Former President Donald Trump is set to become president-elect Donald Trump after winning Wisconsin Wednesday morning, clinching 277 of the 270 necessary electoral votes.

He will return to the White House with a Republican Senate, though control of the U.S. House of Representatives remains in limbo with many key contests too close to call.

Vice President Kamala Harris cancelled a planned appearance at her campaign’s watch party at Howard University, her alma mater, on Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning at 7 a.m., she had not yet conceded the race.

Trump pulled ahead Tuesday night with a major victory in the swing state of North Carolina and a projected win in Georgia that was later made official.

He then picked up other major battleground state wins in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Reaction to the news of Trump’s win is trickling in slowly.  LPAC, the nation’s only organization dedicated to advancing the political representation of LGBTQ women and nonbinary candidates, responded.

“A victory for Trump and his racist, fascist and misogynist platform is not a victory for America,” said Janelle Perez, executive director of LPAC. “Today, we mourn not only the loss of a true leader, but also the dream that Kamala Harris might be the first woman, the first woman of color, and the first South Asian person to serve as president of the United States. This is a profound loss for the country we believe in—a place where every one of us, regardless of who we are, is treated fairly and our fundamental rights are upheld.”

AIDS United expressed concern about the fight against HIV as a new Republican administration prepares to take over.

“Now, more than ever, we must act with urgency to ensure that President-Elect Donald Trump and Vice-President Elect JD Vance understand that critical services and resources that people living with HIV depend on are not to be compromised,” said Jesse Milan, Jr., president and CEO of AIDS United.  

The Human Rights Campaign released a statement Wednesday morning by its president, Kelley Robinson:

“Like millions of other Americans, we’re heartbroken by the results of the presidential election, as well as the loss of other pro-equality champions across the country. We know our community is feeling scared, angry, and worried about what’s next for them and their families. We see you – there’s no question that we will face more challenges in the years to come in as part of our fight for full LGBTQ+ equality. But our ancestors taught us that resilience is our superpower. Make no mistake — we are not backing down. And we are going to continue to show up for each other and for the march toward progress — no matter what.

“Despite these disappointing results, we see undeniable proof of hope for the future. Sarah McBride, a trail-blazing champion for Delawareans, will be sworn in this January as the first ever openly transgender member of Congress. Julie Johnson, a dedicated fighter for civil rights and longtime HRC champion, will be the first ever LGBTQ+ member of Congress from the South. Emily Randall is poised to become the first Latina lesbian elected to Congress, and while many races are yet to be called, Senator Tammy Baldwin is on her way to returning to Washington alongside many other LGBTQ+ champions. Marriage equality amendments prevailed with overwhelming support in California and Colorado. And across the country, voters continued to pass ballot referendums protecting access to abortion in the face of an onslaught of misleading transphobic attacks–just the latest example that attacks on the trans community are political losers.

“For more than 40 years, HRC has been on the front lines of the fight for LGBTQ+ equality — one of the most powerful movements this country has ever seen. From Stonewall to the AIDS crisis to attacks against transgender Americans and our unwavering fight for marriage equality at the Supreme Court, the LGBTQ+ community has always persevered and defied the odds to make progress that once seemed unimaginable.

“The path ahead will be challenging, but we are prepared. We will use every tool at our disposal–from advocacy to education to litigation to campaigns–to protect our communities and advance progress where we can. We will build power by building each other up, with a dedication to forging a better path for our future. To every LGBTQ+ person feeling scared, I see you. I feel you. And I need you to hear this: You are not alone. You are loved. You are worthy. And you have an entire community standing with you, today and every day.”

Lambda Legal President Kevin Jennings released a statement:

“We won’t sugarcoat this – last night’s election results were incredibly detrimental to the cause of equality. There is no doubt that many of us feel scared, angry, and perhaps demoralized. And we are not naïve: we are entering a seriously dangerous period confronted by a new administration and at least one house of Congress that have made their hostility to our community crystal clear.

“Lambda Legal has been strategizing and planning for this possibility, and we will expend every energy to hold the line. We all know we have tough battles ahead. But we’ve overcome difficult odds repeatedly before and have won landmark victories throughout Lambda Legal’s fifty-year history.  Lambda Legal successfully blocked multiple attacks by the first Trump administration, and we are ready to oppose any anti-LGBTQ+ actions this new administration takes.”

GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis issued a statement:

“The LGBTQ community has been here before, as have all other marginalized communities, and the pain is real today. But as we saw from the Lavender Scare to the Stonewall riots, from the HIV epidemic to the defeat and victory for marriage, every breakdown can lead to a breakthrough. We must see this moment of crisis as another catalyst for change. 

