate the waters" of being out and running for office including how to handle questions about sexual orientation.
"In a lot of places in America, people jump to the conclusion that an openly gay candidate is running because of that and for that reason," Dison said. "But that's rarely the case, and Nickie is a perfect example of that as someone who is incredibly involved in her community."
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/lakewood_council_member_likely.htmlPhilippine gay party on ballot for the first time
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:17The Washington-based Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, which supports LGBT candidates to all levels of office, said there has not been an equivalent in the United States, where same-sex marriage and military policy toward gays have generated significant debate.
"Well-known openly gay candidates and elected officials in the U.S. have almost always been affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties, with the Democrats fielding far more out candidates than Republicans," Denis Dison, vice president of external affairs, wrote via e-mail.
Public perception of gays in the Philippines has changed in the past 20 years, said Remoto, who teaches at Ateneo de Manila University.
"We made homosexuality a topic everyone can discuss openly," he said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/05/08/philippines.politics.gay/Primary win in heavily Dem district puts Antonio closer to Statehouse
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:15
May
7 , 2010
Ohio likely to get its first out lawmaker
Primary win in heavily Dem district puts Antonio closer to Statehouse
Lakewood--Ohio is one step closer to its first openly gay state legislator with the victory of Lakewood councilor Nickie Antonio in the Democratic primary for the 13th District Ohio House seat.
"It's time for Ohio to join the 21st century," Antonio said of her nomination. "It's a step in the right direction. I see this as a step for equality and a step for equity. Ohio is also behind in representation of women."
"I am first and foremost a public policy person dedicated to public service," Antonio said. "It's important to have someone LGBT who is invested and connected to the community."
Antonio defeated her Democratic opponent, fellow Lakewood councilor Tom Bullock, in a race which saw Bullock sending out mailers that claimed his unnamed opponent "stands with party bosses in opposing the county government reform effort."
The claim was not true, nor were others on the flyer, and Bullock was taken to task by the weekly Scene magazine.
Fifty-four percent of the voters went for Antonio, for a total of 4,140 votes verses 3,531 for Bullock.
Antonio was endorsed by the Lesbian and Gay Victory Fund of Washington, D.C., and all of the LGBT Democratic organizations in the state. She was also endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party.
No Republican filed to be on the ballot in November, but Antonio needs to defeat independent Jeremy Caldwell to take the seat currently held by strong LGBT ally Mike Skindell.
For his own part, Skindell easily defeated two opponents for to face the little-known Republican Dave Morris in November for a seat in the Ohio Senate. Skindell was prohibited by term limits from seeking hisHouse seat again.
Antonio spoke about raising two daughters with her partner Jean Kosmac.
"We told our daughters they could be anything they wanted," Antonio said. "I also want LGBT kids to know that anything is possible, including public service. They can run for office if they want to."
Victoy Fund president Chuck Wolfe said of Antonio's victory, "We're looking forward to finally adding Ohio to the list of states where our community has a voice in state government."
"The most dynamic and important fights for our rights are happening in state legislatures, so it's vital to have people like Nickie at the table of power," Wolfe concluded.
Commissions Calling
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:14Presidential Appointments Project's new push promotes LGBT candidates for unpaid positions
by Will O'Bryan
Published on May 6, 2010,
12:43am | 0 Comments, 5 Tweets
Plenty of people are looking for work during this recession of double-digit unemployment rates. But how many might be looking for unpaid positions? The Presidential Appointments Project, led by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund-affiliated Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI), aims to find out -- particularly if those qualified job seekers are LGBT.
"We set it up in 2008 before even the primaries were complete," says Denis Dison, vice president for external affairs at both the Victory Fund and GLLI. "It is a coalition of a dozen national groups. We've been coordinating those efforts, primarily serving right now as a talent bank for LGBT people."
At the beginning of the Obama administration, the project worked to get qualified LGBT candidates into full-time appointments. Now, more than a year into the administration, the project has taken a slightly new tack, recently announcing a push to promote LGBT candidates for the many unpaid presidential appointments to boards and commissions.
"The key to finding any job is to look for one for which you are qualified, and at that level you want to be bringing something to the table," Dison says of the unpaid, part-time positions. "Our intention is to show our community for what it is: far more diverse and dynamic than a lot of people give it credit for."
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=5173Lesbian Poised for Ohio State Legislator
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:12Openly lesbian Ohio councilwoman Nickie Antonio won the Democratic primary for District 13 in the Ohio state house Tuesday, according to the Advocate.
The Lakewood city legislator is poised to become the first out state lawmaker in Ohio after the general election this fall.
Now in her second term on the Lakewood City Council, Antonio said, "I'm very thankful for the support of the Victory Fund. I'm proud of their endorsement, and they really put their hearts into this campaign. Like me, they believe that Ohio will benefit from having diverse voices in government that truly represent everybody in our state."
In November, Antonio is expected to win over independent candidate Jeremy Caldwell, who filed for the race Monday. District 13 also incorporates parts of Cleveland.
Gay Politics reports that the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed 35 candidates in state legislative races so far this year, according to president and CEO Chuck Wolfe.
"We're looking forward to finally adding Ohio to the list of states where our community has a voice in state government. The most dynamic and important fights for our rights are happening in state legislatures, so it's vital to have people like Nickie at the table of power. Change can come slowly in Washington, so building our political power in state capitals can mean a quicker path to a more free, more fair America," said Wolfe.
http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?ID=24917Nickie Antonio Poised to Be Ohio's First Out Gay Lawmaker
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:11Nickie Antonio, an out lesbian, won the Democratic primary in the District 13 Ohio State House race last night, the Victory Fund reports. Antonio has no Republican opponents and is expected to win the election this November:
"Now in her second term on the Lakewood City Council, Antonio said, 'I’m very thankful for the support of the Victory Fund. I’m proud of their endorsement, and they really put their hearts into this campaign. Like me, they believe that Ohio will benefit from having diverse voices in government that truly represent everybody in our state.'"
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/05/nickie-antonio-poised-to-be-ohios-first-out-gay-lawmaker.htmlOhio: Antonio wins primary; set to be state's first out LGBT elected state official
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:10What great news in a state that is lagging behind in LGBT equality overall. When we get elected, change comes with it. Nickie Antonio tonight won the Democratic primary in the District 13 Ohio State House race that drew no Republican opponents for the fall. With only token opposition in the general election this November, Antonio is poised to become the state's first openly LGBT state legislator.
