National
GOP embraces anti-gay bias in platform
Party calls for federal marriage amendment, vexing Log Cabin
Revelations this week that the Republican Party platform would include strong opposition to same-sex marriage and an endorsement of the Federal Marriage Amendment has renewed debate over whether Log Cabin Republicans should withhold its endorsement of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney because of the anti-gay language.
This week, the 112 members of the Republican Party platform committee approved language that affirms marriage as between one man, one woman; criticizes judges for “court-ordered redefinition of marriage”; attacks the Obama administration for no longer defending the Defense of Marriage Act; and endorses a Federal Marriage Amendment. Buzzfeed revealed the draft language on marriage in a report on Monday and quoted Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, as taking credit for writing the marriage language.
“We reaffirm our support for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman,” the draft language reportedly states. “We applaud the citizens of the majority of States which have enshrined in their constitutions the traditional concept of marriage, and we support the campaigns underway in several other states to do so.”
During deliberations over the platform, some members of the committee offered amendments to soften the language with respect to marriage — including delegate Barbara Ann Fenton of Rhode Island, who offered language saying the government should get out of marriage and endorse civil unions for gay and straight couples — but each of these measures was defeated by voice vote. Log Cabin Republicans had a four-member delegation credentialed to attend the proceedings.
Now that the platform language has been made public — and assailed by LGBT advocates across the board — calls are emerging for Log Cabin to decline to endorse Romney.
Log Cabin has precedent for declining to endorse presidential candidates in its own party. In 2004, the organization declined to endorse then-President George W. Bush in his bid for re-election largely over his support for a Federal Marriage Amendment. In an op-ed published Sept. 15, 2004, then-Log Cabin President Patrick Guerriero laid out the case for why his organization didn’t endorse its party’s presidential nominee — and referenced disappointment with the 2004 Republican Party platform.
“Even as we saw the GOP’s future highlighted with fair-minded prime-time convention speakers, we saw the passage of an extremist party platform that opposes any basic protections for gay and lesbian families,” Guerriero wrote at the time. “The incongruity between the party’s platform and its list of prime-time speakers symbolizes a wider battle for the GOP’s heart and soul.”
This year, the organization has yet to endorse the Republican presidential ticket, but is expected to announce its decision along with endorsements for congressional candidates prior to its national dinner, which will take place this year in D.C. at the Hyatt Regency on Sept. 20. Log Cabin didn’t respond to the Washington Blade’s request for comment on whether the platform will factor into the endorsement, but the organization has said before it would weigh many factors into the decision.
The co-founders of the “Mitt Gets Worse” LGBT campaign against Romney — Rick Jacobs, chair of the Courage Campaign, and David Brock, founder of American Bridge 21st Century — issued a joint statement on Wednesday decrying the platform language and calling on Log Cabin not to endorse the candidate.
“Surely, the Log Cabin Republicans, who exist to promote full equality in the Republican Party will now find it impossible to endorse Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, just as they had to pass on endorsing then-President Bush in 2004 when he and the Republican Party were then actively pushing an anti-marriage equality amendment to the Constitution while promoting anti-marriage equality state referenda,” Brock and Jacobs said. “The Republican Party and its nominees keep getting worse for LGBT Americans.”
The organization last week submitted a petition to Log Cabin — which is still available online — calling on the organization to decline to endorse Romney during the 2012 election based on the candidate’s anti-LGBT record. As of Wednesday, the petition had 35,000 signatures.
But the 2012 platform language is in line with Romney’s beliefs. He backs a U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage throughout the country even as he said he doubts Congress would have the political wherewithal to pass it. He also pledged to resume defending the Defense of Marriage Act in court.
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is similarly on the record with beliefs that are in accordance with the platform. As a U.S. House member, Ryan voted in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006. More recently, he voted for amendments to separate bills reaffirming the Defense of Marriage Act.
Gay Republicans had mixed views on whether the platform language should be a factor in the organization’s decision to endorse Romney.
Jim Driscoll, a a gay Nevada-based HIV/AIDS activist who’s backing Romney in the presidential election, has previously called on Log Cabin to endorse Romney and continued to say the organization should do so — with the caveat that the organization should express consternation over the party platform.
“They should endorse him despite the platform, but they should say it in spite of the platform and condemn those elements in the platform that are completely out of touch with the gay community and out of touch with America,” Driscoll said. “It should be an endorsement with that reservation — that they condemn that trend.”
Recalling Bush officially won Florida by a margin of 537 votes, Driscoll said gay Republicans were responsible for putting the candidate over the top. Driscoll said the Romney campaign should handle the issue of gay rights “more carefully, perceptively, sensitively, intelligently,” even though he acknowledged that the presidential campaign wasn’t responsible for writing the platform.