“Our community knows how to take care of each other, and how to push our country and world forward. The mission remains: Hold leaders accountable to We, the People. Empower each person to use their voice for progress with kindness. Correct the record. Shape culture. Change hearts and minds. Rise up for intersectional issues including racial justice, abortion and immigration. GLAAD was founded nearly forty years ago with the knowledge that LGBTQ people and our stories would create a better world. Our work has renewed importance and urgency. LGBTQ people belong and are essential to the promise of America as a beacon of equality and acceptance.”

PFLAG National President Brian Bond released a statement:

“Today, PFLAG’s hundreds of thousands of members and supporters across the country have witnessed a devastating result for people whose loved ones have been targeted for harm by policies, disenfranchisement and worse.  

“Yet, just as the LGBTQ+ people, families and allies of PFLAG have always joined the march for freedom, we are united in this fight to protect and respect every member of our community.

“Despite the many setbacks and disappointments this election represents for our community, there are many historic victories for LGBTQ+ people, families and allies to celebrate. Sarah McBride will be sworn in as the first openly transgender Member of Congress, representing Delaware. With the elections of Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester to the Senate, that body has more black women members serving together than at any other time in history. Plus, California, Colorado, and Hawaii have enshrined marriage equality for same-sex couples in their state constitutions, and eight states, including Nebraska and my home state of Missouri, have ensured access to abortion.  

“Our LGBTQ+ loved ones and families are scared right now. But make no mistake, PFLAG is not backing down from this fight. For over five decades, PFLAG has been leading with love to overcome dark efforts. We are uniquely able to meet this moment, to soften hearts, to change minds, and to support our community. 

“PFLAG will continue to show up for our LGBTQ+ loved ones, from the state house to the courthouse, the schoolhouse steps to the steps of the U.S. Capitol and Supreme Court. We’ve got this. We’ve got us.”

The Congressional Equality Caucus posted a statement on X: “Our fight for equality is a story of victories, setbacks, and our determination to keep moving forward. We will face this next challenge together, united in the belief that, in the long term, equality will win out & love will trump hate. We’ll never stop fighting for equality.”

National Women’s Law Center Action Fund President Fatima Goss Graves released a statement:

“This is the outcome that we feared and fought tirelessly to prevent. While it’s a dark day for our democracy, let’s remember that Donald Trump is not a king. He is not a dictator. He is one branch of our democratic government, and he and his administration can be kept in check so long as the people, our institutions, and those who hold power refuse to bow to his authoritarian tendencies.  

“Millions of people in this country voted for a different future, one that protects reproductive freedom, expands affordable caregiving, and ensures our schools are safe and inclusive. These issues are core to people’s lives and the majority of people support measures that advance gender justice – you see that in the ballot measures that passed for child care and abortion access, you see that in the polling that shows overwhelming support for reproductive freedom, action on caregiving, and ensuring billionaires pay their fair share. Vice President Harris knew this, and she ran her remarkable and historic campaign in service of a safer, more equal, more free, and more just future for everyone in this country.  

“Armed with insights from the Project 2025 agenda, we are prepared. We’ve navigated the challenges of a Trump administration before, and together, we will rise to face this one. The next four years will undoubtedly be difficult, but our staff remains steadfast in its determination to ensure that all women and girls have the opportunity to thrive, regardless of who holds the White House.”

The HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute released a statement by its president, Carl Schmid:

“The American people have spoken and elected Donald Trump and JD Vance as our next president and vice president. The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute will work with the new administration on furthering efforts to end HIV and hepatitis in the United States. With proper leadership, policies, and funding, we can end both these infectious diseases.

“In his 2019 State of the Union address, Trump announced that we would ‘eliminate the HIV epidemic in the United States within 10 years.’ This led to the historic Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative that increases HIV testing, treatment and prevention programs, including scaling up PrEP, which are drugs that prevent HIV.

“At the same time, his administration proposed cuts to other HIV and health programs and proposed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, including its non-discrimination protections.

“Ending HIV and hepatitis cannot happen without a comprehensive healthcare system that includes robust private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare programs, upholding non-discrimination protections, and combating stigma and disparities. Healthcare access and affordability, particularly for prescription drugs, are critically important. We will continue to fight to ensure all payers provide the drugs people need at a price they can afford. Of immediate concern for the new administration will be ensuring that copay assistance patients receive to afford their drugs will count towards their out-of-pocket cost obligations.

“We look forward to working with President-elect Trump on ensuring that the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative is fully funded and expanded in order to fulfill the goal of ending HIV in the United States. In recent years, House Republicans have proposed to eliminate funding for the program.

“There will be many policy and funding decisions that the Trump-Vance administration must make and work with the new Congress to pass. We realize that we live in a divided country and not everyone shares the same priorities and views. However, no matter one’s views, these decisions must be based on science so that we can continue to advance the interests of people living with or at risk of HIV and hepatitis and others who live with serious and chronic health conditions.”

Rodney Croome, founder of Australian Marriage Equality, in an X post echoed the concerns of activists in the U.S.

