National
Lexington’s gay mayor prepares to take office
Gray focusing on jobs, urban development
Jim Gray, mayor elect of Lexington, Ky. (Photo courtesy of Gray's campaign office)
On Nov. 2, a political earthquake rumbled the heart of Kentucky, when pro-business candidate Jim Gray, who is gay, won the race for mayor of Lexington, a city of about 300,000.
Since his victory, Mayor-elect Gray has been preparing to hit the ground running when he is inaugurated on Jan. 2. His jam-packed pre-inauguration schedule included an interview with the New York Times and a meeting with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
“I am impressed with Mayor Bloomberg’s philosophy — basically, get it together, work together,” Gray said during an interview with the Blade.
Gray said he shares several political convictions with Bloomberg and cites, “creating jobs, managing efficiently and building great cities.”
“Whether it is New York City, Lexington or Boise, all have the same economic concerns,” Gray said. “What I also share with Mayor Bloomberg is a belief that private sector experience translates into the role of being mayor. Management skill sets acquired in the private sector can be applied to the public sector.”
Lexington residents voted out incumbent Jim Newberry for Gray, a 57-year-old millionaire who made his fortune with Gray Construction, a family-owned business he and his brothers inherited from their father and built into a behemoth that builds large industrial facilities for manufacturers. Newberry, a 54-year-old lawyer, cited Gray’s resources as a factor in the election.
“I don’t mind telling you that this has been a very difficult election season, and it has saddened me to be accused of so many things that were very much out of touch with reality,” Newberry told the Lexington Herald-Leader, a Kentucky newspaper, shortly after his defeat. “But at the end of the day we just did not have the necessary funding to compete with the overwhelming resources of the opposing side. That having been said, I have no regrets.”
The paper said the race was the most expensive race in the city’s history with more than $2 million raised and spent. Gray lent $480,000 to his campaign, which the Herald-Leader reported stood at about $1.2 million citing campaign finance reports. Newberry reported $1,050,000 for the same period the paper said. Gray plans to leave the company’s leadership to one of his brothers as he did during the campaign.
Gray is the first businessman elected to the city’s top post since the city and county merged governments in 1974. Gray is one of only a handful of openly gay big-city mayors in the country. He’ll be mayor of the third-largest gay-helmed city after Houston (Mayor Annise Parker) and Portland (Mayor Sam Adams). Gray came out in 2005 but has said little about his personal life since then preferring to focus on political issues. Newberry did not bring up Gray’s sexual orientation during the race, unlike Parker’s campaign, which found anti-gay fliers being circulated in Houston. Gray wasn’t out when he launched an unsuccessful run for the mayoral job in 2002.
Gray, wanting to focus on jobs, realizes that downtown Lexington can play a major role in helping boost economic development.
“Young people and others alike want to be in a dynamic urban environment where there’s a lot of kinetic energy and vitality,” he said. “It provides the framework for better jobs. Downtowns and suburban centers can both provide that dynamic.
“We can attract great businesses here. With the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University, and our community colleges, all these educational institutions attract employers because we have a skilled and educated work force. Great quality of life here.”
The continued development of downtown, however, is not without problems. Transportation issues are an ongoing challenge.
“I know we have traffic jams, it’s a way of life, but we avoided an interstate that clear cut our downtown and wonderful 19th century neighborhoods,” Gray said. “That’s a bonus to our quality of life.”
Gray is a staunch advocate for preserving the historic feel of the city, while balancing new development.
“It’s all about authenticity, uniqueness, brand differentiation. We got it all here,” he said. When asked what changes he will implement upon taking office, Gray seemed to have the answers stamped in his mind.
“Encourage transparency, which translates into good management and problem solving. Embrace the spirit of open and honest communication. I share Jack Welch’s [former C.E.O. of General Electric] philosophy, that good business practices include transparency and brand differentiation.”
The odds of a gay candidate winning a high-profile race in a state that overwhelmingly elects conservative Republicans might appear slim. But Gray believes that “elections are about competency and experience, and not about other factors.”
When asked if being gay hindered his ability to reach out to certain voters, Gray, the city’s current vice-mayor, firmly said, “No. I was elected because of my experience.”
”I had hundreds of dedicated volunteers, going door to door, a great campaign manager, Jamie Emmons, who will now be my chief of staff, and many supporters writing checks,” Gray said. “As with most campaigns, stressful days and worrisome nights seem to eventually wear on all candidates, no matter how thick their skin. Politics is war without weapons, but democracy is an extraordinary system, and I was fortunate to participate in it. I kept reminding myself of that.”
Gray’s timing for running for mayor in Lexington coincided with the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal debate but Gray said he’s focusing on local issues instead of lobbying his state’s two conservative senators, both of whom oppose repeal of the anti-gay policy.
“I haven’t thought about lobbying them,” he said. “Certainly repeal has positive momentum going forward. But I try to focus on local issues and avoid going outside the limits of my authority and jurisdiction.”