Now in her second term on the Lakewood City Council, Antonio said, "I'm very thankful for the support of the Victory Fund. I'm proud of their endorsement, and they really put their hearts into this campaign. Like me, they believe that Ohio will benefit from having diverse voices in government that truly represent everybody in our state."
"We're looking forward to finally adding Ohio to the list of states where our community has a voice in state government. The most dynamic and important fights for our rights are happening in state legislatures, so it's vital to have people like Nickie at the table of power. Change can come slowly in Washington, so building our political power in state capitals can mean a quicker path to a more free, more fair America," said Wolfe.
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/16037/ohio-antonio-wins-primary-set-to-be-states-first-out-lgbt-elected-state-officialParker names lesbian to head municipal courts
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:07Houston Mayor Annise Parker has named Municipal Court Judge Barbara E. Hartle, 50, as chief presiding judge of the city’s municipal courts.
The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund lists Hartle as one of only a few out members of the Texas judiciary. Others are also from the Houston area.
“I believe Judge Hartle has the leadership qualities needed to direct our city’s court system to be even more responsive and efficient,” Parker said in a press release. “She is the only candidate with previous experience — both within and outside of Houston – in law enforcement, prosecution, administration, and judicial matters.”
Former Mayor Bill White, who’s currently running for governor, appointed Hartle municipal judge in April 2009. Before that, she served as an associate municipal judge.
OutSmart magazine reports that Hartle and her partner met in 1993. They have two children. Their daughter is also a lesbian and has two children.
Before moving to Houston, Hartle lived in Austin where her experience included serving as a guardianship attorney at the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, regional attorney for adult protective services at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, staff attorney for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice State Counsel for Offenders, and assistant city attorney for the city of Austin.
The court system that Hartle will head is the largest municipal court in Texas and one of the largest nationwide.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2010/04/29/parker-names-lesbian-judge-to-head-municipal-courts/Brunch Buddy, Part 1 [video]
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:06Houston Mayor Annise Parker (D) was a featured speaker at the Victory Fund's Champagne Brunch, held at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on Sunday, April 18. The Victory Fund works to elect openly LGBT candidates, and Parker has succeeded in doing so for years, most recently winning election as mayor in November 2009. Parker is the first openly LGBT mayor of a city with more then 1 million residents and was introduced at the luncheon by Houston City Councilmember Sue Lovell (D), also a lesbian.
"I'm just here today to remind the people here for the brunch how much help Victory Fund is to candidates," Parker told Metro Weekly, "and how important it is to help qualified GLBT candidates achieve office -- so that they can then govern well, and we can get good government, but we also see ouselves reflected in those positions."
Photos from this event are posted in Metro Weekly's Scene section.
http://www.metroweekly.com/news/video/?ak=5135Why Texas needs an LGBT legislator
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:05Deborah Mell, 41, is an Illinois legislator.
This week, she got up on the House floor and announced her engagement to her girlfriend. From The Chicago Sun-Times:
“I know our governor and many of you on both sides of the aisle do not consider me equal to you and our relationship equal to the relationship you share with your spouse,” Mell said. “I think we are more alike than we are different.”
Other legislators got up to congratulate her and others applauded.
But they’ll get married in Iowa because Illinois does not have marriage equality.
According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, no state has passed significant pro-equality legislation without an openly LGBT legislator. Texas has had only one, Rep. Glen Maxey, who served from 1991 until 2003. In 2001, Maxey helped pushed through the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, the only signficant pro-equality legislation in the state’s history.
http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2010/04/29/why-texas-needs-an-lgbt-legislator/PRIDE talk spotlights LGBT public officials
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:02Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals should be open about their sexuality in order to debunk the “notion that we are other,” Denis Dison, the vice president of the Victory Fund, said in the PRIDE Week keynote speech on Tuesday. In his speech, Dison discussed the election of LGBT community members to public office.
The Victory Fund endorses, funds and trains openly LGBT candidates for elected office at all levels of government. The group works to bring the LGBT community “to the table where the decisions are being made,” Dison said.
In his speech, Dison cited as inspiration Harvey Milk, an openly gay man who was elected to public office in San Francisco in 1977.
“His dream was that if we elected more gay people, we would be accomplishing more for our community than we could if we sat outside of a legislative body and protested,” he said.
Dison also shared some of his organization’s accomplishments, including its support of Houston Mayor Annise Parker, the first lesbian elected mayor of a major American city.
“When we put our mind to winning, we can do it in places you don’t think we can do it,” he said.
Looking to the future of LGBT politics, Dison highlighted the importance of the enactment of a nationwide Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.
“We have a long, long way to go before we are proportionally represented in government,” he said.
http://thedartmouth.com/2010/04/28/news/PRIDEGay congressional candidates raking in cash
Tue, May 11th 2010, 16:00Sean Theriault, a gay government professor at the University of Texas, Austin, said Cicilline “looks to be in great shape” heading into the election.
“I would be surprised if he isn’t welcomed into the [LGBT Equality] Caucus after the November elections,” he said.
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said the amount of money Cicilline has raised is “hugely significant.”
“This is an open seat and part of the calculus about who’s going to be considered a frontrunner is the ability to fundraise,” Dison said.
For cash on hand, or the amount of money remaining after expenditures in the race, the margin between Cicilline and his Republican opponent is even more pronounced: the Providence mayor has $713,346; Loughlin has $187,537.
“That’s a sign to other donors and to the political establishment that Mayor Cicilline is prepared to fight and win this,” Dison said.
Notable donations to Cicilline’s campaign include $2,400 from the Victory Fund as well as $1,000 from gay lawmaker Rep. Jared Polis’ (D-Colo.) political action committee.
http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/04/27/gay-congressional-candidates-raking-in-cash/Pa. incumbent: Foe feigning bisexuality for votes
Tue, May 11th 2010, 15:56So is it now a plus to be gay, lesbian or bisexual when running for office?
"It shows how far we've come; it's almost a delight," said Mark Segal, a longtime gay rights activist and publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, which is endorsing Josephs.
But a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a Washington-based political action committee that supports gay and lesbian candidates, said it's not necessarily a sign of increasing currency for non-straight politicians.
"This is a new one on me," spokesman Denis Dyson said.
"There are only a few places where being openly LGBT might be a net plus: in this district in Philadelphia, Dupont Circle in Washington, the Castro in San Francisco," he said. "In the vast majority of places — and vast majority is an understatement — it's still a hurdle."
