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Lexington’s gay mayor prepares to take office

Gray focusing on jobs, urban development

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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.

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Federal Government

RFK Jr.’s HHS report pushes therapy, not medical interventions, for trans youth

‘Discredited junk science’ — GLAAD

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HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

A 409-page report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services challenges the ethics of medical interventions for youth experiencing gender dysphoria, the treatments that are often collectively called gender-affirming care, instead advocating for psychotherapy alone.

The document comes in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order barring the federal government from supporting gender transitions for anyone younger than 19.

“Our duty is to protect our nation’s children — not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,” National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement. “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.”

While the report does not constitute clinical guidance, its findings nevertheless conflict with not just the recommendations of LGBTQ advocacy groups but also those issued by organizations with relevant expertise in science and medicine.

The American Medical Association, for instance, notes that “empirical evidence has demonstrated that trans and non-binary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression.”

Gender-affirming care for transgender youth under standards widely used in the U.S. includes supportive talk therapy along with — in some but not all cases — puberty blockers or hormone treatment.

“The suggestion that someone’s authentic self and who they are can be ‘changed’ is discredited junk science,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “This so-called guidance is grossly misleading and in direct contrast to the recommendation of every leading health authority in the world. This report amounts to nothing more than forcing the same discredited idea of conversion therapy that ripped families apart and harmed gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people for decades.”

GLAAD further notes that the “government has not released the names of those involved in consulting or authoring this report.”

Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC, said, “For decades, every major medical association–including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics–have affirmed that medical care is the only safe and effective treatment for transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria.

“This report is simply promoting conversion therapy by a different name – and the American people know better. We know that conversion therapy isn’t actually therapy – it isolates and harms kids, scapegoats parents, and divides families through blame and rejection. These tactics have been used against gay kids for decades, and now the same people want to use them against transgender youth and their families.

“The end result here will be a devastating denial of essential health care for transgender youth, replaced by a dangerous practice that every major U.S. medical and mental health association agree promotes anxiety, depression, and increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts.

“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice, and no amount of pressure can force someone to change who they are. We also know that 98% of people who receive transition-related health care continue to receive that health care throughout their lifetime. Trans health care is health care.”

“Today’s report seeks to erase decades of research and learning, replacing it with propaganda. The claims in today’s report would rip health care away from kids and take decision-making out of the hands of parents,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of NCLR. “It promotes the same kind of conversion therapy long used to shame LGBTQ+ people into hating themselves for being unable to change something they can’t change.”

“Like being gay or lesbian, being transgender is not a choice—it’s rooted in biology and genetics,” Minter said. “No amount or talk or pressure will change that.” 

Human Rights Campaign Chief of Staff Jay Brown released a statement: “Trans people are who we are. We’re born this way. And we deserve to live our best lives and have a fair shot and equal opportunity at living a good life.

“This report misrepresents the science that has led all mainstream American medical and mental health professionals to declare healthcare for transgender youth to be best practice and instead follows a script predetermined not by experts but by Sec. Kennedy and anti-equality politicians.”




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The White House

Trump nominates Mike Waltz to become next UN ambassador

Former Fla. congressman had been national security advisor

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U.N. headquarters in New York (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced he will nominate Mike Waltz to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Waltz, a former Florida congressman, had been the national security advisor.

Trump announced the nomination amid reports that Waltz and his deputy, Alex Wong, were going to leave the administration after Waltz in March added a journalist to a Signal chat in which he, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other officials discussed plans to attack Houthi rebels in Yemen.

“I am pleased to announce that I will be nominating Mike Waltz to be the next United States ambassador to the United Nations,” said Trump in a Truth Social post that announced Waltz’s nomination. “From his time in uniform on the battlefield, in Congress and, as my National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz has worked hard to put our nation’s Interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role.”

Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security advisor, “while continuing his strong leadership at the State Department.”

“Together, we will continue to fight tirelessly to make America, and the world, safe again,” said Trump.

Trump shortly after his election nominated U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) to become the next U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Trump in March withdrew her nomination in order to ensure Republicans maintained their narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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U.S. Federal Courts

Second federal lawsuit filed against White House passport policy

Two of seven plaintiffs live in Md.

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Lambda Legal on April 25 filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of seven transgender and nonbinary people who are challenging the Trump-Vance administration’s passport policy.

The lawsuit, which Lambda Legal filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, alleges the policy that bans the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers “has caused and is causing grave and immediate harm to transgender people like plaintiffs, in violation of their constitutional rights to equal protection.”

Two of the seven plaintiffs — Jill Tran and Peter Poe — live in Maryland. The State Department, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the federal government are defendants.

“The discriminatory passport policy exposes transgender U.S. citizens to harassment, abuse, and discrimination, in some cases endangering them abroad or preventing them from traveling, by forcing them to use identification documents that share private information against their wishes,” said Lambda Legal in a press release.

Zander Schlacter, a New York-based textile artist and designer, is the lead plaintiff.

The lawsuit notes he legally changed his name and gender in New York.

Schlacter less than a week before President Donald Trump’s inauguration “sent an expedited application to update his legal name on his passport, using form DS-5504.”

Trump once he took office signed an executive order that banned the State Department from issuing passports with “X” gender markers. The lawsuit notes Schlacter received his new passport in February.

“The passport has his correct legal name, but now has an incorrect sex marker of ‘F’ or ‘female,'” notes the lawsuit. “Mr. Schlacter also received a letter from the State Department notifying him that ‘the date of birth, place of birth, name, or sex was corrected on your passport application,’ with ‘sex’ circled in red. The stated reason was ‘to correct your information to show your biological sex at birth.'”

“I, like many transgender people, experience fear of harassment or violence when moving through public spaces, especially where a photo ID is required,” said Schlacter in the press release that announced the lawsuit. “My safety is further at risk because of my inaccurate passport. I am unwilling to subject myself and my family to the threat of harassment and discrimination at the hands of border officials or anyone who views my passport.”

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2021 announced the State Department would begin to issue gender-neutral passports and documents for American citizens who were born overseas.

Dana Zzyym, an intersex U.S. Navy veteran who identifies as nonbinary, in 2015 filed a federal lawsuit against the State Department after it denied their application for a passport with an “X” gender marker. Zzyym in October 2021 received the first gender-neutral American passport.

Lambda Legal represented Zzyym.

The State Department policy took effect on April 11, 2022.

Trump signed his executive order shortly after he took office in January. Germany, Denmark, Finland, and the Netherlands are among the countries that have issued travel advisories for trans and nonbinary people who plan to visit the U.S.

A federal judge in Boston earlier this month issued a preliminary injunction against the executive order.  The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit on behalf of seven trans and nonbinary people.

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