“Australia’s LGBTIQA+ community will suffer from increased hate and from local politicians imitating Trump,” said Croome. “But the response to authoritarianism is not to retreat. It is to empower more voices, have higher expectations, create a more democratic movement and defend each other.”

The 2024 Election is upon us and this means that it is time to vote — if you haven’t already. 

For some, voting might be confusing or daunting. For others, it might be your first time voting, whether you are now old enough to vote, recently became a citizen or were previously incarcerated and can now vote in California. 

The election produces a lot of anxiety for Americans because there are a lot of issues to be determined. A poll by the American Psychological Association suggests that the future of the nation, economy, and presidential election, top U.S. stressors. 

The poll also suggests that the biggest concerns are the end of Democracy and political violence.

A Stress in America 2024 report by the APA, points out that 77 percent rate the future of our nation as a significant source of stress, 69 percent cite the presidential election and 73 percent cite the economy, as a significant source of stress. 

For people in the LGBTQ+, QTBIPOC, low-income, and otherwise marginalized communities in California, there are a few key issues that are at stake. 

We have summarized the propositions on the California ballot. 

California propositions

Proposition 2 would authorize $10 billion in bonds for upgrade, repair and construction on K-12 educational facilities, community colleges, charter school and career technical education programs. The bonds would cost California $500 million annually and have to be repaid with interest over the next 35 years. 

Proposition 3 is the Constitutional Right to Marriage ballot initiative that if approved, would guarantee that same-sex and interracial marriages will continue to be valid and recognized by the California Constitution, which currently only recognizes heterosexual marriages.  

This proposition would guarantee that if same-sex and interracial marriage were to be challenged on the federal level by the Supreme Court, there would be protections on the state level. 

Proposition 4 would authorize bonds for safe drinking water, wildfire prevention and protecting communities from natural disasters and other climate risks. A yes vote would approve the state of California to borrow $10 billion to fund activities aimed at conserving natural resources. The bonds would have to be repaid over the next 40 years, at $400 million annually. 

Proposition 5 would allow certain local bonds and related property taxes to be approved with a 55 percent vote of the local electorate, rather than the current two-thirds majority vote requirement. The bonds would have to fund local affordable housing, supportive housing and public infrastructure. 

Proposition 6 would amend the California Constitution to remove current provisions that allows jails and prisons to impose involuntary servitude to punish crime. State prisons would not be allowed to punish anyone who refuses to work. 

Proposition 32 would raise the minimum wage to $17 per hour for employers with more than 26 employees effective immediately and then to $18 as of Jan 1, 2025, and for employers with 25 or fewer employees, to $17 effective on Jan 1, 2025, and $18 as of Jan 1, 2026. 

Proposition 33 would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995, which currently places limits on local governments from enacting rent control laws. A yes vote would mean that the state would not limit the kinds of rent control laws cities and counties could or could not have. A no vote would mean the state would continue to limit the kinds of rent control laws cities and counties could have. 

Proposition 34 would restrict spending of prescription drug revenued by certain health care providers by requiring providers to spend 98 percent of revenues from federal discount prescription drug programs on direct patient care. Increased state costs would likely total millions annually to enforce the new rules on health care entities. 

Proposition 35 would provide funding for Medi-Cal health care services by making an existing tax on managed health care insurance plans permanent. New rules would direct how the state must use revenue. 

Proposition 36 would allow felony charges for possessing certain drug types and for thefts under $950, if the defendant has two prior drug or theft convictions. This means that if approved, punishment for drug and theft crimes would increase such as longer prison sentences. 

In a landmark development for electoral accessibility, Los Angeles County has opened the doors to the nation’s first general election Vote Center located within a transgender establishment. The Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center officially launched its voting facilities today, inviting the local trans community and all registered voters in Los Angeles County to participate in the democratic process.

The Vote Center at CONOTEC will operate for early voting from Nov. 2 – Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Registered voters in Los Angeles County can cast their ballot at CONOTEC, regardless of their residential address. This initiative not only creates a safe and affirming space for marginalized voters but also aims to foster broader community engagement.

During the grand opening, Los Angles County Registrar Dean Logan and West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson, celebrated this significant moment. 

Logan said, “The county and everyone in my office know that we need to make voting as accessible and welcoming as possible in every corner of the county. The CONOTEC leadership has done a great job preparing this Vote Center, and we thank them for opening their space to their community and all of the LA County residents who chose to vote here.”

Queen Victoria Ortega (at podium), president of FLUX International, addressed the need for more action.

“We are tired of everyone discussing our safety while doing nothing about it. Now, we are taking matters into our own hands,” Ortega said. “We, the trans community, have created a safe space for the most marginalized to vote, and when you do that, you create a safe place for all. We are honored and duty-bound to be the first presidential election Vote Center in America at a transgender establishment.”

