National
Gay activist loses bid for Congress in Michigan
Thomas previously worked in D.C. for HRC, SLDN
Trevor Thomas (right) lost his congressional bid on Tuesday night (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A gay candidate who has built his political career on LGBT activism has lost his bid to represent his home state of Michigan in Congress.
Trevor Thomas, a Michigan native who worked for LGBT advocacy groups in D.C. before returning to his home state, lost the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s 3rd congressional district to Steve Pestka, a small business owner and former Kent County commissioner. Pestka will go on to challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) in the general election.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Thomas said he called Pestka to concede the race at around 11:15 p.m. With 73 percent of precincts reporting at around midnight, local NBC affiliate WOOD TV reported Pestka was leading with 56 percent of the vote compared to Thomas’ 44 percent of the vote.
“I spoke with Judge Pestka tonight and congratulated him on his victory in this hard-fought campaign,” said Thomas in a statement. “I told him that I look forward to working together to defeat Justin Amash in the fall. Democrats and folks from across the political spectrum are united in feeling that Representative Amash is out of touch with West Michigan values, and we need to make sure that we unseat him in November.”
Thomas served as deputy communications director for the Human Rights Campaign and communications director for the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. His work at disseminating information on developments on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was lauded as Congress made its way though the process for repealing the military’s gay ban. Thomas also worked for the short-lived group Equality Matters, which was an arm of the watchdog group Media Matters.
However, Thomas faced a significant challenge in winning the Democratic nomination in the race. For starters, Pestka had been endorsed by many unions — including the United Auto Workers, the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO — which are a powerful force in a state that is highly dependent on the automobile industry.
Pestka also had more money to campaign on than Thomas, although much of Pestka’s money was the result of him contributing to his own campaign.
Pestka’s net receipts were $799,000 over the course of the cycle, but $590,000 of that was self-financing and $208,000 was from external sources. Meanwhile, Thomas had raised $282,000 from contributors and self-financed only $7,000. At the time of the primary, Pestka had $452,000 in cash on hand while Thomas had $86,000. Still, Pestka had accrued $658,000 in debt over the course of his campaign and Thomas’ campaign carried no debt.
Thomas obtained the endorsements of Michigan’s former Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry after having worked for them during their gubernatorial campaign. A number of high-profile figures in the gay rights movement also endorsed him, including former Rep. Patrick Murphy, who sponsored legislation that repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the U.S. House, as well as retiring gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.).
Michigan has an open primary, meaning voters can cast their ballot in a primary regardless of their declared political affiliation. It wasn’t immediately clear if the open primary had a significant impact on the primary results.
In other election news, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) won the Republican primary in a three-way competition to challenge incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who’s considered among the most vulnerable Democrats in the Senate. The outcome has relevance to the LGBT community because Akin has been leading anti-gay initiatives in the Republican-controlled U.S. House. Akin was the sponsor of amendments in the House Armed Services Committee to major Pentagon budget legislation that would bar same-sex weddings from taking place on military facilities.
CORRECTION: An initial version of this article incorrectly stated Pestka had outraised Thomas during the campaign. That characterization didn’t take into account the money that Pestka had loaned himself for his campaign. The Blade regrets the error.
Federal Government
US Census Bureau testing survey on LGBTQ households
Agency proposing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity
The U.S. Census Bureau is seeking public comment on a proposed test of sexual orientation and gender identity questions on the American Community Survey. The test would begin this summer and continue into next year.
The Census Bureau published the request as a Federal Register notice. In its press release the agency noted that the ACS is an ongoing survey that collects detailed housing and socioeconomic data. It allows the Census Bureau to provide timely and relevant housing and socioeconomic statistics, even for low levels of geography.
As part of the process for adding new questions to the ACS, the Census Bureau tests potential questions to evaluate the quality of the data collected.
The Census Bureau proposes testing questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to meet the needs of other federal agencies that have expressed interest in or have identified legal uses for the information, such as enforcing civil rights and equal employment measures.
The test would follow the protocols of the actual ACS — with one person asked to respond to the survey on behalf of the entire household. These particular questions are asked about people 15 years of age or older. Households are invited to respond to the survey online, by paper questionnaire or by phone.
