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Big day for gay candidates in N.C.

Brandon, Aiken face uphill fight in bids for Congress

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Marcus Brandon, Clay Aiken, Democratic Party, United States House of Representatives, North Carolina, gay news, Washington Blade
Marcus Brandon, Clay Aiken, Democratic Party, United States House of Representatives, North Carolina, gay news, Washington Blade

Marcus Brandon (left) and Clay Aiken are facing primaries today in North Carolina. (Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

The outcome of today’s primary in North Carolina will determine whether gay candidates in the state will carry the Democratic banner heading into the congressional mid-term elections.

Two openly gay candidates are on the ballot in congressional races: State Rep. K. Marcus Brandon, who’s running to represent North Carolina’s 12th congressional district, and Clay Aiken, who’s seeking the seat for the state’s 2nd congressional district.

Aiken has faced significant challenges during his congressional bid. Despite the buzz over his celebrity status and distinction as a runner up on “American Idol,” Aiken has raised only $287,000. Meanwhile, his opponent in the primary, former North Carolina commerce secretary Keith Crisco, has raised $680,000.

Crisco has also been hitting Aiken with negative ads. Aiken has touted his work on behalf of children with disabilities, but one Crisco ad with the slogan “No Show Clay” questions his commitment.

The ad asserts that after Aiken was appointed in 2006 to the Presidential Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the singer never showed up to meet with the group. Aiken, who notes his membership on the panel on his campaign website, reportedly said in response he showed up for the first meeting of the group.

Whoever wins the election in the Democratic primary will go on to face Republican incumbent Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), who’s considered the favorite in the Republican district.

Also facing a challenging primary is Brandon, who if elected could become the first openly gay black member of Congress. He’s in a crowded primary among five Democratic candidates seeking to replace former Rep. Melvin Watt, who left Congress to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

State Rep. Alma Adams is considered the front-runner in the race. She’s raised $386,000 compared to the $254,000 that Brandon has raised, although he’s in second in terms of funds raised among the candidates in the crowded field.

The 12th congressional district is heavily Democratic, so whoever wins the Democratic primary will more than likely have the seat secured. But if no candidate secures 40 percent of the vote, which is likely, a run-off election for the top two vote-getters will take place on July 15.

The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has endorsed Brandon, but Aiken received no endorsement from the group.

Another race of note is the primary for the Republican nomination to run for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. House Speaker Thom Tillis, obstetrician Greg Brannon, and Baptist pastor Mark Harris are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C), who’s considered among the most vulnerable Democrats in the mid-term election.

All the Republican candidates have expressed opposition to same-sex marriage. Hagan, who spoke out against North Carolina’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, endorsed marriage equality last year.

As QNotes’ Matt Comer reports, gay representation in the state legislature is also at stake in the primary. Openly gay candidate Ty Turner is among a field of five candidates in the primary State Senate District 40, which is near Charlotte. Gay state candidate Derek Kiszely is running Kim Hanchette in House District 49.

But even if he wins the primary, Kiszely is unlikely to win the general election because he’s running in a Republican district. That means if Turner loses in the primary, the state General Assembly will likely have no gay representation for the first time in 10 years.

Polls opened today at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m.

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Congress

Sens. Butler, Smith introduce Pride in Mental Health Act to aid at-risk LGBTQ youth

Bill is backed by Democrats in both chambers

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U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) speaks at the International LGBTQ Leaders Conference on Nov. 30, 2023. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

U.S. Sens. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) introduced the Pride in Mental Health Act on Thursday, legislation that would strengthen resources in mental health and crisis intervention for at-risk LGBTQ youth.

ā€œAccessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,ā€Ā said Butler, who is the first Black LGBTQ senator. ā€œBarriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed, or threatened.”

“I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need,” she said.

ā€œMental health care is health care,” said Smith. “And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying, and even violence.ā€Ā 

The Minnesota senator added that data shows LGBTQ students are experiencing “an epidemic” of “anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions.”

For example, a 2023 study by The Trevor Project found that 54 percent of LGBTQ youth reported symptoms of depression, compared to 35 percent of their heterosexual counterparts.

Joining the senators as cosponsors are Democratic U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Bob Casey (Penn.), Peter Welch (Vt.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Cory Booker (N.J.), and Tammy Baldwin (Wis.). Baldwin was the first LGBTQ woman elected to the House in 1999 and the first LGBTQ woman elected to the Senate in 2013.