Kravitz, 29, describes himself as openly bisexual and currently in a relationship with a woman. He was the one who came forward with the recording, made by a supporter he declined to identify, and called Josephs' statements "dishonest and disgusting."
"This is a part of who I am ... I hope no one would vote either for or against me because of who I am," he said. "It's unfortunate that my sexuality is a topic of discussion for her stump speech."
Josephs, a widowed mother of two, stood by her comments but said Friday that she was taking issue with her opponent's credibility, not his sexual orientation.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggEa6Wn_AxRGWGXbv8XGx0qkClGQD9F8VTF00Penn. State Rep. 'Outs' Straight Opponent
Tue, May 11th 2010, 15:54Slinging insults about a candidate's sexual orientation has never been considered particularly high-brow, but a Pennsylvania state representative's recent attack on her opponent's professed bisexuality may be a new twist on the matter.
State Rep. Babette Josephs, a 25-year veteran of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, was recorded at a recent fundraising event accusing Democratic primary opponent Gregg Kravitz of lying about his bisexuality to pander to Philadelphia's powerful gay vote.
"I outed him as a straight person," Josephs, 69, said at the Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant, while Kravitz supporters recorded her speech.
"When we heard it, we were, frankly, shocked," Kravitz told ABCNews.com
The 29-year-old, who quit his position as campaign director for congressional candidate Manan Trivedi to run for the 182nd district, emphatically denied that he ever lied about being bisexual.
"I'm a bisexual man," he said. "I've had intimate relationship with both men and women, not that it's anyone's business. But that's what bisexual means."
Denis Dison, spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which supports LGBT candidates across the country, was familiar with the dispute between Josephs and Kravtiz, and said it was an exceptionally rare argument.
"The idea that somebody would pretend to be part of the community to improve their chances of being elected is a fairly unique situation," he said.
Dison said that most of the candidates supported by the Victory Fund have the opposite problem -- their opponents try to make sexuality a campaign issue in hopes of swaying the voter away from the LGBT candidate.
"Whether or not she was attempting to smear him or attempting to, in her mind, get the truth out there," he said, "it's not something is … 99 percent of the time legitimate to discuss in the campaign."
Josephs, who is straight, has been a longtime outspoken advocate for LGBT rights and has championed the community's causes at the state level. Her district is home to the city's well-known "gayborhood."
And while the LGBT voters on their own don't make up the majority of the constituency, they and their straight supporters do.
But Josephs sidestepped questions about the accusations she lobbed at Kravitz, telling ABCNews.com that she only made the comments to distinguish her own career of public service.
"It shows that it doesn't matter what your sexuality is, if you have no record, you're not qualified to be in office," she said.
When asked if she still believed Kravitz was not bisexual said she had "no notion" and that she never dated him or planned on it. She quickly ended the interview.
http://abcnews.go.com/m/screen?id=10460834Senate Confirms Openly Gay Judicial Nominee Marisa Demeo
Tue, May 11th 2010, 15:53Denis Dison, a vice president at the
Gay & Lesbian
Victory Fund, a group that supports openly gay candidates, told
On Top Magazine that Demeo was recommended by the Presidential
Appointments Project, a community driven effort coordinated by his
group. “We know some extremist groups oppose
her nomination because she is a lesbian,” Dison said,” but that
kind of bigotry has no place in discussions of an individual's
qualifications for a job, especially in the U.S. Senate.” Demeo, he added, is highly qualified
for the job.
Parker ‘comfortable’ as LGBT role model
Tue, May 11th 2010, 15:52The lesbian mayor of the country’s fourth largest city says she’s comfortable serving as a role model for the LGBT community and acknowledged being taken aback by the extensive international media coverage of her political victory.
In a nearly 30-minute interview, Houston Mayor Annise Parker spoke with DC Agenda before her appearance at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s 10th annual Champagne Brunch in D.C. on Sunday to discuss a range of issues and reflect on her first 100 days in office.
Parker recalled how she issued an executive order March 25 protecting city employees against job bias on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. She said she issued the directive because it was something she was “aware needed to be done.”
The inclusiveness of the directive makes it one of the most sweeping citywide job discrimination protections in the country for LGBT people.
Parker also encouraged President Obama to make good on his campaign promises to the LGBT community, even though she said she understands he’s had “huge economic problems, financial problems he’s had to confront.” She identified ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” as an issue on which she’d like to see greater effort from Obama.
http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/04/19/parker-%E2%80%98comfortable%E2%80%99-as-lgbt-role-model/Mass. GOP OK's Openly Gay Richard Tisei As Gov. Running Mate
Mon, Apr 19th 2010, 10:57Openly gay state Senator Richard Tisei will be on the Massachusetts GOP gubernatorial ticket as Charles D. Baker Jr.'s running mate, the Boston Globe reported.
Republicans overwhelmingly picked the pair at their state convention Saturday.
Baker trounced his opponent Christy Mihos with 89 percent of the delegate votes, denying Mihos the 15 percent share needed to qualify for the September primary ballot.
“We have a job to do and that job starts today,” Baker told the crowd. “It's time to take our state back from the Beacon Hill insiders, the status quo-ers and nonreformers, and give the people of Massachusetts the government they deserve – affordable, accountable and responsive.”
Baker will face Democratic Governor Deval Patrick and state Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill, who is running as an Independent, in the fall.
Patrick is a gay rights ally who supports gay marriage and transgender rights.
Baker, who supports gay marriage, has already drawn criticism from social conservatives. At the convention, they decried Tisei's co-sponsorship of a transgender protections bill being considered by lawmakers. The bill would protect transgender people in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations. Passage of the bill has been elusive for supporters, who have floated similar measures since 2007.
Opponents warn that the bill would invite sex offenders to lurk in public restrooms, endangering the safety of women and children.
The Baker campaign issued a statement saying that he does not support the bill, dubbed the “bathroom bill” by opponents.
“I think they're trying to scare people into opposing the bill and I don't think it's really an issue,” Tisei told his local paper last summer. “I know it's been dubbed the 'bathroom bill,' but this is really a bill to treat people equally and fairly under the law.”
Tisei, 47, is among the three openly gay Republican candidates endorsed so far this year by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that promotes openly gay elected officials.http://www.ontopmag.com/article.aspx?id=5599&MediaType=1&Category=26
ENDA Vote Coming Soon
Mon, Apr 19th 2010, 10:55Legislation aimed at ending employment discrimination against LGBT people will be marked up in committee ''this week or next,'' according to Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).