There was no congratulatory call from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate minority leader, but someone from his staff called Gray on McConnell’s behalf. There was no call from Senator-elect Rand Paul, either, but Gray said he doesn’t feel slighted.
“He’s a busy guy today,” Gray said.
As for other gay and lesbian political aspirants, Gray says take the plunge.
“If your heart is in it, go for it,” he said.
A Wider Bridge on Friday announced it will shut down at the end of the month.
The group that “mobilizes the LGBTQ community to fight antisemitism and support Israel and its LGBTQ community” in a letter to supporters said financial challenges prompted the decision.
“After 15 years of building bridges between LGBTQ communities in North America and Israel, A Wider Bridge has made the difficult decision to wind down operations as of Dec. 31, 2025,” it reads.
“This decision comes after challenging financial realities despite our best efforts to secure sustainable funding. We deeply appreciate our supporters and partners who made this work possible.”
Arthur Slepian founded A Wider Bridge in 2010.
The organization in 2016 organized a reception at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change Conference in Chicago that was to have featured to Israeli activists. More than 200 people who protested against A Wider Bridge forced the event’s cancellation.
A Wider Bridge in 2024 urged the Capital Pride Alliance and other Pride organizers to ensure Jewish people can safely participate in their events in response to an increase in antisemitic attacks after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported authorities in Vermont late last year charged Ethan Felson, who was A Wider Bridge’s then-executive director, with lewd and lascivious conduct after alleged sexual misconduct against a museum employee. Rabbi Denise Eger succeeded Felson as A Wider Bridge’s interim executive director.
A Wider Bridge in June honored U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) at its Pride event that took place at the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. The event took place 15 days after a gunman killed two Israeli Embassy employees — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim — as they were leaving an event at the museum.
“Though we are winding down, this is not a time to back down. We recognize the deep importance of our mission and work amid attacks on Jewish people and LGBTQ people – and LGBTQ Jews at the intersection,” said A Wider Bridge in its letter. “Our board members remain committed to showing up in their individual capacities to represent queer Jews across diverse spaces — and we know our partners and supporters will continue to do the same.”
Editor’s note: Washington Blade International News Editor Michael K. Lavers traveled to Israel and Palestine with A Wider Bridge in 2016.
The White House
‘Trump Rx’ plan includes sharp cuts to HIV drug prices
President made announcement on Friday
President Donald Trump met with leaders from some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies at the White House on Friday to announce his new “Trump Rx” plan and outline efforts to reduce medication costs for Americans.
During the roughly 47-minute meeting in the Roosevelt Room, Trump detailed his administration’s efforts to cut prescription drug prices and make medications more affordable for U.S. patients.
“Starting next year, American drug prices will come down fast, furious, and will soon be among the lowest in the developed world,” Trump said during the meeting. “For decades, Americans have been forced to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs by far … We will get the lowest price of anyone in the world.”
Trump signed an executive order in May directing his administration “to do everything in its power to slash prescription drug prices for Americans while getting other countries to pay more.”
“This represents the greatest victory for patient affordability in the history of American health care, by far, and every single American will benefit,” he added.
Several pharmaceutical executives stood behind the president during the announcement, including Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson, Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan, Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee, Boehringer Ingelheim (USA) CEO Jean-Michel Boers, Gilead Sciences CEO Dan O’Day, Bristol Myers Squibb General Counsel Cari Gallman, GSK CEO Emma Walmsley, Merck CEO Robert Davis, and Amgen Executive Vice President Peter Griffith.
Also in attendance were Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary.
Under the Trump Rx plan, the administration outlined a series of proposed drug price changes across multiple companies and therapeutic areas. Among them were reductions for Amgen’s cholesterol-lowering drug repatha from $573 to $239; Bristol Myers Squibb’s HIV medication reyataz from $1,449 to $217; Boehringer Ingelheim’s type 2 diabetes medication jentadueto from $525 to $55; Genentech’s flu medication xofluza from $168 to $50; and Gilead Sciences’ hepatitis C medication epclusa from $24,920 to $2,425.
Additional reductions included several GSK inhalers — such as the asthma inhaler advair diskus 500/50, from $265 to $89 — Merck’s diabetes medication januvia from $330 to $100, Novartis’ multiple sclerosis medication mayzent from $9,987 to $1,137, and Sanofi’s blood thinner plavix from $756 to $16. Sanofi insulin products would also be capped at $35 per month’s supply.
These prices, however, would only be available to patients who purchase medications directly through TrumpRx. According to the program’s website, TrumpRx “connects patients directly with the best prices, increasing transparency, and cutting out costly third-party markups.”
Kennedy spoke after Trump, thanking the president for efforts to lower pharmaceutical costs in the U.S., where evidence has shown that drug prices — including both brand-name and generic medications — are nearly 2.78 times higher than prices in comparable countries. According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, roughly half of every dollar spent on brand-name drugs goes to entities that play no role in their research, development, or manufacturing.