Leading the House version of the bill are LGBTQ Democratic U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids (Kan.), Eric Sorensen (Ill.), and Ritchie Torres (N.Y.), along with 163 other House members.

Organizations that have backed the Pride in Mental Health Act include the Human Rights Campaign, GLSEN, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Education Association (NEA), National Center for Transgender Equality, Seattle Indian Health Board, PFLAG National, The Trevor Project, American Psychological Association, Whitman-Walker Institute, InterACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Mental Health America, and Center for Law and Social Policy.

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District of Columbia

D.C. mayorĀ honors 10th anniversary of Team Rayceen Productions

LGBTQ entertainment, advocacy organization praised for ā€˜vital workā€™

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Rayceen Pendarvis co-founded Team Rayceen Productions. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser today issued an official proclamation declaring Monday, March 18, 2024, as Team Rayceen Day in honor of the local LGBTQ entertainment and advocacy organization Team Rayceen Productions named after its co-founder Rayceen Pendarvis.

ā€œWhereas Rayceen, along with Team Rayceen Productions co-founder, Zar, have spent 10 years advocating for the Black LGBTQI+ community using various forms including in-person events, social media, and YouTube,ā€ the proclamation states.

The proclamation adds that through its YouTube Channel, Team Rayceen Productions created a platform for ā€œBlack LGBTQIA+ individuals to discuss various topics including spotlighting nonprofit organizations and small businesses, voter registration and participation, the state of LGBTQIA+ rights and resources in D.C, gender equality and equity, and the amplification of opportunities to bring the community together.ā€

It also praises Team Rayceen Productions for its partnership with the Mayorā€™s Office of LGBTQ Affairs in helping to produce ā€œexciting events like the District of Pride talent showcase held each June and the iconic 17th Street High Heel Race celebrated in October.ā€

ā€œWhereas I thank Team Rayceen Productions for its vital and necessary work and am #DCProud to wish you all the best as you continue to support Black LGBTQIA+ residents across all 8 Wards,ā€ the proclamation continues.

ā€œNow, therefore, I, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., do hereby proclaim March 18, 2024, as TEAM RAYCEEN DAY in Washington, D.C. and do commit this observance to all Washingtonians,ā€ it concludes.

ā€œWe thank Mayor Bowser for this special proclamation, which highlights where it all began, with the Black LGBTQIA+ community of Washington, D.C,ā€ Team Rayceen Productions says in a statement. ā€œStarting with The Ask Rayceen Show, Reel Affirmation, and events with D.C. Public Library to Art All Night, Silver Pride by Whitman-Walker, and events with the Mayorā€™s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, we are #dcproud of what we have accomplished in the Nationā€™s Capital,ā€ the statement says. 

“For TEAM RAYCEEN DAY, we thank the diverse group of individuals who have made everything we have done possible by volunteering their time and talents over the past decade ā€“ as online co-hosts, event staff, performers, DJs, photographers, and more,ā€ says the statement.

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U.S. Supreme Court

Supreme Court declines to hear case over drag show at Texas university

Students argue First Amendment protects performance

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The U.S. Supreme Court justices on June 30, 2022. ((Photo by Fred Schilling of the U.S. Supreme Court)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear a First Amendment case over a public university president’s refusal to allow an LGBTQ student group to host a drag show on campus.

The group’s application was denied without the justices providing their reasoning or issuing dissenting opinions, as is custom for such requests for emergency review.

When plaintiffs sought to organize the drag performance to raise money for suicide prevention in March 2023, West Texas A&M University President Walter Wendler cancelled the event, citing the Bible and other religious texts.

The students sued, arguing the move constituted prior restraint and viewpoint-based discrimination, in violation of the First Amendment. Wendler had called drag shows ā€œderisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny,” adding that “a harmless drag show” was “not possible.”

The notoriously conservative Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who former President Donald Trump appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, ruled against the plaintiffs in September, writing that ā€œit is not clearly established that all drag shows are inherently expressive.”

Kacsmaryk further argued that the High Court’s precedent-setting opinions protecting stage performances and establishing that “speech may not be banned on the ground that it expresses ideas that offend” was inconsistent with constitutional interpretation based on ā€œtext, history and tradition.”

Plaintiffs appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is by far the most conservative of the nation’s 12 appellate circuit courts. They sought emergency review by the Supreme Court because the 5th Circuit refused to fast-track their case, so arguments were scheduled to begin after the date of their drag show.

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