National
Gay congressional candidates excel in 2Q fundraising
Baldwin rakes in $2.2 million; Tisei bests Dem incumbent

Gay and lesbian candidates running for Congress posted strong fundraising numbers in the second quarter in a year when more out contenders than ever are making bids for high office.
The Washington Blade examined the second quarter campaign finance reports for the eight candidates seeking office in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate that were endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The second quarter numbers represent fundraising for the candidates starting in April through June and were posted recently to the Federal Election Commission website.
The eight endorsed candidates are among 13 identified openly LGBT candidates pursuing seats in the House and Senate throughout the country — an unprecedented number for any election cycle.
In the most high-profile race, lesbian U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin has been doing well in fundraising in her bid to become the first openly gay U.S. senator. Baldwin took in $2.2 million during the second quarter. That means she has raised $6.7 million this cycle while spending $3.96 million and having $3.5 million in cash on hand.
Technically, she didn’t come out on top in comparison to one of her Republican opponents. Eric Hovde, a hedge fund manager who recently entered the race, posted $2,494,211 for the second quarter. But Hovde, whose net worth has been estimated at $58 million, has spent millions on his own campaign and spent $3.5 million to make his name more well known. Others in the race came out behind: former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson raised $834,000, former congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Neumann raised $733,450 and State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald raised $41,033.
The race between Baldwin and her potential Republican opponents appears tight. According to data published last month from Public Policy Polling, she’s in a dead heat with Novde, who leads her 45-44, and Thompson, whom she ties 45-45. Baldwin leads Neumann by 45-41 and Fitzgerald 46-42.
Perhaps the most surprising numbers come from Richard Tisei, a gay Republican former state legislator in Massachusetts, who raised $571,371 in the second quarter in his bid to represent Massachusetts’ 6th congressional district. That means he outraised Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.), who raised $421,944 — even though he’s an incumbent Democrat running in a heavily “blue” state.
In a statement, Tisei, who outraised Tierney in the first quarter of 2012, thanked donors.
“I am consistently impressed with the strong support I am receiving from individual donors in support of my candidacy,” Tisei said. “In my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have imagined that so many people would be supporting our message of change with their pocketbooks — particularly in these very tough economic times.”
The fundraising numbers for the second quarter mean Tisei has raised $1,237,000 thus far this cycle, has spent $435,410 and has $802,000 in cash on hand. Comparatively, Tierney has raised $1,325,650 this cycle, has spent $820,875 and has $693,000 in cash on hand.
On Wednesday, the D.C. newspaper Roll Call shifted the status of the race from “leans Democrat” to “toss-up.” The race is becoming competitive, in part, because Tierney, an eight-term U.S House member, has been under scrutiny because of controversy involving his family. Tierney’s brother-in-law, Daniel Eremian, was convicted of federal racketeering charges related to his operation of an illegal offshore casino, and Tierney’s wife was sent to jail for tax fraud related to this operation.
Tierney has a strong pro-LGBT record in the U.S. House: he voted in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal, hate crimes protections legislation and a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in addition to voting against the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Similarly strong numbers were posted in the second quarter by Mark Pocan, a gay Wisconsin Assembly member who’s seeking to represent Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district. Baldwin is vacating the seat to run for Senate.
But Pocan is in a different situation because he still needs to win the Democratic primary, which is set for Aug. 14, and other Democrats are seeking the nomination to represent the party in the general election. Pocan raised $250,000 in the second quarter, besting his most serious competitor, Kelda Helen Roys, another state legislator in Wisconsin, who raised $130,833.
In a statement, Pocan said he accepted contributions from more than 3,300 donors over the course of his campaign, and 80 percent of donations came in increments of $100 or less.
“I am truly grateful for the outpouring of support from the District 2 community,” Pocan said. “I’ve met and talked to voters from Beloit to Baraboo, and it’s clear my message of progressive values with real results resonates with people.”
The second quarter numbers mean Pocan has raised $734,550 over the course of his campaign, has spent $280,635 and has $454,000 in cash on hand. Meanwhile, Roys has raised $392,393, spent $130,833 and has $190,120 in cash on hand.
Not all gay candidates are faring as well. Sean Patrick Maloney, didn’t raise as much as incumbent Rep. Nan Hayworth (R-N.Y.) in his bid to represent New York’s 18th congressional district. Maloney, who in June won the Democratic primary, raised $319,000 in the second quarter, while Hayworth took in $459,000.
Tim Persico, campaign manager for Maloney, said special interests were the reason his boss didn’t raise as much as the incumbent Republican in the past few months, but said he’s still in good position to win.
“Sean Patrick Maloney doesn’t have the same profitable relationship with PACs and corporate lobbyists that brought Congresswoman Hayworth over a million dollars, but the outpouring of support from friends, family and even complete strangers has put him in a position to win,” Persico said.