Log Cabin Republicans has responded to the platform. On Wednesday, Cooper issued a statement calling the inclusion of anti-gay language “a hollow and short-lived victory” for social conservatives who “know that public opinion is rapidly turning in favor of equality.” But the question of whether the organization will endorse Romney in spite of the language remains.
Robert Turner, president of the D.C. chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, said the platform language shouldn’t play a role in whether Log Cabin endorses because the platform document is unrelated to the candidate seeking the White House.
“The party platform is a document of the Republican Party not of the candidate,” Turner said.
Turner declined to opine on whether the national organization should endorse Romney, saying the decision is up to the national board.
Florida
Gay Fla. Democrat Elijah Manley sees opportunity in Trump’s second term
State’s 20th Congressional District’s includes Broward, Palm Beach Counties
Just over two and a half miles from President Donald Trump’s primary residence lies one of Florida’s most reliably Democratic congressional districts. There, a 27-year-old progressive is mounting a campaign centered on resisting what he calls the Trump-Vance administration’s attacks on civil rights, immigrants, and LGBTQ Americans.
Elijah Manley, an openly gay Democrat, sat down with the Washington Blade to discuss why he is running for Florida’s 20th Congressional District, why he believes this moment calls for a new generation of leadership, and what he hopes to accomplish if elected to Congress.
Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk neighborhood — the city’s oldest African American community — Manley was raised by a single mother who struggled to make ends meet. His family experienced housing insecurity and, at one point, homelessness, experiences he says continue to shape both his politics and his policy priorities.
For Manley, those experiences are precisely what he believes Congress is missing.
“I think now the country is in need of somebody like me, with my story, my lived experience, the struggles I’ve been through in my life. We’re going through a really dark time in the country with the Trump administration coming for our civil rights and an economy that is not working for everybody. In a time where we have MAGA fascism, we need progressive leadership, and we need people who are really going to do the work of fighting back and resisting and obstructing Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ agenda in Congress.”
Manley said his campaign is also about ensuring people from marginalized communities — those without wealth, political connections, or institutional backing — have a voice in Congress.
“I think my story sets me aside from everyone else. I’m the only one in this race who has a story to tell voters that lines up with their lived experiences and their struggles. Growing up in poverty and experiencing homelessness was instrumental in developing my worldview and how I fight for people, and I think that’s something that’s absent on Capitol Hill.”
He argues that lived experience offers a perspective often missing on Capitol Hill.
“There are too many lawyers and people coming from professional and political backgrounds. Then you have somebody like me who is rooted in the story of this district. That’s what sets me apart from everyone else in this race.”
According to his campaign website, Manley’s interest in public service dates back to childhood. He cites the election of President Barack Obama as a defining moment that inspired him to pursue politics.
“He was inspired by Barack Obama’s historic election, igniting his passion for public service. He began writing to elected officials, speaking at school board and city council meetings, and advocating for issues affecting his community,” the website states. It goes on to describe his involvement in criminal justice and law magnet programs, Navy JROTC, and hundreds of hours of volunteer service while in high school.
As an openly gay candidate running during Trump’s second administration, Manley said Congress must take a far more aggressive approach to protecting LGBTQ Americans, particularly as Republican-led states continue passing restrictions targeting transgender people.
“I think we need to bring the hammer down on some of these states. I’m not one of these states’ rights people — Congress has the power to preempt laws that states pass through the Supremacy Clause. There’s never been a more important time in our history when we’re seeing fascism, we’re seeing an administration out of control, and we need Congress to act.”
His campaign has also drawn criticism from both Republicans and establishment Democrats for his positions on Gaza, immigration, and his call to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Manley said abolishing ICE does not mean eliminating immigration enforcement altogether.
“I’m not saying there should be no immigration laws. We want laws around immigration, but we want dignity. We don’t need a hypermilitarized, paramilitary group chasing people through the streets, terrorizing communities, churches, schools, and families.”
His personal experiences also inform his healthcare agenda.
“When we talk about healthcare, my experience growing up on Medicaid is seeing the failure of the government to expand Medicaid here in Florida, and now we’re seeing cuts from the Trump administration. I’m not just looking at statistics or numbers on paper — this is based on lived experience. I know how the people in this district are going to be hurt by these policies because I’ve lived it.”
California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who has generated early buzz as a potential 2028 presidential contender for his “progressive capitalist” approach to governing, has endorsed Manley’s campaign, giving the first-time congressional candidate one of his highest-profile endorsements.
Manley faces six other Democrats in the primary, including U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, along with four Republican candidates in the general election field. Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress ahead of a potential expulsion and is running again while facing federal criminal charges.
Despite running as the youngest candidate in the field, Manley said he hopes voters leave the race remembering one thing above all else.
