Victory in the News

Election Night 2010 Open Thread: LGBT edition

The 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

The 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

The 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:

Dear Lexington, Kentucky - THIS ROCKS!

Yay!

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

There 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!

And 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

Chuck 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!

Over 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

As 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.

Obama Appoints Record Number of Gays

President 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

Providence 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

If 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

"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

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

Another 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.

Watch: Ellen Talks to Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns and His Mom About Anti-Gay Bullying

Fort 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

Guilford 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’

Speaker 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

Fort 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

Business-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.