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.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, will visit Hungary next week.
An announcement the White House released on Thursday said the Vances will be in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, from April 7-8.
JD Vance “will hold bilateral meetings with” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The announcement further indicates the vice president “will also deliver remarks on the rich partnership between the United States and Hungary.”
The Vances will travel to Hungary less than a week before the country’s parliamentary elections take place on April 12.
Orbán, who has been in office since 2010, and his Fidesz-KDNP coalition government have faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The Associated Press notes polls indicate Orbán is trailing Péter Magyar and his center-right Tisza party.
President Donald Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her post Thursday, following growing criticism over how she and the Department of Justice handled a range of issues, including matters related to sex offender and Trump ally Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump announced Bondi’s removal on Truth Social, where he also said Todd Blanche will serve as acting head of the Justice Department.
“Pam Bondi is a great American patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my attorney general over the past year,” Trump wrote on the platform. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown on crime across our country, with murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900.”
Trump was seen as recently as Wednesday with the now-former attorney general at a Supreme Court hearing on citizenship.
The decision contrasts with Trump’s previous public praise of Bondi, the 87th U.S. attorney general and former 37th attorney general of Florida, who served in that role from 2011-2019 before joining the Trump-Vance administration. He has frequently lauded her loyalty and said he speaks with her often. Bondi was also one of president’s defense lawyers during his first impeachment trial.
Privately, however, Trump had grown frustrated that Bondi was not “moving quickly enough” to prosecute critics and political adversaries he wanted to face criminal charges, according to multiple sources. The New York Times reported that her inability to charge former FBI Director James B. Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James with any crimes is a large factor in the president’s choice to fire her from the government’s primary law enforcement agency.
The move comes as Trump has sought to minimize public turmoil within his administration, avoiding the perception of a revolving-door Cabinet that defined his first term.
Lee Zeldin, a former Republican congressman from New York who unsuccessfully ran for governor, has emerged as a leading contender to lead the Justice Department. He has been one of Trump’s most reliable allies.
“He’s our secret weapon,” Trump said of Zeldin in February during a White House event promoting the coal industry, adding, “He’s getting those approvals done in record-setting time.”
Bondi has also growing faced scrutiny from Congress.
The House Oversight Committee recently subpoenaed her to testify about the department’s handling of certain files, where she declined to answer key questions during a contentious House Judiciary Committee hearing in February.
The Tampa native has a long history of opposing LGBTQ rights through her roles in government. As Florida attorney general, she fought against the legalization of same-sex marriage, arguing it would cause “serious public harm,” pushing forward a legal battle that cost taxpayers nearly half a million dollars. She also asked the Florida Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that found the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional.
More recently, Bondi established a “Title IX Special Investigations Team” within the Justice Department focused on restricting transgender women and girls from participating in women’s and girls’ sports teams and accessing facilities aligned with their gender identity. She also told Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to turn over the medical records of anyone under 19 who received gender-affirming care.
Her removal follows Trump’s decision last month to oust another controversial female Cabinet figure, Kristi Noem.
The White House
VIDEO: Gay journalist detained for booing Trumps at ‘Chicago’ opening night
Eugene Ramirez booed first family at Kennedy Center
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the opening night of “Chicago” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday. They were greeted by a mix of cheers, applause, and some audible boos.
Among them was Eugene Ramirez, a gay Washington resident, who later shared his account of the night after being briefly detained by security for booing the president and giving a thumbs-down gesture — an expression of what many would call a textbook definition of constitutionally protected speech to criticize the government.
Ramirez attended the opening night performance with a group of friends, hoping to catch a final show before the center undergoes two years of major changes under Trump oversight. The musical, based on a 1926 play of the same name, has become synonymous with Broadway success.
With music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, “Chicago” has cemented itself as a cultural staple — known for its signature Fosse choreography, stripped-down staging, and sleek, campy aesthetic. The story follows Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, women who murder their husbands but — with the help of the manipulative, charismatic, and narcissistic attorney Billy Flynn — walk away scot-free.
It remains the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and its 2002 film adaptation famously won the Academy Award for Best Picture. On this night, however, the production also became the backdrop for a very modern moment of political protest.
“I accompanied five friends to opening night of ‘Chicago’, as a way to enjoy a final performance in the Kennedy Center as we know it,” Ramirez began to recount to the Washington Blade, describing the moment his group settled into their seats inside the ornate Opera House theater.
Just before the performance began, the twice impeached president and first lady appeared in the balcony box, drawing immediate attention from the audience below. Theatergoers stood, cheered, clapped, and waved, while Ramirez made a different choice.
While accounts of the crowd’s reaction have varied, Ramirez said his response was intentional, immediate, and within his rights. Moments after booing and giving a thumbs-down while recording on his iPhone, security intervened.
The video of Ramirez booing the Trump’s is here:
“Within moments, the director [of security] and another guard approached and escorted me to a side area where several other security guards were waiting,” he said. “I was detained until everyone was seated and the lights dimmed.”