Frank, speaking to Metro Weekly after his appearance at the Victory Fund's annual Champagne Brunch, said the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) – currently in the House Education and Labor Committee – has been ''promised'' a quick vote in the full House by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) once the bill leaves committee.
Noting that he's been speaking to Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-Calif.) ''constantly,'' Frank said of the ENDA mark-up, ''It will be this week or next week.''
As both he and Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) have said previously, Frank reiterated that he expected a floor vote to follow the expected committee passage in short order. ''The speaker has promised that,'' Frank said. ''We will get this done fairly quickly.''
Frank was one of the featured speakers at the Victory Fund event at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on Sunday, April 18. Jim Kolbe, the former Republican congressman from Arizona, introduced Frank, saying of LGBT equality, ''There is no one – there is no one – who has been a more effective advocate than Barney Frank.''
Of the opposition he's faced from anti-LGBT forces in Congress, Frank told the crowd, ''Here's my radical homosexual agenda: Let us get married, join the military and hold down a job.''
As the applause subsided, he added, ''Very few radicals in history would have thought much of that.''
In the past month, Frank has been speaking with increased confidence and specificity about House passage of ENDA. The legislation, which has been introduced in different forms in Congress since 1994, would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity for employers with 15 or more employees.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker (D) was also a featured speaker at the brunch. Introduced by lesbian Houston City Councilmember Sue Lovell (D), Parker spoke about her historic campaign to become the first lesbian mayor of a city with more than one million residents.
D.C. City Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), introduced by City Council Chairman Vincent Gray (D), spoke about his work on health care and marriage equality in the District.
Frank spoke to the group about the importance of LGBT officials.
''Legislating is a very personal business,'' he said. ''Prejudice is literally ignorance. It is people prejudging based on a stereotype that substitutes for reality. Reality undermines that. So, the more they see us, the better it is.''
He also spoke of the protesters who yelled anti-gay epithets at him and his partner, Jim Ready, during the health care debate, noting that his partner had to be held back ''from responding in a way to a protestor that would not have made him happy.''
Frank added, ''I was pleased, both that he had the impulse – and that he was restrained.''
Looking toward the mid-term elections, Frank said of pro-LGBT interests, ''We're going to have a tough November – not because of our issues, and that's very important to note,'' but because of the political environment more broadly.
Speaking of actions taken by the Democratic majority to ''contain…the economic problems we inherited from the Bush administration,'' Frank noted the political limitations of that action, saying, ''In the history of politics, no one has ever won with the slogan, 'Things would have sucked worse without me.'''
Of LGBT equality, however, Frank said, ''We're gonna win this battle, there's no question. … I know people are frustrated, 'Well, we're always fighting.' Of course we're always fighting, because we have taken on a major task: eradicating one of the great prejudices of human history.
''So, of course, we're going to keep fighting until it's all over.''http://www.metroweekly.com/news/?ak=5095
Gay Mayor Elected in Colorado Town
Wed, Apr 7th 2010, 10:46The small Colorado town of Dillon elected a gay man as mayor Tuesday.
First-term city council member Ron Holland defeated his opponent Don
Parsons by a vote of 90-72.
Holland, a former restaurateur and
longtime HIV/AIDS activist, has lived in Dillon for more than five years
with his partner, according to the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund. Dillon, with a population of about 800 people, appeals
to skiers on their way to area resorts.
Holland discussed his
win with the Summit Daily News.
“I’m
ecstatic,” he said. “It was actually a larger margin than I thought,
with two well-knowns running and both of us with a lot of support.”http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/07/Gay_Mayor_Elected_in_Colorado_Town/
Cicilline Shows Formidable Fund-raising
Wed, Apr 7th 2010, 10:44Providence mayor David Cicilline announced that he has raised $725,000
since declaring his congressional candidacy six weeks ago, more than
triple the amount raised by his closest Democratic rival during the same
period.
According to CQ
Politics, Cicilline set a high bar for primary opponent Bill
Lynch, the former Rhode Island Democratic chairman. The men are
competing to succeed retiring congressman Patrick Kennedy. State house
minority whip John Loughlin is the likely Republican nominee.
Lynch
has raised $230,000, according to CQ Politics, a total that
includes $100,000 of his own money. Cicilline has not contributed his
personal funds, but much of his campaign cash comes from donors who
redirected money from his mayoral reelection bid.
Cicilline,
who is gay, told his supporters that the fund-raising “exceeded all of
our expectations,” according to the Gay
and Lesbian Victory Fund.http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/06/Cicilline_Shows_Formidable_Fundraising/
Michigan Student Assembly's first openly gay president sworn in
Wed, Apr 7th 2010, 10:43After serving two years as chair of MSA’s LGBT Commission, Armstrong has made a name for himself within the community.
His work in bringing the Midwest LGBT Conference to campus next year came from his work with the Victory Fund — a national political action committee that trains LGBT leaders to hold political positions in the government and across the country. Victory Fund also helped Armstrong — who interned with the committee last summer — in his MSA campaign, he said.
Armstrong cited that Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh, another openly gay politician, also worked with Victory Fund. Armstrong said Pugh's political success inspired him and proved that he could lead a similar role.
Gabe Javier, Armstrong’s self-proclaimed mentor and assistant director at the University’s Spectrum Center, said Armstrong’s esteemed position as MSA president will have a large effect on the campus as a whole. He said Armstrong’s election win is a “proud moment” for the University and has important implications for the LGBT community to have such representation.
“I have high confidence that Chris is going to represent the interests of all students,” Javier said. “This is an important time for Michigan.”
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/armstrong-serves-first-openly-gay-msa-presidentCould 2010 be ‘Year of the Gay?’
Wed, Apr 7th 2010, 10:41Chris Johnson | Apr 01, 2010
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, which backs qualified LGBT candidates for political office, has endorsed for the November election 68 candidates for federal and local races. That’s the highest number of candidates the organization has ever endorsed at this point prior to a November election.
Denis Dison, a spokesperson for the organization, projected the Victory Fund will endorse at least 112 candidates by the time the general election arrives. It would be more candidates than the organization has ever endorsed for a general election.
“When people see someone like [lesbian] Annise Parker win election as mayor of Houston, they question their assumptions about what’s possible, and I think that when people see other LGBT candidates succeed, they believe they can they can do it, too,” Dison said.