“This is affordability in action,” Kennedy said. “We are reversing that trend and making sure that Americans can afford to get the life-saving solutions.”
Gilead CEO Dan O’Day also spoke about how the restructuring of drug costs under TrumpRx, combined with emerging technologies, could help reduce HIV transmission — a virus that, if untreated, can progress to AIDS. The LGBTQ community remains disproportionately affected by HIV.
“Thank you, Mr. President — you and the administration,” O’Day said. “I think this objective of achieving the commitment to affordability and future innovation is extraordinary … We just recently launched a new medicine that’s only given twice a year to prevent HIV, and we’re working with Secretary Kennedy and his entire team, as well as the State Department, as a part of your strategy to support ending the epidemic during your term.
“I’ve never been more optimistic about the innovation that exists across these companies and the impact this could have on America’s health and economy,” he added.
Trump interjected, asking, “And that’s working well with HIV?”
“Yes,” O’Day replied.
“It’s a big event,” Trump said.
“It literally prevents HIV almost 100 percent given twice a year,” O’Day responded.
A similar anti-HIV medication is currently prescribed more than injectable form mentioned by O’Day. PrEP, is a medication regimen proven to significantly reduce HIV infection rates for people at high risk. Without insurance, brand-name Truvada can cost roughly $2,000 per month, while a generic version costs about $60 per month.
Even when medication prices are reduced, PrEP access carries additional costs, including clinic and laboratory fees, office visits, required HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing, adherence services and counseling, and outreach to potentially eligible patients and providers.
According to a 2022 study, the annual total cost per person for PrEP — including medication and required clinical and laboratory monitoring — is approximately $12,000 to $13,000 per year.
The TrumpRx federal platform website is now live at TrumpRx.gov, but the program is not slated to begin offering reduced drug prices until January.
The White House
EXCLUSIVE: Democracy Forward files FOIA lawsuit after HHS deadnames Rachel Levine
Trans former assistant health secretary’s name changed on official portrait
Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that works to advance democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement, filed a lawsuit Friday in federal court seeking to compel the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to release information related to the alteration of former Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine’s official portrait caption.
The lawsuit comes in response to the slow pace of HHS’s handling of multiple Freedom of Information Act requests — requests that federal law requires agencies to respond to within 20 working days. While responses can take longer due to backlogs, high request volumes, or the need for extensive searches or consultations, Democracy Forward says HHS has failed to provide any substantive response.
Democracy Forward’s four unanswered FOIA requests, and the subsequent lawsuit against HHS, come days after someone in the Trump-Vance administration changed Levine’s official portrait in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building to display her deadname — the name she used before transitioning and has not used since 2011.
According to Democracy Forward, HHS “refused to release any records related to its morally wrong and offensive effort to alter former Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine’s official portrait caption.” Levine was the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history and served as assistant secretary for health and as an admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps from 2021 to 2025.
Democracy Forward President Skye Perryman spoke about the need to hold the Trump-Vance administration accountable for every official action, especially those that harm some of the most targeted Americans, including trans people.
“The question every American should be asking remains: what is the Trump-Vance administration hiding? For an administration that touts its anti-transgender animus and behavior so publicly, its stonewalling and silence when it comes to the people’s right to see public records about who was behind this decision is deafening,” Perryman said.
“The government’s obligation of transparency doesn’t disappear because the information sought relates to a trailblazing former federal official who is transgender. It’s not complicated — the public is entitled to know who is making decisions — especially decisions that seek to alter facts and reality, erase the identity of a person, and affect the nation’s commitment to civil rights and human dignity.”
“HHS’s refusal to respond to these lawful requests raises more serious concerns about transparency and accountability,” Perryman added. “The public has every right to demand answers — to know who is behind this hateful act — and we are going to court to get them.”
The lawsuit also raises questions about whether the alteration violated federal accuracy and privacy requirements governing Levine’s name, and whether the agency improperly classified the change as an “excepted activity” during a lapse in appropriations. By failing to make any determination or produce any records, Democracy Forward argues, HHS has violated its obligations under federal law.
The case, Democracy Forward Foundation v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The legal team includes Anisha Hindocha, Daniel McGrath, and Robin Thurston.
The Washington Blade reached out to HHS, but has not received any comment.
The lawsuit and four FOIA requests are below:
‘Dogs of Venice’ looks at love lost and rediscovered
A Wider Bridge to close
‘Trump Rx’ plan includes sharp cuts to HIV drug prices
Rehoboth’s Blue Moon is for sale but owners aim to keep it in gay-friendly hands
Comings & Goings
LGBTQ Democrats say they’re ready to fight to win in 2026
Brian Footer suspends campaign for Ward 1 D.C. Council seat
Lighting candles in a time of exhaustion
Why queer spaces often fail South Asian women