Support from the LGBT community is coming from both sides in this race. Hayworth, who has a gay son, Will Hayworth, has been seen as a friend to the LGBT community since she took office at the start of last year. For example, she was among five Republicans to vote against a recent measure to reaffirm the Defense of Marriage Act when it came to the floor last month.
One of the gay U.S. House members seeking re-election — and who’s also facing a serious challenge in the primary and general election — also came out on top in fundraising last quarter. Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who last year became the newest openly gay member of Congress, raised $302,000 in the second quarter.
But his opponents aren’t too far behind. Anthony Gemma, a businessman, is Cicilline’s main challenger in the Democratic primary, which is set for Sept. 11, and raised $243,000 in the second quarter. The Republican in the race, Brendan Doherty, the Rhode Island State Police’s former superintendent, raised $221,711.
Cicilline is facing a complicated road to re-election because the city that he governed as mayor prior to winning election to the U.S. House, Providence, R.I., is facing financial problems. A report commissioned by the City Council last year blamed his administration for a lack of transparency and for making a series of moves – like tapping into Providence’s rainy-day fund – without councilors’ approval. The lawmaker apologized in April, saying he should have been more forthright about the financial condition of the city.
Polls are showing Cicilline could be in danger of losing the Democratic nomination. A poll from local TV affiliate WPRI published in May of 302 likely Democratic primary voters had Cicilline leading with 40 percent and Gemma following close behind at 36 percent — and 20 percent still undecided.
So far this cycle, Cicilline has raised $1,570,486, spent $771,723 and has $836,325 in cash on hand. At the same time, Doherty has raised $990,882, spent $321,532 and has $669,350 in cash on hand, while Gemma has raised $990,882, spent $87,071 and has $343,040 in cash on hand.
The bisexual lawmaker seeking to represent Arizona’s 9th congressional district is also coming out on top of a crowded field of a half dozen candidates seeking to win this newly created seat. Kyrsten Sinema, who’s bisexual and a state legislator, raised $367,554 in the second quarter. That’s above her most serious competitor in the primary set for Aug. 28, Andrei Cherny, who’s a former state party chair endorsed by former President Clinton. Cherny took in $301,895 during the same period.
In total this cycle, Sinema has raised $626,288, spent $267,492 and has $358,796 in cash in hand. In comparison, Cherny has raised $732,973, spent $263,913 and has $469,060 in cash on hand.
But the gay candidate didn’t come out on top in California’s 41st congressional district. Mark Takano, a school teacher and member of the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees, raised $256,965, while his opponent, Riverside County Supervisor John Tavaglione, raised $337,667. Takano is seeking to become the first openly gay person of color to serve in the U.S. House in this newly created Democratic-leaning district.
So far this cycle, Takano has raised $758,156, spent $517,138 and has $241,093 in cash on hand. Meanwhile, Tavaglione has raised $790,027, spent $338,186 and has $451,991 in cash on hand.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who if re-elected would become the most senior openly gay member of the U.S. House, raised $59,503 in the second quarter. Those numbers put him at $848,000 in total for fundraising this cycle and leave him with $347,000 in cash on hand. An incumbent running in a safe Democratic seat, he’s not expected to face serious competition in his bid for re-election.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Rep. Nan Hayworth as Nan Hunter. The name of Tim Persico was also misspelled. The Blade regrets the error.
U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court to consider bans on trans athletes in school sports
27 states have passed laws limiting participation in athletics programs

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear two cases involving transgender youth challenging bans prohibiting them from participating in school sports.
In Little v. Hecox, plaintiffs represented by the ACLU, Legal Voice, and the law firm Cooley are challenging Idaho’s 2020 ban, which requires sex testing to adjudicate questions of an athlete’s eligibility.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals described the process in a 2023 decision halting the policy’s enforcement pending an outcome in the litigation. The “sex dispute verification process, whereby any individual can ‘dispute’ the sex of any female student athlete in the state of Idaho,” the court wrote, would “require her to undergo intrusive medical procedures to verify her sex, including gynecological exams.”
In West Virginia v. B.P.J., Lambda Legal, the ACLU, the ACLU of West Virginia, and Cooley are representing a trans middle school student challenging the Mountain State’s 2021 ban on trans athletes.
The plaintiff was participating in cross country when the law was passed, taking puberty blockers that would have significantly reduced the chances that she could have a physiological advantage over cisgender peers.
“Like any other educational program, school athletic programs should be accessible for everyone regardless of their sex or transgender status,” said Joshua Block, senior counsel for the ACLU’s LGBTQ and HIV Project. “Trans kids play sports for the same reasons their peers do — to learn perseverance, dedication, teamwork, and to simply have fun with their friends,” Block said.
He added, “Categorically excluding kids from school sports just because they are transgender will only make our schools less safe and more hurtful places for all youth. We believe the lower courts were right to block these discriminatory laws, and we will continue to defend the freedom of all kids to play.”