Queen Chela Demuir, executive director of the Unique Women’s Coalition, emphasized the historical legacy of trans rights activists.

“In the spirit of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, we honor our transcestors and carry their legacy forward,” she said. “This voting center stands as a safe and welcoming space for our trans siblings, while also embracing all allies and residents of Los Angeles County. It’s a space where everyone’s voice matters, uplifting and empowering our community.”

Bamby Salcedo, founder and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition. (Photo by Troy Masters)

Bamby Salcedo, founder and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, expressed her support for the initiative, stating, “My sisters at CONOTEC have done a great service to our community by securing this Vote Center. We all look forward to casting our vote in our community and appreciate the support as we work towards equality for all.”

Michael Weinstein, president and CEO of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest and most influential AIDS Service organization, pointed out that around the world voting is a perilous adventure for LGB and particularly trans people. “AIDS Healthcare Foundation is in 47 countries around the world and in so many of those countries, the right to vote does not exist,” he said. “It turns my stomach to see on TV political ads targeting the trans community.” hightlighting the need for safe voting spaces like the CONOTEC.

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, praised CONOTEC’s efforts to empower LGBTQ+ voters. “With our vote, each of us has the chance to write the next chapter of this nation’s story. And the nation’s story is incomplete without each one of us. When we show up, equality wins,” Robinson remarked, emphasizing the importance of collective civic participation.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) became the first openly LGBTQ+ senator with her election in 2012, having previously served as U.S. representative from Wisconsin’s 2^nd Congressional District as the first non-incumbent LGBTQ+ member elected to the chamber. She is running against Republican mega-millionaire Eric Hovde, whose campaign has targeted her sexual orientation with negative advertising, in a race that Cook Political Report considers a toss-up.

Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride (D) became the first openly trans state senator and the highest-ranking trans official in U.S. history with her election in 2020, having previously worked in LGBTQ+ advocacy and authored a memoir. She is running for Delaware’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she would be the first transgender Member of Congress. She is favored to win her race.

Mondaire Jones served as U.S. representative for New York’s 17^th Congressional District from 2021 to 2023, during which time he was often described as a rising star in the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, serving on the Progressive, Black, and Equality Caucuses. Jones was one of the first two openly gay Black members of Congress. He is running to reclaim his seat representing NY-17.

Gay Democratic U.S. attorney Will Rollins is gunning for U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert’s (R-Calif.) seat after narrowly losing to the GOP incumbent in 2022. His victory is key for Democrats to retake control of the House, with Cook Political Report characterizing their race as a toss-up and POLITICO writing it will be one of the most “closely watched and expensive battleground slugfests in the country.”

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig (D) is the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress from Minnesota and the first lesbian mother to serve in either chamber. In the House, Craig has opposed Republican-led efforts to implement anti-LGBTQ+ policies, especially in schools. She is facing off against Republican Joe Teirab in a race that, according to Cook Political Report, is shaping up in her favor/lean Democratic.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (D) is a former meteorologist and the first openly gay member of Congress from Illinois. While he is the first Democrat to represent portions of the state’s 17^th Congressional District in decades, particularly the towns of Rockford and Peoria, Sorensen’s race is “likely” Democratic, per Cook Political Report. He is running against Republican Joe McGraw, a judge and former prosecutor.

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids is a former mixed martial artist and attorney serving as the first Democrat to represent a Kansas congressional district in Congress in more than a decade. She is also the first LGBTQ+ Native American and one of the first two Native American women (along with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland) elected to the chamber. Her race is “likely” Democratic according to Cook Political Report.

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D) is the first openly gay man from New Hampshire to serve in Congress following his election in 2018 and reelection in 2020 and 2022. He is running against Republican Russell Prescott in a race that Cook Political Report expects will be “likely” Democratic. New Hampshire Public Radio called Pappas the 1^st Congressional District’s most successful Democrat in more than four decades.

There are four other openly LGBTQ+ members of Congress, all serving as co-chairs of the Equality Caucus under chair Mark Pocan, Democratic U.S. representative from Wisconsin: U.S. Reps. Robert Garcia and Mark Takano, Democrats from California, Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), and Becca Balint (D-Vt.). They are all expected to win their bids for reelection.

Gay Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D) is running for auditor general of the Keystone State, squaring off next week against incumbent Republican Tim DeFoor and three third-party candidates. Appointed by President Joe Biden to chair the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans, Kenyatta is considered a rising star in the Democratic Party.

Tampa native and mother of two teen boys, Ashley Brundage has built programs to help educate people and facilitate economic empowerment for entrepreneurs, earning a “Spirit of the Community Award” for her work from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. And if she wins her race next week to serve in the Florida House of Representatives, Brundage would be the state’s first out transgender elected official.  

