Victory in the News

Apple CEO urged to come out as gay

LGBT 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

Haters 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.  

Chuck Wolfe: Time to Fight for America’s first LGBT senator

The 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

With 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

Jenifer 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.