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Gay candidate wins Democratic primary in Wis. congressional bid

Pocan wins nomination to run for Baldwin’s House seat

Published

14 years ago

on

U.S. House candidate Mark Pocan (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The gay candidate seeking to replace Tammy Baldwin in the U.S. House claimed the Democratic nomination in the congressional race Tuesday night — all but assuring him a seat in Congress at the start of next year.

The Associated Press reported at around 10:24 pm on Tuesday evening that Mark Pocan, who’s gay and a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, won the Democratic nomination. His main opponent in the primary was Kelda Helen Roys, a fellow Assembly member.

With 35.6 percent of precincts reporting, Pocan had strong lead over Roys. Pocan had 69.6 percent of the vote, while Roys had 22.7 percent, according to Politico.

The primary coincidentally falls on the same night as Pocan’s birthday; he turns 48 years old on the same day he wins the Democratic primary. Pocan takes the Democratic nomination in the district that Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is vacating to pursue her run for U.S. Senate.

Wisconsin’s 2nd congressional district, which compromises Madison and nearby areas, is heavily Democratic. The Republican challenger Chad Lee, a businessman, isn’t expected to put up a serious challenge this fall. At this point, the U.S. House seat almost assuredly belongs to Pocan.

Pocan secured endorsements from prominent national LGBT groups, including the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign. Wisconsin’s state LGBT group, Fair Wisconsin, had also endorsed Pocan.

Chuck Wolfe, CEO of the Victory Fund, praised Pocan’s work as a public official and said he’d be a “strong and authentic” voice for the LGBT community in the U.S. House.

“Mark Pocan is an outstanding public servant who will be a strong and authentic voice for LGBT Americans in Congress,” Wolfe said. “It’s fitting that as Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin fights to win a historic victory in the Senate, Mark Pocan will follow in her footsteps as one of the most powerful voices for LGBT equality in America.”

Roys, a former executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, had the backing of EMILY’s List, which is also supporting Baldwin in her bid for U.S. Senate.

Pocan outraised Roys during the election cycle. According to Federal Election Commission reports, Pocan had $785,000 in net receipts, $512,000 in net expenditures and $273,000 in cash on hand. Only $5,500, or about 1 percent, of his net receipts were from self-financing. On the other hand, Roys had $454,000 in net receipts, $388,000 in net expenditures and $66,000 in cash on hand. Her contributions to her own campaign amounted to $20,000, or about four percent of the total net receipts.

Roys’ negative attack ads against Pocan received significant media attention toward the end of the campaign. Late last month, her campaign began airing an ad saying Pocan “caved in” and voted with Republican Gov. Scott Walker, a Tea Party favorite, to “throw million of dollars in tax giveaways to big corporations.” She took flak from fellow Democrats as a result and lost her endorsement from State Rep. Fred Clark. In response, Pocan said during a news conference the ad was “far fetched.”

Pocan is married to Phil Frank. The couple has been together nearly a decade, and were married almost six years ago in Toronto, although the state doesn’t recognize their marriage due to a constitutional amendment ratified by Wisconsin voters in 2006.

In a Washington Blade interview in November, Pocan said he supports pro-LGBT legislation in Congress, including repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, as well as passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Uniting American Families Act. As a state lawmaker, Pocan said he played a key role in pushing through domestic partner benefits for state employees and, as part of the state budget, a domestic partner registry enabling same-sex couples to have some rights and responsibilities.

Pocan is one of several openly LGBT candidates who are on the ballot for U.S. House seats this fall. They include incumbents Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.) as well as Richard Tisei in Massachusetts, Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona, Mark Takano in California and Sean Patrick Maloney in New York.

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Arizona

Shooting outside gay bar in Ariz. leaves three dead

Tucson police investigating double murder-suicide as a hate crime

Published

6 hours ago

on

September 1, 2026

By

The shooting happened outside Venture-N bar in Tucson, Ariz. (Washington Blade photo by Michael K. Lavers)

Three people were fatally shot outside a gay bar in Tucson, Ariz., early Monday morning, about a mile from the city’s nightlife district.

Police have said the shooting, which took place in the parking lot of Venture-N bar at 1239 N. 6th Ave., was likely a hate crime and a double murder-suicide following a verbal altercation.

The suspect, Ousman Ceesay, allegedly shot Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara while they were outside the club around 12:30 a.m. Monday.

Reports show Capara and Siqueiros were pronounced dead at the scene. Ceesay died after being taken to a local hospital with gunshot wounds.

Police have also said that Ceesay was carrying a list of LGBTQ businesses at the time of the shooting.

Arizona Public Media has said police are investigating the case as a hate crime because the suspect was carrying a note containing the names of multiple LGBTQ-associated businesses.