Aime Wichtendahl is the first transgender official elected in the state of Iowa, serving on the city council of Hiawatha, a suburb northwest of Cedar Rapids, since 2015. Her work has focused on expanding infrastructure, reducing property taxes, and helping small businesses. If elected to the Iowa House of Representatives next week, Wichtendahl would be Iowa’s first openly trans state legislator.

Vice President Kamala Harris delivered her closing message on Tuesday night, contrasting her campaign’s message of hope, as well as her policy plans on behalf of the people, with her opponent’s focus on grievance, division, and the needs of wealthy donors and moneyed special interests.

Speaking from the Ellipse, south of the White House — the site where former President Donald Trump fomented a violent insurrection into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — Harris addressed an audience that is reported to exceed 75,000, shattering records.

The vice president repeated a pledge she has made often on the campaign trail, that she will be president for all Americans regardless of whom they voted for or what they believe. Trump wants to put those who disagree with him in jail, she said. “I’ll give them a seat at the table.”

Harris made a direct reference to the LGBTQ+ community by invoking the Stonewall rebellion, birthplace of the modern struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights.

Earlier, she said, “For as long as I can remember, I have always had an instinct to protect. There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me. I don’t like it.”

Harris continued, “It’s what my mother instilled in me — a drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of other people, the drive to protect hard working Americans who aren’t always seen or heard and deserve a voice. And I will tell you that is the kind of president I will be.”

The Democratic National Committee launched a six-figure ad campaign Wednesday that will run on Grindr, the location-based social networking and online dating app for gay and bisexual men and transgender users.

The campaign will highlight how former President Donald Trump, his vice presidential nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), and their Republican allies would strip away rights and freedoms from LGBTQ Americans through their Project 2025 governing blueprint.

“LGBTQ+ Americans have fought tirelessly for equality — but Donald Trump’s MAGA GOP wants to drag us backwards and roll back our hard-earned freedoms,” DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd said in a press release that was previewed by the Washington Blade.

“We cannot afford MAGA Republicans’ extreme, anti-equality Project 2025 agenda that will put our rights at risk and our lives on the line,” Floyd said. “Our votes are powerful, and it’s crucial that LGBTQ+ voters make their voices heard at the ballot box in this election to stop the Trump-Vance ticket’s dangerous Project 2025 blueprint.

He added, “This November, the American people — including LGBTQ+ voters — will choose Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz’s vision of equality for all over the ultra-MAGA GOP’s campaign of extremism and hate.”

Tenant rights attorney Ysabel Jurado is known as the progressive, grassroots candidate in
the race for the hot seat that her opponent Kevin De León currently holds in Council District 14, even after years of recalls following a racism and homophobia scandal.

Jurado says it’s time for something different and she is it.

“I’m an API woman, I’m educated, I’m a citizen and English is my first language–
among others,” said Jurado in an interview with Los Angeles Blade. “And I’m also proud that on this team, we are largely led by LGBTQ+ folks, women of color, and people of color.”
As an out candidate, Jurado says she is intentional about the people she hires as part of
her campaign team. She is inclusive of nonbinary people and anyone who identifies as part of the QTBIPOC and LGBTQ+ acronyms, because she doesn’t just want to talk about them, she also wants to incorporate their lived experiences in her campaign mission. She says this in part
because of her own identity, but also because of the scandal that rocked De León’s political career.

The scandal follows various City Council members of CD-14 ranting about other BIPOC
members of Council and their LGBTQ+ families. The leaked audio recording included her
opponent De León — who at the time had his eyes set on running for mayor of Los Angeles.

“A lot of the groups talked about in these tapes are the people that we’ve recruited and
who we are making sure to build a coalition with,” said Jurado.

Going into this campaign race, she asked herself: ‘How do I go into this institution and
not become the worst parts of it?’

“If I ever become that, I want you to put my feet to the fire and shift me out of there,
because at that point I have betrayed myself,” responding to the question she had asked herself.

Jurado is currently facing backlash from many community members who support the
police force in Los Angeles, after she was elicited to respond to a question regarding her stance
on police funding. Some of those community members are now actively pushing for her to drop out of the race for Council District 14.

According to NBC4, family members of fallen Los Angeles Police Department officers
have spoken out to say they worry the remarks she made in regards to her stance on police
funding would hurt the LAPD’s ability to recruit new officers.

“In a meeting with students at Cal State LA, I quoted a lyric from a song that’s been part
of a larger conversation on systemic injustice and police accountability for decades…,” said
Jurado to NBC4.

Later, other news outlets reported that the person who elicited the ‘f-ck the police,’
response from Jurado, was a staffer working for De León.

“When you look at what I say and when you look at what I’m doing, I walk the walk and
I’m not going to take any bullshit sitting down, even though [De León] tries,” said Jurado in an
interview.