As he was escorted away, Ramirez said his instincts as a journalist kicked in. A former lead anchor for Sinclair’s national evening news broadcast, he said the situation immediately felt off — or more aptly put — as if he could see the strings being pulled from someone attempting to control the narrative.
“Journalism is a vocation, not just a job. I immediately knew there wasn’t just an uncomfortable interaction with security,” he said. “The Kennedy Center is a federally funded cultural institution, and being questioned about speech related to the president in that setting felt like something the public should know about.”
Ramirez explained the difference between a standard visit by a public official and this performance: the president’s appearance wasn’t just ceremonial; it was very clearly a media moment.
“The White House press pool was there, and it was clear this was an effort to manage the president’s image in the media,” Ramirez continued. “The irony was not lost on me that this was happening on opening night of ‘Chicago’, a musical about manipulating the press to shape public perception.”
According to Ramirez, the explanation he received from Kennedy Center Director of Safety and Security Karles C. Jackson Sr., was brief, but illuminating.
“He said, ‘they don’t want booing,’ and even called out my thumbs-down gesture. He never clarified who ‘they’ were, but whether it was the administration or the Kennedy Center, the distinction felt meaningless,” he explained. “Mr. Jackson ultimately told me he was just trying to do his job, shook my hand, and allowed me to return to my seat once the lights dimmed and the overture started playing.”
Ramirez said he didn’t blame the guard individually, noting the broader context of the Kennedy Center’s uncertain future and the pressures staff were under.
“With the center closing in the coming months, some of these security guards being pressured to restrict our freedom of speech may only have a few weeks of work left.”
He believes the decision to remove him was driven less by disruption than optics, particularly given the presence of the press.
“It was very clearly about protection — whether protecting the president from visible dissent, or his image before the media present. There was no disruption as almost everyone was standing and reacting loudly to the arrival of the president and first lady, with cheers, applause, and hand gestures. The difference was that my reaction, unlike most, was negative.”
Drawing on his experience covering public officials, Ramirez said the incident felt more about controlling perception than security.
“Usually, law enforcement may monitor or intervene if there’s a disruption, but here there was no disruption at all. Simply expressing dissent in a public, cultural space drew the attention of security. It made it feel less like a matter of decorum and more like an effort to control the narrative around the president,” he said. “It’s about what happens when dissent is treated as disruption rather than a right.”
“The show hadn’t started. I threatened no one. Billy Flynn would have approved of the optics. The rest of us should be paying attention.”
Ramirez framed the incident as part of a broader constitutional concern, one that is plaguing the Trump-Vance administration as they continue to reject rules and normalcy set forth by other reserved presidents.
“Being singled out by security at a federally funded institution for expressing dissent shouldn’t be brushed off; it undermines the First Amendment,” he said, looking at it slightly distanced from it now. “Being of Cuban heritage, and a journalist, it’s a right I’m not willing to give up readily.”
“Publicly funded cultural institutions should allow visible dissent, even in politically charged moments,” he added. “Of course, I understand the need to manage disruptions during a performance, but that was not the case here.”
The themes of “Chicago”, a long-running satire about media manipulation and public perception, added another layer of irony to the experience, Ramirez explained.
“The satire truly leapt off the stage! A show about controlling the narrative, manipulating the press, and covering up truths by leaning on showmanship and distractions. The show is decades old, but could’ve been written today. We’re being razzle-dazzled daily and it’s getting harder to tell fact from fiction, no matter where you get your news.”
He, being gay, also acknowledged how hard it must have been for the performers on stage, assuming that at least some in the cast were also members of the LGBTQ community — and artists — two things Trump doesn’t always get along with.
“It was not lost on me that many of the actors on that stage, that the president and first lady presumably applauded, are members of the LGBTQ community which this administration has rolled back protections for under the guise of religious liberty and free speech, resulting in blatant discrimination.”
He pointed to a particular number that felt surreal given the circumstances.
“Its ‘Razzle Dazzle’ number celebrates keeping audiences off balance; at its climax, a massive American flag descends as the song celebrates blinding audiences to what is real. Watching that scene after being detained for a thumbs-down was surreal.”
Ramirez said the show’s closing lines were especially sharp given the presidential audience and what he just experienced.
“At the end of the show,
Velma says: ‘You know, a lot of people have lost faith in America.’
Roxie replies: ‘And for what America stands for.’
Velma: ‘But we are the living examples of what a wonderful country this is.’
Roxie: ‘So we’d just like to say thank you and God bless you.’
They had both just gotten away with murder!”
His closing lines, however, were a bit more pointed than “scintillating sinners” Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly’s were in the show.
“Democracy only works when citizens are allowed to boo,” he said. “Tuesday night at the Kennedy Center, ‘Chicago’ made that point better than I ever could.”
The Blade reached out to the Kennedy Center but did not receive a comment back.
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