The potential for the election of so many gay candidates to office could make 2010 a milestone in terms of visibility for LGBT officials. Such a change would echo a political phenomenon from 1992, which became known as the “Year of the Woman.” At the time, Democratic nominee Bill Clinton’s victory was accompanied by the election of four female Democrats to the U.S. Senate.
http://www.dcagenda.com/2010/04/01/could-2010-be-%E2%80%98year-of-the-gay%E2%80%99/
U of Michigan Elects First Openly Gay Student Body President
Wed, Apr 7th 2010, 10:39The University of Michigan student body has elected its first ever openly queer president. Chris Armstrong, a former intern at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund was elected president of the University of Michigan Student Assembly. The UM MSA represents tens of thousands of students at one of the country’s most prestigious schools. Armstrong and his running mate represented the MForward party which tallied over 1,000 votes more than their closest challengers. MForward focuses on student involvement and advocacy, and included lobbying for gender neutral housing in their platform. Armstrong, a junior, will serve as MSA president until March of 2011.http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2010/04/u-of-michigan-elects-first-openly-gay-student-body-president/
Video Salute to LGBT Women in Politics
Thu, Apr 1st 2010, 13:07As Women’s History Month came to a close Wednesday, the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund released a video to celebrate the accomplishments of out
women in politics.
The video features lesbian trailblazers like
U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Houston mayor Annise Parker,
Georgia state representative Simone Bell (pictured) and New York City
Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
“The only way to really get our
voice accurately and effectively and really loudly heard is to have
members of our community at the table, and to have diverse members of
our community at the table,” says Quinn.
According to the video,
the Victory
Fund endorsed 22 women for elected office in 2009, and 82% of them
won.
“It’s a very powerful message to have women at the table,”
says Baldwin. “None of us check our life experiences at the door when we
walk into work. We bring those experiences with us, and those
experiences inform our policy making. Without a diverse group addressing
policy, we’re not going to reflect America.”http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/01/Video_Salute_to_Women_in_LGBT_Politics/
The Victory Fund Celebrates Lesbians in Politics
Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 12:34As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund has a nice little video out celebrating lesbians in politics.http://www.lgbtpov.com/2010/03/the-victory-fund-celebrates-lesbians-in-politics/
Victory Fund Celebrates Women in LGBT Politics
Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 12:32The Victory Fund has produced a video in honor of Women’s History Month celebrating women who have been leaders in the LGBT political movement. Take a look:http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2010/03/victory-fund-celebrates-women-in-lgbt-politics/
Univ. of Michigan Elects Gay Student Body President
Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 12:31Chris Armstrong, a junior majoring in sociology, became
the president of the Michigan Student Assembly on a platform of
advocacy and activism. Armstrong had pledged to support gay rights on
campus; he previously helped bring the 2011 Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian,
Gay, Transgender, Ally College Conference to the University of Michigan.
Armstrong also interned last summer at the Gay & Lesbian Victory
Fund in Washington, D.C.
"The significance of this event really
demonstrates the diversity of this University," Armstrong said in a
statement. "The ability of this campus to elect an openly gay president
to lead them is something that students should be proud of, and the LGBT
community should be proud of."http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/03/29/Univ_of_Michigan_Elects_Gay_Student_Body_President/
University of Michigan Elects Gay Student Assembly President
Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 12:28The Victory Fund notes that their former intern, openly gay University of Michigan junior Chris Armstrong, has been elected president of the University of Michigan Student Assembly.
Michigan Daily reports: "Armstrong and Raymond won by more than 1,000 votes — beating out the Michigan Vision Party’s Ian Margolis and Tom Stuckey — in an election with a student voter turnout of 14 percent, the highest it’s been in years."
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/03/university-of-michigan-elects-gay-student-assembly-president.htmlLesbian Included Among Obama's Recess Appointments
Wed, Mar 31st 2010, 12:23In January, Denis Dison, vice president
of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that promotes openly
gay elected officials, told On Top Magazine that the Obama
administration is on track to setting a new record on appointing
openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender officials. “Obama has appointed about 100 openly
LGBT staff to the executive branch in his first year in office,”
Dison said in an email. “[President] Clinton appointed about 140
over 8 years.” “Obama is certainly on track to set a
record in this regard,” he added. Dison cheered Feldblum's appointment in
an email: “We're very happy she will finally be able to serve on
the EEOC, and proud that she is the first openly LGBT EEOC
commissioner. Few people are as qualified for this job as Chai
Feldblum.”
Out Candidates for Elected Office Increase
Fri, Mar 26th 2010, 14:22The number of openly LGBT candidates endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian
Victory Fund for elected office at the local, state, and federal levels
has reached 76 and continues to grow, which suggests the organization
could be on track to endorse a record number of candidates in 2010.
According
to a news release from the Victory
Fund, “Among the endorsees are five candidates for the U.S. Congress,
two for statewide office, and 35 state legislative candidates.
“Current
endorsees include: Nickie Antonio, a Democrat running for the Ohio
State House; David Cicilline, a Democrat running for Congress from Rhode
Island; Dave Coulter, a Democrat running for the Michigan State Senate;
Lucia Guzman, a Democrat running for the Colorado State Senate; and
Richard Tisei, a Republican running for lieutenant governor of
Massachusetts.”
See the full list of endorsed candidates here. http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/03/26/Out_Candidates_for_Elected_Office_Grow/
Reader poll on best tactics to front-burner LGBT issues in Washington
Wed, Mar 24th 2010, 17:42The Victory Fund's Gay and Lesbian Leadership SmartBrief had a reader poll that presented in interesting results. It's by no means scientific, but it gives you some insight into the conventional wisdom that relying on "the professional gays" to get our issues onto the front burner in DC is by no means the best way to be effective. http://pamshouseblend.com/diary/15633/reader-poll-on-best-tactics-to-frontburner-lgbt-issues-in-washington
Kevin Lembo praises health care vote
Wed, Mar 24th 2010, 17:27Lembo is exploring a run for lieutenant governor. In other Lembo news, he recently received the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
"Kevin's career demonstrates a deep commitment to public service and to making government work for everyone,'' Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe said in a statement announcing the endorsement. "His victory will be an affirmation of openness and honesty in politics, so we are proud to stand with him in this important and exciting campaign.''