“I am deeply saddened that another senseless loss of life has happened in our community,” Tucson Police Chief Monica Prieto said in a statement. “Bias-based crimes are especially heinous and have no place in our community.”

According to Prieto, there is no imminent threat to the community, and the Tucson Police Department is working to provide extra protection to various LGBTQ businesses across town.

Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva, who represents the area, issued a statement condemning the act of violence, which appears to have been at least in part motivated by homophobia.

“I am disgusted and deeply saddened to learn of a targeted act of hate and the cold-blooded murder of two members of our LGBTQIA+ community, Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara, at the Venture-N bar in Tucson last night. This horrific attack is a painful reminder that even in welcoming communities like Tucson, hate and violence against the LGBTQIA+ community still exist.”

“When that hate is combined with easy access to firearms, the consequences can be deadly. I am sick and tired of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities while, every day, dozens of people are shot and killed across the country. It does not have to be this way. The House of Representatives is returning to session this week, and our first action should be passing common-sense gun safety reforms that we know can save lives.”

Other federal lawmakers also condemned the shooting.

The Congressional Equality Caucus, which is made up of federal legislators advancing LGBTQ interests, issued a statement after news broke.

“Our hearts are with the friends and loved ones of the victims of this devastating attack outside a Tucson gay bar and with the Tucson LGBTQI+ community,” it said on X. “No one should fear violence because of who they are — and we’re going to continue fighting to build a world where no one does.”

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ organization in the country, released a statement following the shooting.

“We are heartbroken by the loss of Vincent Anthony Siqueiros and Cameron Davis Capara and our hearts are with their families, loved ones, and the entire Tucson LGBTQ+ community. Once again, we are reminded that gun violence robs people of their lives, destroys families, and devastates communities.”

A candlelight vigil honoring the victims is planned for Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Catalina Park in North Tucson.

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Congress

HRC president campaigns for Chris Pappas in NH

Gay congressman running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen

Published

1 day ago

on

August 31, 2026

By

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, left, campaigns with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in Manchester, N.H., on Aug. 30, 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign)

Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson on Sunday campaigned for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in New Hampshire.

Robinson traveled to Manchester, the state’s largest city, nine days before the Sept. 8 primary that will determine who will vie for retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)’s seat.

Former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003-2009, will face off against former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate from 2010-2013, in the Republican primary.

Karishma Manzur is among the Democrats challenging Pappas.

A poll the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released on Aug. 26 shows Sununu is ahead of Brown. The same survey shows Pappas ahead of Manzur and his other Democratic challengers.

The UNH Survey Center poll shows Sununu ahead of Pappas by a 45-43 percent margin if they were to face off in the general election. The margin of error is +/-2.1 percent.

Pappas would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate if he were to win in November.

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National

Milo Yiannopoulos deported to UK

ICE arrested far-right provocateur in New Orleans on Thursday

Published

4 days ago

on

August 28, 2026

By

Milo Yiannopoulos (Photo via Homeland Security @DHSgov/X account)

Editor’s note: The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday said Milo Yiannopoulos has been deported to the U.K.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday arrested far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.

A DHS spokesperson in a statement sent to the Washington Blade said ICE arrested Yiannopoulos, who they described as “an illegal alien from the United Kingdom,” at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

The DHS spokesperson said Yiannopoulos “legally entered the country” in New York on May 14, 2019.

“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” said the spokesperson.

The DHS spokesperson said an immigration judge on July 22 “issued a final order of removal” for Yiannopoulos “after failing to show up for his immigration hearing.” The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans on Friday reported Yiannopoulos is being held at an ICE detention center in Alexandria, La., which is about 200 miles northwest of the Crescent City.

“He will remain in ICE custody pending removal,” said the DHS spokesperson.

Yiannopoulos has, among other things, repeatedly targeted transgender people and Muslims.

The American Conservative Union, which organizes the annual Conversative Political Action Conference, in 2017 disinvited Yiannopoulos from speaking at that year’s CPAC after a video in which he appeared to condone sex between adults and underage boys emerged. Yiannopoulos subsequently resigned from Breitbart News, a far-right news website, where he had been a senior editor.

Yiannopoulos later that year married his boyfriend in Hawaii. The far-right provocateur in 2021 claimed he was an “ex-gay.”

The Australian government in 2019 banned Yiannopoulos from entering the country “on character grounds.” Yiannopoulos was also banned from Facebook, Twitter (now X), and other social media platforms.

Milo Yiannopoulos speaks at a “Gays for Trump” event during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Times-Picayune reported Yiannopoulos “most recently worked for” Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.

The controversial rapper is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday.

Laura Loomer, a far-right conspiracy theorist who is close to President Donald Trump, has called for Yiannopoulos’s deportation. Loomer on Friday wrote on X that she “reported him to ICE and the FBI” after he “called for me to be assassinated.”

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