Jesse’s Journal | Electing Our Own
By JESSE MONTEAGUDO | Miami Herald |Gay South Florida
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund (www.VictoryFund.org) is a political action committee (PAC) created to elect openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to public office in the United States. Since 1991, the Victory Fund - to quote the not always reliable but mostly useful Wikipedia – “provides strategic, technical and financial support to openly gay and lesbian [and bi and trans] candidates and officials across the United States, helping them win elections at local, state and federal levels.” In 2006, the Victory Fund endorsed 88 candidates, of which 67 won their respective elections.
According to the Fund’s Web site (stating the obvious), “It takes courage and determination [and money] to run for office and even more to run as an openly LGBT candidate. . . . At the Victory Fund, we understand these challenges, and we set the bar high, both for our candidates and for our organization.” Candidates endorsed by the Fund receive “sophisticated, intensive candidate and campaign training;” “one-on-one strategic and technical support;” “vetted and highly qualified campaign consultants;” and, last but certainly not least, “financial support from both our PAC and our diverse network of LGBT donors.” To qualify, a candidate must have a realistic chance of being elected and fill out at least two very detailed applications, which allows the Fund to determine whether or not s/he deserves its support. Many applicants do not make it through this strenuous process.
In my own state of Florida, the Victory Fund has endorsed three openly GLBT candidates, all Democrats, for the 2008 elections. Circuit Court Judge Victoria Sigler is running for re-election in Miami-Dade County. Kevin Beckner is running for Hillsborough County Commissioner. And Mark LaFontaine (pictured) is running for State Representative in District 92. Of the three races, LaFonatine’s is the most significant. Since Massachusetts Rep. Elaine Noble came out in 1974, 33 states and the territory of Guam have elected openly GLBT people to their legislatures. Florida, which has one of the largest GLBT communities in the country, never has. Not surprisingly, the Sunshine State has one of the most homophobic legislatures in the country. And while the election of one openly gay man might do little to change that sad fact, his presence in Tallahassee will surely make a statement. Even the most homophobic state official will have to deal with an openly gay lawmaker, whether s/he likes it or not.
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