The current Federal Register notice gives the public a final opportunity to provide feedback before the Census Bureau submits its recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget for approval. The public may provide feedback through May 30 online.
The White House
Judy Shepard to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Nancy Pelosi is also among this year’s honorees
Beloved LGBTQ advocate Judy Shepard is among the 19 honorees who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the U.S., the White House announced on Friday.
The mother of Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 in the country’s most notorious anti-gay hate crime, she co-founded the Matthew Shepard Foundation with her husband Dennis to raise awareness about anti-LGBTQ violence.
The organization runs education, outreach, and advocacy programs, many focused on schools.
In a statement shared via the Human Rights Campaign, Shepard said, “This unexpected honor has been very humbling for me, Dennis, and our family. What makes us proud is knowing our President and our nation share our lifelong commitment to making this world a safer, more loving, more respectful, and more peaceful place for everyone.
“I am grateful to everyone whose love and support for our work through the years has sustained me.
“If I had the power to change one thing, I can only dream of the example that Matt’s life and purpose would have shown, had he lived. This honor reminds the world that his life, and every life, is precious.”
Shepard was instrumental in working with then-President Barack Obama for passage of the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, which was led in the House by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who will also be honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom during the ceremony on Friday.
Also in 2009, Shepard published a memoir, “The Meaning of Matthew: My Son’s Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed,” and was honored with the Black Tie Dinner Elizabeth Birch Equality Award.
“Judy Shepard has been a champion for equality and President Biden’s choice to honor her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom is a testament to what she’s done to be a force of good in the world,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a statement.
“A mother who turned unspeakable grief over the loss of her son into a decades-long fight against anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence, Judy continues to make a lasting impact in the lives of the LGBTQ+ community,” she said.
“It is because of her advocacy that the first federal hate crimes legislation became law and that countless life-saving trainings, resources and conversations about equality and acceptance are provided each year by the Matthew Shepard Foundation,” Robinson said. “We are honored that Judy is a member of the HRC family and know that her work to create a more inclusive and just world will only continue.”
Other awardees who will be honored by the White House this year are: Actor Michelle Yeoh, entrepreneur and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Jesuit Catholic priest Gregory Boyle, Assistant House Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), former Labor and Education Secretary and former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), journalist and former daytime talkshow host Phil Donahue, World War II veteran and civil rights activist Medgar Evers (posthumous), former Vice President Al Gore, civil rights activist and lawyer Clarence B. Jones, former Secretary of State and U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), former U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) (posthumous), Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, educator and activist Opal Lee, astronaut and former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Ellen Ochoa, astronomer Jane Rigby, United Farm Workers President Teresa Romero, and Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe (posthumous).
National
United Methodist Church removes 40-year ban on gay clergy
Delegates also voted for other LGBTQ-inclusive measures
The United Methodist Church on Wednesday removed a ban on gay clergy that was in place for more than 40 years, voting to also allow LGBTQ weddings and end prohibitions on the use of United Methodist funds to “promote acceptance of homosexuality.”
Overturning the policy forbidding the church from ordaining “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” effectively formalized a practice that had caused an estimated quarter of U.S. congregations to leave the church.
The New York Times notes additional votes “affirming L.G.B.T.Q. inclusion in the church are expected before the meeting adjourns on Friday.” Wednesday’s measures were passed overwhelmingly and without debate. Delegates met in Charlotte, N.C.
According to the church’s General Council on Finance and Administration, there were 5,424,175 members in the U.S. in 2022 with an estimated global membership approaching 10 million.
The Times notes that other matters of business last week included a “regionalization” plan, which gave autonomy to different regions such that they can establish their own rules on matters including issues of sexuality — about which international factions are likelier to have more conservative views.
Rev. Kipp Nelson of St. Johns’s on the Lake Methodist Church in Miami shared a statement praising the new developments:
“It is a glorious day in the United Methodist Church. As a worldwide denomination, we have now publicly proclaimed the boundless love of God and finally slung open the doors of our church so that all people, no matter their identities or orientations, may pursue the calling of their hearts.
“Truly, all are loved and belong here among us. I am honored to serve as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for such a time as this, for our future is bright and filled with hope. Praise be, praise be.”
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