Jurado has been campaigning for this position since last summer and has since made
dozens of headlines that suggest she is a political force to be reckoned with and has been
building gains in the mostly Latin American Council district. She also brings up the long and problematic history of candidates and elected officials who have resigned, been indicted for corruption, or who have been asked to ‘step down over shady backroom deals.’

“The focus isn’t about me and him and what petty back-and-forth things we say, it’s
about our communities and wanting to make sure we talk to voters and rising above. Because at the end of the day, it’s about the work,” said Jurado. “It’s not about the noise and trying to bring it back to who gets hurt by all these conversations, which are the constituents.”

Jurado is an out LGBTQ single mother and lifelong resident of Highland Park who has
tirelessly fought for tenant rights and protections during her time as a tenants’ rights attorney and housing justice advocate. She prides herself in being a self-made politician who started her journey at Pasadena City College, then earned her bachelor’s degree at University of California, Los Angeles and then went to law school.

Jurado then went on to fight gentrification-driven displacement and in her candidate
statement, she says she spends her days protecting neighborhoods from corrupt developers and politicians.

“This campaign is for ‘the other.’ Being a daughter of immigrants, or whatever your
identity is, you become fluent in two different modalities,” said Jurado. “You know what the
dominant culture is and what the non-dominant culture is and you learn how to navigate through it. I think that is a superpower our people have, people who have always been ‘othered.’

Jurado is currently canvassing in the community, leading up to the election with support from Hugo Soto-Martinez, LA City Council Member of CD-13 and Eunisses Hernandez, LA City Council Member CD-1.

Equality PAC has raised a record $20.7 million during the 2024 election cycle, channeling support to Democrats in competitive House races nationwide.

The political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus is backing 15 openly LGBTQ+ candidates for the House, including six newcomers and nine incumbents, with the aim of securing the largest-ever LGBTQ+ presence in Congress. 

Founded a decade ago with modest funds, the PAC has significantly expanded its influence. 

U.S. Reps. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who co-chair the PAC, noted the caucus’s evolution into an “unmatched force in LGBTQ politics,” and a more diverse coalition.

“We have not only expanded our caucus, but we have drastically changed its composition from what used to be an all-white, almost all gay male delegation into a strong and diverse coalition that will soon have members from every region of our nation,” Takano and Torres said in a statement. 

A record of six openly LGBTQ+ women — U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride, Washington state Sen. Emily Randall and Texas state Rep. Julie Johnson — are running for the House this election.

Takano and Torres highlighted potential historic firsts: If they win, Johnson would be the first openly LGBTQ+ representative from the South, Randall would be the first openly queer Latina in Congress, and McBride would become the first transgender person ever elected to federal office.

Although not backed by Equality PAC, Alison Esposito, a House candidate from New York, could make history as the first openly gay Republican woman elected to Congress.

Equality PAC is also supporting candidate Will Rollins (D-Calif.) and former U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who were both narrowly defeated in 2022, and Evan Low, a California State Assemblymember who is running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). 

Other incumbents the PAC has endorsed include U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), as well as Takano and Torres. 

Equality PAC has also sent more than $763,000 to pro-equality ally candidates across the nation, with the aim of securing a congressional majority that could advance legislation like the Equality Act, which seeks to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to enshrine protections for LGBTQ+ people.

On Wednesday, leaders from the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ community gathered at West Hollywood Park in support of Measure G, a ballot initiative that would hold county officials and all departments accountable for corruption, fraud and closed-door deals. 

“As Mayor of West Hollywood, I’m proud to support Measure G because it’s a vital step toward making LA County’s government more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the needs of all its residents,” said West Hollywood mayor John Erickson. “This reform is crucial for strengthening the voice of West Hollywood and every part of LA County. I urge everyone to vote yes on Measure G and help build a county government that truly works for all of our people.”

Community leaders say this ballot initiative is crucial reform on the November ballot. This initiative aims to increase representation and accountability in the LA County government. 

Other than adding more seats to the Board of Supervisors, Measure G would also create an independent ethics commission, create an elected County Executive brand and open the County budget hearings to the public for more financial transparency. 

This measure is not only supported by local LGBTQ+ leaders, but also from leaders across many other communities and industries like nurses and small businesses. 

The ethics commission would work to prevent former politicians from lobbying within their first two years after leaving office, authorize the suspension of County politicians who are criminally charged with a felony. 

The measure would create an elected County Executive position, where they would be directly responsible for the accountability of the public by putting an end to the current system where an elected bureaucrat controls LA County’s full $45 billion dollar budget. 

Among other things, the measure would also require County departments to hold public budget hearings and require a minimum of five days’ notice to the public of County’s new legislation. This would prevent politicians from making secret closed-door deals.

The press conference was led by Drag Laureate, Pickle the Drag Queen and included other prominent LGBTQ+  voices like Trans Latin@ Coalition President and CEO Bamby Salcedo, Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang and Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Commission Vice-Chair Sydney Rogers. 

