News
9 races to watch as gays run for Congress
Baldwin seeks to become first openly gay senator
U.S. Representative Tammy Baldwin (D—Wisc.) is in a tight race against her state’s former governor, Tommy Thompson, for the state’s seat in the U.S. Senate. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A record number of openly gay candidates running for Congress will face their critical test on Tuesday as many — including U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin — are seeing polls tighten as Election Day approaches.
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A total of nine openly gay, lesbian and bisexual candidates are seeking office in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. With the retirement of gay Rep. Barney Frank, openly LGBT representation in Congress will look very different after next week.
Baldwin’s race is the most high-profile among these candidates because she’d be the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate and the outcome of the race against Republican former Gov. Tommy Thompson may determine which party controls the chamber after the election.
Denis Dison, a spokesperson for the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said all eyes will be on the race because — following the spike in polls that Baldwin enjoyed after her speech at the Democratic National Convention — the contest has become increasingly high-profile and competitive due to spending from outside conservative groups.
“I know groups like Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity — also the U.S. Chamber [of Commerce] — I think the total amount is about $13 million they have spent on ads attacking Tammy,” Dison said. “That has caused the race to get very close.”
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For her part, Baldwin made public on Oct. 30 her closing TV ad showing workers and families as well as footage of her campaigning with former President Bill Clinton.
“One big difference between Tammy Baldwin and Tommy Thompson is that she stood up to the special interests, and he’s stood up for them,” Clinton says in a voice over. “If you put people first, it works better than trickle-down economics.”
Another race that will be closely watched is Massachusetts’ 9th congressional district — where gay Republican challenger Richard Tisei seems poised to beat Democratic incumbent Rep. John Tierney.
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New York’s 18th congressional district is another race of interest to the LGBT community. Gay Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney is seeking to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth, who has a pro-LGBT record in Congress and the backing of gay conservative groups.
In a statement to the Washington Blade, Maloney said the LGBT community should rally behind him because Hayworth has aligned herself with conservative groups.
“Tea Party Congresswoman Nan Hayworth doesn’t believe that my family is equal to hers or that members of the LGBT community deserve equal protection under the law,” Maloney said. “I think folks around the country, LGBT and otherwise, are tired of this extreme ideology.”
9 gay candidates to watch this election day
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
REP. TAMMY BALDWIN
Race: U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin
Opponent: Republican former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson
Significance: Baldwin, a Democrat, would be first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.
Polls: 10/28 Rasmussen Reports — Thompson 48, Baldwin, 47; 10/22 Mason-Dixon — Baldwin 47, Thompson, 45.
Richard Tisei (Photo courtesy of Tisei campaign)
RICHARD TISEI
Race: U.S. House seat in Massachusetts, District 6
Opponent: Incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. John Tierney
Significance: Tisei would be the first openly gay Republican elected to Congress as a non-incumbent and the only out Republican serving on Capitol Hill.
Polls: 10/1 Boston Globe — Tisei 37, Tierney 31.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.) (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
REP. DAVID CICILLINE
Race: U.S. House seat in Rhode Island, District 1
Opponent: Republican challenger Brendan Doherty
Significance: Cicilline, a Democrat, is pursuing his first re-election effort since becoming the fourth sitting openly gay member of Congress in 2010.
Polls: 10/10 Brown University — Cicilline 46, Doherty 40.
Sean Patrick Maloney (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
SEAN PATRICK MALONEY
Race: U.S. House seat in New York, District 18
Opponent: Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth
Significance: Maloney, a Democrat, would be the first openly gay member of Congress from New York State.
Polls: 10/19 Siena College — Hayworth 49, Maloney 42.
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Mark Pocan (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)
MARK POCAN
Race: U.S. House seat in Wisconsin, District 2
Opponent: Republican candidate Chad Lee
Significance: Pocan would replace Baldwin in the U.S. House.
Polls: The district is widely considered a Democratic safe seat and Pocan is expected to win.
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
REP. JARED POLIS
Race: U.S. House seat in Colorado, District 2
Opponent: Republican challenger Susan Hall
Significance: Polis is set to become the most senior openly gay member of the U.S. House.
Polls: The district is widely considered a Democratic safe seat and Polis is expected to win re-election.
Kyrsten Sinema (Photo courtesy of Sinema campaign)
KYRSTEN SINEMA
Race: U.S. House seat in Arizona, District 9
Opponent: Republican candidate Vernon Parker
Significance: Sinema, a Democrat, would be the first openly bisexual person elected to Congress.
Polls: 10/16 Summit Consulting Group —Parker 44, Sinema 42.
Mark Takano (Photo courtesy of Takano campaign)
MARK TAKANO
Race: U.S. House seat in California, District 41
Opponent: Republican candidate John Tavaglione
Significance: Takano, a Japanese-American Democrat, would be the first openly gay person of color elected to Congress.
