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(Some content coming soon)The NEPA Rainbow Alliance is a member of the Value All Families Coalition of Pennsylvania and supports Equality PA.
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BREAKING: Victory Fund responds to former RNC chairman’s coming out
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund President and CEO Chuck Wolfe issued the following statement tonight regarding an announcement by the former chair of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman, that he is gay:
“Coming out is a personal decision, and it can have a profound impact on families, friends, colleagues and constituents. 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,” Wolfe said. ”We look forward to the day when all political leaders, regardless of party, are able to be honest about themselves and their families, and still rise to positions where they can lead by example.”
Mehlman led the GOP during administration of President George W. Bush when, in the 2004 and 2006 national elections, party officials deliberately used anti-gay political messaging to drive social conservatives to the polls, according to Marc Ambinder, who broke the news tonight:
Mehlman said at the time that he could not, as an individual Republican, go against the party consensus. He was aware that Karl Rove, President Bush’s chief strategic adviser, had been working with Republicans to make sure that anti-gay initiatives and referenda would appear on November ballots in 2004 and 2006 to help Republicans.
Mehlman acknowledges that if he had publicly declared his sexuality sooner, he might have played a role in keeping the party from pushing an anti-gay agenda.
Gay Navajo man set to join Arizona Senate
The Arizona state legislature is likely to keep its five-member caucus of openly LGBT lawmakers after important primary elections Tuesday night.
Jack Jackson, Jr., a member of the Navajo Nation, was the top vote-getter in a three-way race for a seat in the Arizona Senate. He would join State Sen. Paula Aboud, an out lesbian, Sen. Robert Meza, who is openly gay, and primary winner Kyrsten Sinema, an openly bisexual member of the State House who is likely to move up to the Senate.
In 2005, Jackson, a former member of the State House, was appointed by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as the Executive Director of the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs. In April 2000, he was appointed by Secretary Donna Shalala to serve on President Clinton’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. Today Jackson serves on the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise Board and the Obama Administration has selected him to once again serve on the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
In other primary races Tuesday, Steve Howard, an openly gay man, won the Democratic nomination to become Vermont’s next lieutenant governor.
Elsewhere, out candidates faced tough losses in some tough states. In Florida, which has never elected an openly LGBT candidate to the state legislature, Justin Flippen came up short in his bid to unseat the incumbent District 92 State House member. Also in Florida in the race to fill Rep. Kendrick Meek’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Scott Galvin was unable to overcome a significant fundraising disadvantage in his Democratic primary.
Top Marine cites religion in doubts over DADT repeal
U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Conway said today that because marines are “very religious,” moral concerns will cause them to not want to room with openly gay troops after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Conway’s comments were reported by NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski.
Conway said the Marine Corps will consider separate living facilities for gay and straight troops, something a Pentagon spokesman flatly rejected earlier this year.
Still, Conway added that if the military ban ends, the Corps will implement it and move on. ”We cannot be seen as dragging our feet. We’ve got two wars to fight,” Conway said.