“For too long, our community has struggled to access essential services like housing, healthcare, and support programs due to inequities in the allocation of county resources. Measure G ensures that public funds are distributed fairly and that the needs of marginalized communities, including trans and gender nonconforming people, are prioritized, said Bamby Salcedo, President and CEO of the Trans Latin@ Coalition.

Key congressional races and the contest for the White House have become even tighter according to polling data released this week, as Republican campaigns, including former President Donald Trump’s team, targeted their opponents with $65 million in anti-LGBTQ and especially anti-trans attack ads.

With just 20 days until Nov. 5, Sean Meloy, vice president of political programs at the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, spoke with the Washington Blade about how the GOP’s “despicable” paid media strategy is impacting races up and down the ballot.

“This is gonna be the most anti-LGBTQ [election] year probably since 2004, when it comes to presidential rhetoric,” Meloy said.

Many of the LGBTQ candidates supported by his organization are now contending with attacks against their very identities. Among them is incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of the key swing state of Wisconsin, an out lesbian who made history with her elections to the House and then to the Senate — but is now, Meloy said, in the “fight of her life.”

Her reelection is critical for Democrats to retain their narrow majority in the Senate so Vice President Kamala Harris can effectuate her agenda if she wins the White House.

For most of the campaign, Baldwin has maintained a narrow lead over Republican challenger Eric Hovde, but the real estate and banking tycoon polled ahead of her for the first time in an internal survey whose findings were released over the weekend by the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cook Political Report considers their race a toss-up.

“Tammy has done an amazing job fighting for all people in Wisconsin, whether it’s farmers, whether it’s laborers, and, of course, LGBTQ constituents, too,” Meloy said. “I don’t know how you get a better senator than Tammy Baldwin, and I’m not just saying that because she’s probably going to be — knock on wood — our only [out] LGBTQ voice in the U.S. Senate.”

Baldwin is not shaken by anti-LGBTQ attacks

The senator has “been the target of hundreds of millions of dollars in attacks, including these anti-LGBT, these anti-trans attacks,” but also of ads “talking about, you know, where she sleeps and who she sleeps with,” Meloy said — messages suffused with the kind of overt homophobia that for decades was considered out-of-bounds in electoral politics.

“The race has absolutely tightened,” Meloy said, and in response Hovde’s campaign is “deploying everything and the kitchen sink, including these anti-trans ads, including the attacks against [Baldwin] and her girlfriend.”

“Even though she was being attacked about her identity, she’s not running from who she is,” he said, pointing to the “wonderful story” she shared on X to honor National Coming Out Day on Friday.

Can I tell you my coming out story? 🏳️‍🌈

I first came out in college. Back then, I knew I was interested in public service, but I feared that I would face a serious choice between pursuing the field of my dreams or living my authentic life openly.

Watching others in the LGBTQ+… pic.twitter.com/6L4nmkdOde

— Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) October 11, 2024

“I think that that is exactly what people want in their congresspeople, what they want in their senators, what they want in their government,” Meloy said. “They want their government to look like the people they represent and people who aren’t going to put their finger in the wind just because tens of millions of dollars in ads are attacking them about who they are.”

Baldwin has “done the work, she’s proven herself, she’s built those relationships and helped make sure our community was represented in an amazing fashion, and that’s why so many folks are excited to support her.”

The next 20 days will prove critical, Meloy said, as the “Victory Fund is working with her campaign to make sure that she gets the resources that she needs in order to combat” the lies and bad-faith attacks from Hovde. He noted a recent rapid response call was organized to help Baldwin through the “anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ ads.”

Victory has “already raised over $300,000,” Meloy said, adding, “I wouldn’t be surprised if [Baldwin is] the candidate that we’ve raised the most for this year,” nor if the fundraising total for her 2024 campaign “is a record number, because she absolutely is in the fight of her life.”

Straight allies in close Senate races respond to anti-LGBTQ attacks

Other Democrats in close Senate races, like U.S. Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, who is running to unseat anti-LGBTQ U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, who is fending off a challenge from Republican businessman Bernie Moreno, have been targeted with anti-LGBTQ advertising, too.

The ads, riddled with falsehoods, focus primarily on the lawmakers’ support for allowing trans women and girls to compete on sports teams aligning with their gender identity.

In response, Allred cut a commercial in which he says, “I’m a dad. I’m also a Christian. My faith has taught me that all kids are god’s kids. So let me be clear. I don’t want boys playing girls sports, or any of this ridiculous stuff that Ted Cruz is saying.”

Brown’s team also responded to the attack with an ad in which the senator calls out misinformation and clarifies his stance — that the participation of trans athletes in competitive sports should be decided not by the government but by the individual leagues.