If elected, Lembo would be among the highest-ranking gay elected officials in the U.S.
http://blogs.courant.com/capitol_watch/2010/03/kevin-lembo-praises-health-car.htmlSource tells Victory Fund: Leading Florida GOP Senate candidate Marco Rubio is ‘horrible’ on gay issues
Fri, Mar 12th 2010, 15:14The Victory Fund’s blog, GayPolitics.com, has an interesting post today, Is Marco Rubio Anti-Gay? The article explores the philosophies of Rubio, the GOP frontrunner for U.S. Senate in Florida and his opponent, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2010/03/source-tells-victory-fund-leading-florida-gop-senate-candidate-marco-rubio-is-horrible-on-gay-issues.html
Ward vies to be Statehouse's first out black lawmaker
Thu, Mar 11th 2010, 10:25The son of an army sergeant and a descendent of slaves, Ward has tried to make up for that deficit in LGBT lawmakers' support by focusing on local politicians near his hometown, many of whom have endorsed him. He also came to San Francisco in December to go through the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund's candidate training. He earned the fund's endorsement, allowing him to tap into its nationwide donor network.
Ward plans to run on his record as a city councilman and hopes voters will be attracted to his reputation of being an effective local politician.
"I feel I have the highest profile and the most amount of experience creating jobs and standing with public safety," said Ward. "We are about trying to make sure our local message gets us there to the Capitol. The primary focus is not getting endorsements from Sacramento leaders."http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4553
TEP, Victory Fund events promote GLBT candidacies, political activism
Tue, Mar 2nd 2010, 13:59With activists from around the state converging for the Tennessee Equality Project’s
annual Advancing Equality Day on the Hill on March 2, national and
state leaders were on hand to capture some of that enthusiasm for 2010
races and beyond.
On March 1, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
held an abbreviated version of its three-day training workshop for GLBT
office-seekers, bringing in James Dozier, deputy political director of
the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute,
the fund’s candidate-training arm. Dozier addressed more than a dozen
people from around the state at OutCentral, pointing out the various
do’s and don’ts not only of campaigning, but also for the months and
years prior to entering a race.
“Take advantage of the
opportunity you’ll have tomorrow to talk to legislators,” Dozier said,
“People say you can’t run and win in a red state, but you can. The
trick is finding the right seat to run for, and being a positive role
model. Start early, and do your homework.”http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/3898
National gay rights groups endorse Providence Mayor Cicilline for Congress
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:32WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Two national gay rights groups endorsed Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, who is openly gay, in his bid for Congress in the First District on Monday.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced its support of Cicilline for his "long record of supporting full equality for the LBGT community" and his record as Providence mayor.
In a separate announcement, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that provides financial and campaign support to gay and lesbian political candidates, threw their support to Cicilline for his "reputation as a reformer who helped root out corruption and lower the city's crime rate."
http://politicsblog.projo.com/2010/02/national-gay-ri.htmlVictory Fund Endorses Cicilline for Congress
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:25The gay mayor of Providence, R.I., who is running for a seat in Congress, has been endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
David Cicilline has been mayor of Providence for eight years and is often credited for a drop in crime and corruption in the New England city. Now Cicilline wants to represent Rhode Island's first congressional district in Washington. He faces a primary challenge in September before the general election in November.
"Mayor Cicilline’s election will be good news not only for the people of Rhode Island but for LGBT Americans everywhere, who will gain another authentic voice in Congress," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund. "Having managed Providence for the past eight years, Mayor Cicilline knows what Congress needs to do to help cities emerge from a harsh recession and to put Americans back to work." http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/02/22/Victory_Fund_Endorses_Cicilline_for_Congress/Finding Common Ground
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:24EXECUTIVE EDUCATION | In 2002, Michael Fleming, executive director of the David Bohnett Foundation, helped launch the midcareer fellowship for government officials that the Kennedy School runs in concert with the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute. But it was only after becoming a fellow himself in 2005 that Fleming was able to fully appreciate the value of the program.
Following his recommendation, in 2007 the Bohnett Foundation contributed $500,000 to endow the program, which has grown from 3 fellows in 2002 to 16 in 2009, and covers about half the participation costs for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual students.
Each year, two classes of fellows come to the Kennedy School for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. The dozen or so Bohnett fellows are part of a group of some 70 students overall. “We wanted our fellows to be integrated with a larger class of government attendees, who may not be gay or lesbian, so that each group could learn from the other’s experience,” says foundation head David Bohnett, a Web entrepreneur who became a major philanthropist in 1999 after selling GeoCities.com, the social networking company he cofounded, to Yahoo! for $3.6 billion. “After interacting with our fellows, other participants in the program told me they had learned quite a bit about the struggle that gay and lesbian people had for equality.”
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/publications/hks-magazine/archives/winter-2010/finding-common-ground/Yes on 8 expert contends gays wield coalition power
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:21Miller’s testimony seemed to suggest he had only cursory knowledge in any area regarding gay political power. When asked about gay political power nationally, he spoke about the “upward trajectory of power” for the movement in its efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” (DADT). And he testified that President Obama has given “significant support” to the community during his first year in office. And he talked about the Gay & Lesbian Victory fund having boasted that most openly gay candidates are elected.http://www.keennewsservice.com/2010/01/26/yes-on-8-expert-contends-gays-wield-coalition-power/
Profile: Openly lesbian Illinois lawmaker Deb Mell
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:19Representative Mell and I had a very long and delightful conversation about how she got to Springfield and what the past year has been like for her. The daughter of popular Chicago Alderman Richard Mell and sister-in-law of former Governor Blagojavich, it would seem Deb was destined for politics, but she says it was a long road.
"I was working at Christy Webber Landscapes. I was there for five years. I loved my job there as project manager for her, but I felt like I wanted something different--I needed a change. Equality Illinois sent me to the Victory Fund candidate training." Though Representative Mell lived in the heart of San Francisco for nearly a decade, she had never been interested in Politics, "I was like 'yeah, I'll go,' but I didn't really know [what was in store], but I went there and I kind of got the bug a little bit."
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/interview_openly_lesbian_illinois_lawmaker_deb_mel.phpHouston's Parker scores big as lesbian mayor of a sports town
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:15 Parker's alliance with the pro-LGBT
Victory Fund dates back 15 years, and it certainly was helpful in the
2009 election, she admits.
The Victory Fund came to the aide of Parker's campaign with money and
volunteers to staff telephone banks in a get-out-the-vote effort.