Polls: 8/21 EMC Research — Takano 42, Tavaglione 38
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Nicole LeFavour (Photo courtesy of LeFavour campaign)
NICOLE LEFAVOUR
Race: U.S. House seat in Idaho, District 2
Opponent: Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson
Significance: LeFavour, a Democrat, isn’t endorsed by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.
Polls: The district is widely considered a Republican safe seat and Simpson is expected to win.
District of Columbia
Activist hosts Diwali celebration in D.C.
More than 120 people attended Joshua Patel’s party on Nov. 9.
LGBTQ activist and businessman Joshua Patel hosted a community Diwali party on Nov. 9.
Patel organized the event as a community gathering amid the Trump-Vance administration’s policies against LGBTQ inclusion and DEI. The event, held at the Capo Deli speakeasy, drew more than 120 attendees, including local business leaders.
Patel is a franchise owner of ProMD Health, recently awarded as the best med spa by the Washington Blade. He is also a major gift officer at Lambda Legal.
Patel noted that upon moving from New York to Washington in 2022, he desired a chance for community-based Diwali celebrations. He stated that the city offered minimal chances for gatherings beyond religious institutions, unless one was invited to the White House’s Diwali party.
“With our current administration, that gathering too has ended — where we cannot expect more than Kash Patel and President Trump lighting a ‘diya’ candle on Instagram while simultaneously cutting DEIB funding,” Patel said.
In addition to celebrating the festival of lights and good over evil, Patel saw the event as a moment to showcase “rich, vibrant culture” and “express gratitude.”
Patel coined the celebration a “unifier.”
“From a spiritual angle, Shiva was the world’s first transgender God, taking the form of both “male” and “female” incarnations,” Patel said. “The symbolism of our faith and concepts are universal and allows for all to rejoice in the festivities as much or little as they desire.”
Savor Soiree, DMV Mini Snacks and Capo Deli catered the event. DJ Kush spun music and Elisaz Events decorated the Diwali celebration.
The Diwali party also featured performances by former Miss Maryland Heather Young Schleicher, actor Hariqbal Basi, Patel himself and Salatin Tavakoly and Haseeb Ahsan.
Maryland
Harford school board appeals state’s book ban decision to circuit court
5-2 ruling in response to ‘Flamer’ directive
By KRISTEN GRIFFITH | Marking a historic moment in Maryland’s debate over school library censorship, Harford County’s school board voted Thursday to appeal the state’s unprecedented decision overturning its ban of a young adult graphic novel, pushing the dispute into circuit court.
The 5-2 vote followed a recent ruling from the state board overturning Harford’s ban of the book “Flamer.” In a special meeting Thursday afternoon, board members weighed whether to seek reconsideration or take the matter to circuit court — ultimately opting to appeal.
The book “Flamer” is by Mike Curato, who wrote about his experience being bullied as a kid for being gay.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
National
US bishops ban gender-affirming care at Catholic hospitals
Directive adopted during meeting in Baltimore.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week adopted a directive that bans Catholic hospitals from offering gender-affirming care to their patients.
Since ‘creation is prior to us and must be received as a gift,’ we have a duty ‘to protect our humanity,’ which means first of all, ‘accepting it and respecting it as it was created,’” reads the directive the USCCB adopted during their meeting that is taking place this week in Baltimore.
The Washington Blade obtained a copy of it on Thursday.
“In order to respect the nature of the human person as a unity of body and soul, Catholic health care services must not provide or permit medical interventions, whether surgical, hormonal, or genetic, that aim not to restore but rather to alter the fundamental order of the human body in its form or function,” reads the directive. “This includes, for example, some forms of genetic engineering whose purpose is not medical treatment, as well as interventions that aim to transform sexual characteristics of a human body into those of the opposite sex (or to nullify sexual characteristics of a human body.)”
“In accord with the mission of Catholic health care, which includes serving those who are vulnerable, Catholic health care services and providers ‘must employ all appropriate resources to mitigate the suffering of those who experience gender incongruence or gender dysphoria’ and to provide for the full range of their health care needs, employing only those means that respect the fundamental order of the human body,” it adds.
The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2024 condemned gender-affirming surgeries and “gender theory.” The USCCB directive comes against the backdrop of the Trump-Vance administration’s continued attacks against the trans community.
The U.S. Supreme Court in June upheld a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming medical interventions for minors.
Media reports earlier this month indicated the Trump-Vance administration will seek to prohibit Medicaid reimbursement for medical care to trans minors, and ban reimbursement through the Children’s Health Insurance Program for patients under 19. NPR also reported the White House is considering blocking all Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care to minors.
“The directives adopted by the USCCB will harm, not benefit transgender persons,” said Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based LGBTQ Catholic organization, in a statement. “In a church called to synodal listening and dialogue, it is embarrassing, even shameful, that the bishops failed to consult transgender people, who have found that gender-affirming medical care has enhanced their lives and their relationship with God.”
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