“I want people to remember bold and authentic leadership. I want them to know I’m running because I’ve been through what people are going through right now — and it’s not that I’ve been through it, I’m actually still going through it. We need bold people who are going to fight for everybody and stand up for what’s right, and that’s what I hope voters see when they go to the polls.”
Florida
Former Fla. gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum arrested on drug charges
Democrat narrowly lost to DeSantis in 2018, later came out as bisexual
Andrew Gillum, the former Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and former mayor of Tallahassee, was arrested on drug possession charges in Alabama last week.
Police in Daphne, Ala., said they pulled Gillum over for erratic driving and found marijuana and methamphetamine in his vehicle. He was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, according to the Daphne Police Department. Jail records show he was arrested on July 2 and released on July 3, the Associated Press reports.
Gillum, the first Black nominee of a major political party for governor in Florida, lost the 2018 election to current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in a highly contentious race.
Once considered a rising star in national politics, Gillum served in Tallahassee’s local government, first as a city commissioner and then as mayor of Florida’s capital from 2014- 2018.
The Daphne Police Department said officers stopped Gillum’s vehicle around 10:45 p.m. and initiated a probable cause search after one officer noticed a glass pipe on the center console.
During the search, officers found several rolled marijuana cigarettes and three packages containing a substance that tested positive for methamphetamine, police said.
The day after his arrest he was charged with possession of dangerous drugs, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of marijuana.
In 2020, Gillum was involved in a similar incident when he was found in a Miami Beach, Fla., hotel room with a man identified as an escort who had apparently overdosed on drugs. Police also found three bags of suspected crystal methamphetamine in the room. The man survived, and no one was ever charged with a crime.
Later that year, Gillum came out as bisexual during an appearance on “The Tamron Hall Show,” where he discussed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and his decision to seek treatment following the 2020 incident.
In the same interview he shed light onto this, saying his substance use was a byproduct of the emotional struggles he experienced after losing the 2018 gubernatorial race to DeSantis.
This is not the first time Gillum has faced legal scrutiny.
During his 2014 mayoral campaign, he faced allegations of misconduct after hiring private equity investor Adam Corey as his campaign treasurer, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest. However, the FBI ultimately concluded there was no conflict of interest.
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia murder suspect remains at large
Two killed, one injured in attacks motivated by victims’ sexual orientation
Police seek the public’s support in finding a suspect wanted in connection with three Philadelphia shootings, including two murders, who may have targeted his victims because they were gay. All three shootings took place near Hunting Park Recreation Center between May 29 and June 26.
The suspect is 21-year-old Jahylin Melchur, who has not been located by police and is not in police custody as of July 7. Police seek the public’s support in tracking down the suspect, whose image was captured on surveillance cameras. Previous reporting underlined that Melchur should be considered armed and dangerous.
Each of the victims was found partially clothed between 10 and 11 p.m.
On May 29, a 55-year-old in Juniata Park was found two miles from the rec center. The victim, who survived the encounter with critical injuries, said a man approached him and announced his intention to rob him, before shooting him in the elbow and torso.
Martin Higgins, 45, was pronounced dead on the bleachers of the rec center’s baseball field on June 20, suffering from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Sharef Holman, 29, was found near the basketball courts on June 26, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Temple University Hospital but died shortly thereafter.
Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore declined to answer the Philadelphia Inquirer’s question regarding whether the victims may have met Melchur on a dating app, citing the ongoing investigation. Sources told the Philadelphia Inquirer that investigators are exploring this possibility
Although robbery may be at least part of the motive in the first shooting, other movies are unclear.
NBC10 reported that law enforcement sources told the station all three victims were targeted because they were gay, but the Philadelphia Police Department did not confirm this.
The Philadelphia Police Department replied to PGN’s questions with an email stating, “This remains a very active investigation, and investigators are looking at all aspects of the case, including underlying motivations for committing these crimes.
“At this point, we can confirm that Melchur is wanted for two homicides by shooting and one non-fatal shooting, all of which occurred in the Hunting Park area.
“The investigation has not established that the victims were specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation.”
The Philadelphia Police Department is urging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or submit an anonymous tip by calling the PPD Tip Line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
(This story is republished with permission of the Philadelphia Gay News.)
Campaign launched to elect more LGBTQ candidates to ANC seats
Gay librarian to discuss new novel at Green Lantern
Calendar: July 10-16
Gay Fla. Democrat Elijah Manley sees opportunity in Trump’s second term
Ron Singer, owner of popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s, dies
In Trump’s divided America, Michael Weinstein’s AHF responds
Turkish authorities refuse to allow gay cruise to dock in country
When a church fears the rainbow
PHOTOS: Crush Dance Bar