"The Victory Fund was a help," she said. "It was more important when I
ran 12 years ago." In 1997, Parker prevailed in the runoff election to
City Council, becoming Houston's first openly gay elected official.
"In an odd way, it was almost like getting the Good Housekeeping Seal
of Approval that an independent, third-party group had vetted me as a
candidate and decided that I was worthy, and then contacted their
members in the Houston region, and their financial contributions were
very important.
"They were a big part of my fundraising base, but it wasn't the critical element.
"The Victory Fund certainly was, and is, extremely helpful and I value their support, and am grateful to them for it."
Parker's ties to the Victory Fund date back to 1994.
Daniel Alter Nominated For Federal Bench; Would Be First Openly Gay Male Judge
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:11Denis Dison, spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, praised Schumer for his recommendation, telling DC Agenda that "we're entering an era where qualified people are no longer excluded from leadership positions because of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
Alter previously worked as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and is a graduate of Columbia and Yale Law School.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/09/daniel-alter-nominated-fo_n_455557.htmlGay Candidates Head To Florida For Campaign Bootcamp
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:09While political parity remains an
elusive goal for the gay community, the number of openly gay elected
officials has surged over the past decade. In the United States, many of the
country's most successful out politicians received help from the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund, a group dedicated to supporting
openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender candidates. Later this month, the group returns to
Fort Lauderdale to put on its 17th annual Gay
& Lesbian Leadership Institute (GLLI) Candidate & Campaign
Training, where attendees learn how to press the flesh from
proven campaign professionals.
Steve Kornell, who fought off anti-gay
attacks to win a seat on the St. Petersburg, Florida City Council
last November, is expected to address attendees.
Are they, or aren’t they?
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:07By John Wright | News Editor wright@dallasvoice.com
Feb 11, 2010 - 7:22:40 PM
Despite gains, some gay candidates still not open; experts say shying away from the issue isn’t an effective campaign strategy
Over the last eight years, the number of openly gay and lesbian elected
officials in the U.S. has gone from 257 to 445, according to the
Washington, D.C.-based Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.
In addition to numerous city council members, Dallas voters have
elected an out lesbian sheriff, and an openly gay county judge and
district clerk. And voters in Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest
city, recently elected an out lesbian mayor.
Despite this apparent progress, however, some gay and lesbian political
candidates in North Texas remain unwilling to discuss or even confirm
their sexual orientation in the media.
One local candidate who’s running in 2010, widely known to be gay in
LGBT circles, has repeatedly refused to respond to questions about his
sexual orientation posed by Dallas Voice. And another local 2010
candidate has confirmed she’s a lesbian but isn’t willing to be
interviewed about her sexual orientation.
Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Victory Fund, which backs openly LGBT
candidates nationwide, said although he understands why some are less
than fully open about their sexual orientation, he doesn’t believe
shying away from the issue is an effective strategy.
“I respect people’s decision to be out or not out, that’s up to them,
but our recommendation to gay people who are running for office is
always, be honest and answer the question, and move on to the issues
that you’re running on,” Dison said.
Three gay nominees among the 27 confirmed by U.S. Senate
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:05The three gay officials were nominated to their positions after being recommended by the Presidential Appointments Project, a Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund-led initiative that helps openly LGBT individuals get appointments in the Obama administration.
Denis Dison, a Victory Fund spokesperson, praised the Senate for confirming Wilson, Atwood and Mills.
“We’re glad the Senate finally confirmed these three outstanding individuals,” he said. “They are proof that the president is focused on finding the best people to work in his administration, and we’re proud they’ve stepped up to serve their country.”
http://dcagenda.com/2010/02/three-gay-nominees-among-the-27-confirmed-by-u-s-senate/Osteen Thanks God for Annise Parker
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 16:01Megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, who ignited a firestorm in November with his comment to The View
that gay people were not among “God’s best,” thanked the heavens on
Monday for Annise Parker, the newly inaugurated lesbian mayor of
Houston.
According to a tweet from the Victory Fund, during the inauguration ceremony Monday morning, Osteen thanked God for "lifting up our new mayor, Annise Parker."http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/01/04/Osteen_Thanks_God_For_Annise_Parker/
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Elects Nashvillian Co-Chair
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:59Nashville’s Jim Schmidt has been elected to help lead a part of the country’s largest GLBT political action committee, the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
Schmidt was elected to a two-year term as co-chair of the Victory Fund’s Campaign Board (VCB) last month and will help lead the 100-member board responsible for recruiting, endorsing and raising money for GLBT candidates running for office.
“It’s a great opportunity to make a huge difference in politics across the country,” Schmidt said.
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/12/30/gay-lesbian-victory-fund-elects-nashvillian-co-chair/Deb Price: Election shows the future has arrived in Houston
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:57Early in her victory speech, Houston Mayor-elect Annise Parker addressed the pink elephant in the joy-throbbing room, the history she’d just made as an openly gay candidate for the top office in America’s fourth-largest city.
“All right,” Parker said on Dec. 12, as her partner of nearly 19 years beamed at her side, “let’s get this out of the way. Here’s the announcement that you’ve been waiting for: I am proud, very proud, to have been elected the first, the very first graduate of Rice University to be mayor of Houston.”
Her supporters burst into laughter and cheers at what was a textbook moment for other aspiring lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender candidates. A little humor does indeed go a long way. But in this case, the humor carried with it some Texas-sized truth about why Parker won: Voters appreciated her deep Texas roots.
Parker was born and raised in Houston, graduated from Rice, worked 20 years in the oil and gas industry, then began a political career -- serving six years on the City Council, then five as city controller, where she was in charge of billions of tax dollars and oversaw Houston’s investments.
As her campaign website put it, Parker has “Houston Hometown Values.”
Despite anti-gay mailings, she won a runoff against lawyer and political newbie Gene Locke, 53 percent to 47 percent. Denis Dison of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which helps elect gay candidates, predicts Parker’s triumph will “embolden out leaders to run for office and give young LGBT folks the courage to seek leadership positions while still living authentic lives.” Dison notes Parker always has been open in her campaigns about her sexual orientation.
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/article_f28a1c7e-02be-5f90-9fcc-8e0731b06604.htmlObama administration names two transgender people to posts
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:52Amanda Simpson starts work this week as one of the first presidentially-appointed transgender persons to the executive branch of any administration. The honor of the first belongs to Dylan Orr, a 30-year-old law school graduate from Seattle.
