Democrat Running for Congress Injects Testosterone in Ad
An ad from transmasculine, nonbinary candidate Mel Manuel links transgender rights to bodily autonomy for all Americans.
A transmasculine nonbinary Democrat running for a seat in Congress has released a controversial yet compelling ad emphasizing their commitment to defending bodily autonomy from government interference.
Mel Manuel, who is one of several challengers to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R) in Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District, is shown preparing a syringe to give themselves a testosterone injection.
In the ad, Manuel introduces themselves as a candidate for Congress in the blood-red district, where Democrats have struggled to gain even 25% of the vote, and where Trump won in 2020 by a 38-point margin of victory.
“The toxic forces of fear and hatred are threatening to consume our nation,” Manuel says in a voiceover. “If we don’t take a stand, the November election could be the last gasp of Democratic freedom as we know it.”
As the video shows them injecting themselves, Manuel continues, “I believe that you, not the government, owns your own body. LGBTQ rights are human rights.”
In the Instagram caption, Manuel noted that Republicans have reportedly spent more than $65 million dollars on ads — primarily attacking Democrats over issues like gender-affirming care or trans participation in sports — since August of this year alone.
“To my LGBTQ+ family and our allies… No one is coming to save us,” Manuel wrote. “We have to show up at the polls for ourselves and for those we love. I’ve spent the last year and a half campaigning because we need to speak up and be represented before it’s too late. You can speak up now with your vote.”
Manuel’s ad — believed to be one of the first of its kind at the congressional level — is reminiscent of an ad run by Virginia Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas) in 2017 that depicted her taking oral hormonal medication and putting on makeup.
Roem, who was running for delegate at the time, used the ad to contrast herself with her then-opponent, former Del. Bob Marshall (R-Manassas), who was known best for introducing bills attacking the LGBTQ community and bragged about being Virginia’s “homophobe-in-chief.”Roem ultimately won, becoming the first out transgender person to serve in a state legislature, and was elected to three terms in the House before successfully running for the state Senate in 2023.
Manuel, who serves as director of operations for the Louisiana Abortion Fund and the co-director of the LGBTQ nonprofit Queer Northshore, is the sole Democrat running in a five-way race against three Republicans and an unaffiliated candidate. Under Louisiana’s “jungle primary system,” a candidate must obtain over 50% of the vote. If they fail to meet that threshold, a runoff between the top two vote-getters in the primary is held in December.
Scalise, who is favored to win re-election and avoid the runoff, has amassed a record that is hostile to LGBTQ rights over his career. He received a zero out of 100 rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard, opposed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” voted against LGBTQ-inclusive hate crimes legislation, and voted against the Respect for Marriage Act due to his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Manuel says on their campaign website that they are hoping to win at least 35% of the vote in the general election — which is itself a difficult goal to meet. Among the issues Manuel is championing are universal, free health care for all Americans, living wages, maternity and paternity leave, bodily autonomy, including access to reproductive health care, and opposition to “all forms of bigotry.”
Noting that many of Louisiana’s political districts are heavily gerrymandered to favor Republicans, Manuel says that their top priority, as part of the campaign, is “increasing progressive voter registration, re-engaging disconnected voters, and empowering more Democrats to run for office, especially those who are queer, female, or people of color.”
Watch Manuel’s campaign ad on Instagram below:
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
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.