Photo: Barack Obama. Credit: Christopher Dilts/Obama for America.
Former President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind an additional 17 openly LGBTQ candidates for various federal and state offices, bringing the total of LGBTQ endorsements he’s made to 22.
Obama, who has hit the campaign trail in a limited capacity for some Democratic candidates, sees gaining control of Congress as essential to reversing some of the harmful policies advanced by the Trump administration during their first two years in office.
The former president is often deployed as a surrogate for Democratic candidates in strongly Democratic areas of states or swing districts in order to help turn out base voters who will be essential to successfully taking back control of either chamber of Congress.
He previously endorsed several candidates, including five who identify as LGBTQ: U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), California congressional candidate Katie Hill, and three state legislative candidates.
In his second round of endorsements, Obama threw his support behind incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who is seeking outgoing Sen. Jeff Flake’s Senate seat. Some of his more prominent endorsements include incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D-Ore.), gubernatorial nominee Christine Hallquist of Vermont, and congressional candidates Lauren Baer of Florida, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Sharice Davids of Kansas, Gina Ortiz Jones of Texas, and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.
All 22 of Obama’s LGBTQ endorsements have previously been backed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
“President Obama is endorsing candidates who are passionate about public service and committed to making a positive difference in people’s lives, so it is unsurprising so many of our LGBTQ candidates are on the list,” Annise Parker, the former mayor of Houston and president and CEO of the Victory Fund, said in a statement.
“The experiences and struggles of LGBTQ leaders make them authentic, values-driven candidates who understand the pain and difficulties so many are facing right now,” Parker said. “We are part of every community and every constituency — women, people of color, immigrants and religious minorities — and that diversity strengthens and refines our perspectives. LGBTQ people are running for office in historic numbers not just because our community needs us, but because America needs us.”
In total, there are 224 LGBTQ candidates who will appear on the general election ballot this November, out of more than 430 who ran this cycle.
Most are running as Democrats, who have been inspired to run, in part, by their desire to curb some of the worst excesses of Donald Trump’s presidency.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund has endorsed 272 candidates this cycle, in hopes of generating a so-called “Rainbow Wave” that would ensure the LGBTQ community has a voice at the table when major policy decisions are being made that could impact their lives, livelihood, or well-being.
Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Hampton Medical Center in Virginia were reportedly warned in October that they could face discipline -- or even be fired -- for wearing or displaying rainbow-themed items, including official VA Pride lanyards.
The warning is the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to downplay or erase acknowledgment of LGBTQ identity under the guise of eliminating so-called "wokeness" and other references to identity-based characteristics deemed "divisive."
As reported by The Advocate, local leadership at the medical center sent out the directive citing an "executive order," though it was unclear whether that referred to Donald Trump’s directive banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies, or his order declaring that the U.S. government recognizes only two biological sexes as valid.
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to classify specific transgender suspects as "violent extremists," according to journalist Ken Klippenstein. Writing on his Substack, Klippenstein said two national security officials told him that the FBI intends to treat transgender suspects as a subset of the Bureau’s newly created "Nihilistic Violent Extremists" (NVE) category.
The NVE designation was created earlier this year to replace the Biden-era label "Anti-Authority and Anti-Government Violent Extremists" (AGAAVE), which had been used to categorize participants in the January 6 Capitol riot and other right-wing or anti-government groups.
The Pentagon is bashing the hit Netflix series Boots as "woke garbage."
Based on The Pink Marine, former Marine Greg Cope White's memoir, Boots follows Cameron Cope (Miles Heizer), a closeted teen who joins his straight best friend, Ray McAffey (Liam Oh), at a U.S. Marine Corps boot camp run by the ruthless Sgt. Sullivan (Max Parker).
Set in the 1990s, the series unfolds at a time when service members discovered to be gay or engaged in same-sex activity could be dishonorably discharged. In 1994, under the Clinton administration, Congress approved a so-called "compromise" policy -- "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- that ostensibly allowed gay and lesbian troops to continue serving.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.