Meloy noted that Victory does not work with non-LGBTQ candidates, so he has limited insight into their campaign operations, but he stressed that while Allred and Brown were criticized by some LGBTQ advocates for appearing to signal a willingness to walk back their support for trans athletes, both have strong records of fighting to advance rights and protections for the community.

“I think that we know where their hearts are when it comes to believing in not discriminating,” Meloy said, and running against candidates like Cruz means having to dispel “a lot of misinformation, a lot of lies.”

In such circumstances, “sometimes, nuance is not going to be your friend,” he said, adding that the Republican “bigots” who are “using this rhetoric” to weaponize LGBTQ lives and identities in hopes of winning in November must be defeated.

“And then, we as a community need to make sure we hold their feet to the fire” to ensure the lawmakers reciprocate the support they received from their LGBTQ constituents — specifically, by passing the Equality Act, which would codify LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination rules across the board, and by codifying into law protections for reproductive rights.

Anti-trans strategy will fail, but the most effective messages concern sports

“I think in the end, it’s going to prove not to work,” Meloy added, referring to the GOP’s strategy of “demonizing our community for political points.”

Echoing remarks from other LGBTQ leaders like Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson, Meloy said the Republicans who leveraged anti-LGBTQ/anti-trans attacks in elections last year and in 2022 were mostly unsuccessful.

The strategy has “not been effective in winning swing districts, in winning battleground states, or even in conservative states,” he said. And “if these messages largely don’t work with independent voters,” Meloy asked, “who are they aimed at?”

Trump and other Republican candidates “are starting to bleed some of their base voters, and they need to continue to churn them out,” he said. So, with their transphobic rhetoric, the campaigns hope to get their right-wing supporters “foaming at the mouth again” while also reaching and engaging with the kind of disaffected men who are less likely to vote and who may admire anti-trans self-styled contrarians like Elon Musk.

The GOP’s strategy of using “trans lives to win votes” while “lying, all along the way, about those lives to do so” reeks of desperation, he said, while also inhibiting outreach to conservative or independent LGBTQ voters, to the extent that Republican campaigns ever sought to win over these voters in the first place.

At the same time, the New York Times reported last week that “Republican strategists said the focus on transgender women and girls in sports had been particularly effective with a key group of voters the party has hemorrhaged support from in recent years: college-educated suburban women.”

The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board agreed, publishing an opinion piece on Sunday that was titled, “Transgender Sports Is a 2024 Sleeper Issue.”

“An ad in Wisconsin says Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin ‘voted to let biological men into women’s sports,'” the authors wrote, while “Hovde gets spontaneous applause when he raises the issue at campaign events.”

Meloy conceded Republicans will likely find more success with the sports issue relative to their other anti-trans messaging, but stressed that it remains “just the best of a bunch of bad narratives that don’t fully get the job done when it comes to moving folks in a purple district to 50+ one.”

He pointed to last year’s elections in the Virginia Legislature, which saw anti-LGBTQ messaging from Republicans, including attacks focused on the participation of trans athletes in competitive sports.

Nevertheless, Danica Roem won her bid for the state Senate, becoming the first openly trans official elected to serve in both chambers of a state legislature. Four of her Democratic colleagues who were targeted for their support of the trans community also won their races. And together, their victories helped to secure a Democratic pro-equality majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and the Virginia State Senate.

Harris might discuss trans athletes issue with Joe Rogan

The vice president is reportedly considering a sit-down with Joe Rogan, whose podcast boasts 17.3 million subscribers and is especially popular among young men.

Rogan has repeatedly inveighed against trans athletes participating in competitive sports. “It’s f—ing up women’s sports in a huge way,” he said last summer. “If you care at all about biological women, you should be against that.”

“Kamala Harris has proven to be a very strong ally of LGBTQ people and trans people,” Meloy said, “and so I think that she’s not going to be afraid to tell the truth there” if she chooses to do the podcast.

The Democratic nominee would be “going on there to show people that she’s not all what the right wing is making her out to be” with their attacks on her record, background, and identity.

The Trump campaign and his Republican supporters are lying about Harris just as they’re lying about trans people, Meloy said. “Her showing up, her being visible and saying, ‘Hey, I’m here. I’m actually wanting to do these things. Trans people are just trying to live their lives.’ I think that conversation will go really far in hopefully adjusting people’s mindsets from ‘oh, these these ads are saying one thing,’ when in reality they’re just not truthful.”

He added, “I’m very hopeful these tactics and Trumpism are repudiated so we can get back to a system, right? We can close that chapter. As Kamala Harris says, we can close this chapter in our history and get back to healthy and robust debate that is not based around who you are, but what ideas you have for the people. And I think the work is happening to help make sure that that kind of win happens.”

The campaign led by Harris and her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, is emblematic of that positive, forward-looking message, Meloy said. “So many Americans across every single demographic” are resonating with their focus on “freedom and protecting democracy and turning the chapter on this very, very difficult past eight years.”