The Obama administration appointed both Simpson and Orr in late November. Orr began work on December 7 as special assistant to Assistant Secretary of Labor Kathleen Martinez in the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the Department of Labor.
Simpson, 49, began work on Tuesday as senior technical adviser in the Bureau of Industry and Security in the Commerce Department. The bureau's mission is to protect national security through the management of international trade, the enforcement of treaties, and the promotion of economic, cyber, and homeland security.
http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=4458Obama Admin. On Track To Set Gay Appointment Record
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:50A Tuesday announcement on the filling
of key administrative posts included President Obama's latest openly
gay official, Beatrice Hanson. Hanson, who heads a crime victim
assistance organization in New York City, has been nominated to serve
as director of the Office of Victims of Crime in the Department of
Justice. Her nomination keeps the Obama
administration on track to setting a new record on appointing openly
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender officials. Denis Dison, vice president of the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund, a group that promotes openly gay elected
officials, told On Top Magazine that the Obama administration
is almost certain to shatter the old record, perhaps as soon as next
year. “Obama has appointed about 100 openly
LGBT staff to the executive branch in his first year in office,”
Dison said in an email. “[President] Clinton appointed about 140
over 8 years.” “Obama is certainly on track to set a
record in this regard,” he added.
Year ahead filled with promise, pitfalls
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:42U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent comment that her 2010 agenda wouldn’t include controversial votes unless the Senate acts first has disappointed some LGBT lobbyists on Capitol Hill.
There are several LGBT-related bills pending at the federal level, including repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the enactment of employment non-discrimination and extending benefits to the same-sex partners of federal workers.
http://dcagenda.com/2010/01/year-ahead-filled-with-promise-pitfalls/Europe's Gay Leaders: Out at The Top
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:39When Iceland installed Johanna Sigurdardottir as Prime Minister last February, newspapers around the globe printed variations of the same headline: ICELAND APPOINTS WORLD'S FIRST GAY LEADER. Everywhere, that is, except Iceland. The Icelandic media didn't mention Sigurdardottir's sexuality for days, and only then to point out that the foreign press had taken an interest in their new head of state — a 67-year-old former flight attendant turned politician whom voters had consistently rated Iceland's most trustworthy politician. Sure, she was gay and had entered a civil partnership with another woman in 2002. But Icelanders hardly seemed to notice. "The media silence echoed the sentiment of the public. Nobody cared about her sexual orientation," says Margret Bjornsdottir, the director of the Institute for Public Administration and Politics at the University of Iceland. "Being gay is a nonissue here. It's considered unremarkable."
Gay Candidates Get Support That Causes May Not
Thu, Feb 25th 2010, 15:36HOUSTON — When an openly gay woman won the mayor’s race here this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/us/28candidates.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=%22victory%20fund%22%20gay&st=cse
McCoy asks LDS Church to support same-sex rights
Mon, Nov 10th 2008, 12:54State Sen. Scott McCoy joined Equality Utah in asking the LDS Church to follow up on its previously stated commitment to the rights of same-sex couples.
Rietschel endorsed by The Seattle Times
Tue, Oct 28th 2008, 15:23The Seattle Times states: "We like both candidates, but sense in Rietschel a toughness that gives us confidence she could control any courtroom. We endorse Rietschel."http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008298835_edit23judgesendorse.html
Rebecca Kaplan Endorsed by San Francisco Bay Gaurdian
Wed, Oct 22nd 2008, 11:22City Council, at large
REBECCA KAPLAN
Rebecca Kaplan is exactly what the Oakland City Council needs: an energetic progressive with the practical skills to get things done. As an AC Transit Board member, she pushed for free bus passes for low income youths — and defying all odds, managed to get all-night transit service from San Francisco to the East Bay. She did it by refusing to accept the conventional wisdom that transit agencies on the two sides of the bay would never cooperate. She put the key players together in a meeting, convinced the San Francisco supervisors to allow AC Transit buses to pick up passengers in the city late at night, and put through an effective program to get people across the bay after BART shuts down.
Kaplan is running for City Council on a progressive platform calling for affordable housing, rational development, and community policing. Her latest idea: since Oakland has so much trouble attracting quality candidates for vacancies in its police department, she suggests the city recruit gay and lesbian military veterans who were kicked out under the Pentagon's homophobic policies. Her proposed slogan: "Uncle Sam doesn't want you, but Oakland does."
Vote for Rebecca Kaplan.
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?page=17&entry_id=6247&catid=4&volume_id=317&issue_id=376&volume_num=42&issue_num=31Oklahoma wind power has vast potential
Thu, May 29th 2008, 08:25Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth wrote the following article for Tulsa World, extolling the potential of wind energy.http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080508_49_E4_spancl424732
Jamie McLeod speaks on California marriage ruling
Mon, May 19th 2008, 11:28McLeod speaks with other leaders on the California Supreme Court ruling overturning the state's ban on marriage. See the video here.http://video.mercurynews.com/mms/rt/1/site/medianewsgroup-bang-mercurynews-pub01-live/current/launch.html?maven_playerId=mercurynewsvideomc&maven_referralPlaylistId=2702c907691535a6f106bf50a4e68dda7d6d763f&maven_referralObject=f75bf6e9-1778-4e7b-8f76-a7e9
Despite mayor's veto, Riverdale to proceed with project
Wed, Oct 31st 2007, 08:39 Despite
some last-minute political wrangling, Riverdale will move forward with
plans to break ground on a new town center early next year. Voters approved the downtown redevelopment project — part of a tax allocation district — during a special election in September.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/29/07
"It's not only a town center," Council member Michelle Bruce said. "This will create jobs and a sense of unity that we never did have in this city. It will bring everybody together and give kids something to do."
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/clayton/stories/2007/10/29/riverdaleplan_1030_web.htmlRiverdale City Council overrides mayor's TAD veto
Wed, Oct 31st 2007, 08:36By Joel Hall
The
Riverdale City Council has overturned a veto by Mayor Phaedra Graham
that would have derailed the city's plan for the Riverdale Town Center,
a tax allocation district (TAD).
"To me, [Graham] slapped the voters in the face when she did this," said Councilmember Bruce. "[The Town Center] creates jobs for our citizens, it creates tax base ... [the voters] wanted this and this hurts the taxpayers in the city."
http://www.news-daily.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=22460&SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&S=1