“Our client just wants to play sports with her friends and peers,” said Lambda Legal Senior Counsel Tara Borelli. “Everyone understands the value of participating in team athletics, for fitness, leadership, socialization, and myriad other benefits.”
Borelli continued, “The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last April issued a thoughtful and thorough ruling allowing B.P.J. to continue participating in track events. That well-reasoned decision should stand the test of time, and we stand ready to defend it.”
Shortly after taking control of both legislative chambers, Republican members of Congress tried — unsuccessfully — to pass a national ban like those now enforced in 27 states since 2020.
Federal Government
UPenn erases Lia Thomas’s records as part of settlement with White House
University agreed to ban trans women from women’s sports teams

In a settlement with the Trump-Vance administration announced on Tuesday, the University of Pennsylvania will ban transgender athletes from competing and erase swimming records set by transgender former student Lia Thomas.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found the university in violation of Title IX, the federal rights law barring sex based discrimination in educational institutions, by “permitting males to compete in women’s intercollegiate athletics and to occupy women-only intimate facilities.”
The statement issued by University of Pennsylvania President J. Larry Jameson highlighted how the law’s interpretation was changed substantially under President Donald Trump’s second term.
“The Department of Education OCR investigated the participation of one transgender athlete on the women’s swimming team three years ago, during the 2021-2022 swim season,” he wrote. “At that time, Penn was in compliance with NCAA eligibility rules and Title IX as then interpreted.”
Jameson continued, “Penn has always followed — and continues to follow — Title IX and the applicable policy of the NCAA regarding transgender athletes. NCAA eligibility rules changed in February 2025 with Executive Orders 14168 and 14201 and Penn will continue to adhere to these new rules.”
Writing that “we acknowledge that some student-athletes were disadvantaged by these rules” in place while Thomas was allowed to compete, the university president added, “We recognize this and will apologize to those who experienced a competitive disadvantage or experienced anxiety because of the policies in effect at the time.”
“Today’s resolution agreement with UPenn is yet another example of the Trump effect in action,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, UPenn has agreed both to apologize for its past Title IX violations and to ensure that women’s sports are protected at the university for future generations of female athletes.”
Under former President Joe Biden, the department’s Office of Civil Rights sought to protect against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in education, bringing investigations and enforcement actions in cases where school officials might, for example, require trans students to use restrooms and facilities consistent with their birth sex or fail to respond to peer harassment over their gender identity.
Much of the legal reasoning behind the Biden-Harris administration’s positions extended from the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that sex-based discrimination includes that which is based on sexual orientation or gender identity under Title VII rules covering employment practices.
The Trump-Vance administration last week put the state of California on notice that its trans athlete policies were, or once were, in violation of Title IX, which comes amid the ongoing battle with Maine over the same issue.
New York
Two teens shot steps from Stonewall Inn after NYC Pride parade
One of the victims remains in critical condition

On Sunday night, following the annual NYC Pride March, two girls were shot in Sheridan Square, feet away from the historic Stonewall Inn.
According to an NYPD report, the two girls, aged 16 and 17, were shot around 10:15 p.m. as Pride festivities began to wind down. The 16-year-old was struck in the head and, according to police sources, is said to be in critical condition, while the 17-year-old was said to be in stable condition.
The Washington Blade confirmed with the NYPD the details from the police reports and learned no arrests had been made as of noon Monday.
The shooting took place in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, mere feet away from the most famous gay bar in the city — if not the world — the Stonewall Inn. Earlier that day, hundreds of thousands of people marched down Christopher Street to celebrate 55 years of LGBTQ people standing up for their rights.
In June 1969, after police raided the Stonewall Inn, members of the LGBTQ community pushed back, sparking what became known as the Stonewall riots. Over the course of two days, LGBTQ New Yorkers protested the discriminatory policing of queer spaces across the city and mobilized to speak out — and throw bottles if need be — at officers attempting to suppress their existence.
The following year, LGBTQ people returned to the Stonewall Inn and marched through the same streets where queer New Yorkers had been arrested, marking the first “Gay Pride March” in history and declaring that LGBTQ people were not going anywhere.
New York State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, whose district includes Greenwich Village, took to social media to comment on the shooting.
“After decades of peaceful Pride celebrations — this year gun fire and two people shot near the Stonewall Inn is a reminder that gun violence is everywhere,” the lesbian lawmaker said on X. “Guns are a problem despite the NRA BS.”
-
U.S. Supreme Court1 day ago
Supreme Court to consider bans on trans athletes in school sports
-
Out & About1 day ago
Celebrate the Fourth of July the gay way!
-
Maryland4 days ago
Silver Spring holds annual Pride In The Plaza
-
Opinions4 days ago
Supreme Court decision on opt outs for LGBTQ books in classrooms will likely accelerate censorship