Washington, DC – Homophobic fliers targeting openly lesbian Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot were distributed on cars in key neighborhoods of the city this weekend — just two weeks before the runoff election. The flier features a photo of Lightfoot with her wife and implies a Lightfoot administration would make “all contracts, jobs, and employment newly assigned exclusively to gay people,” that “all churches will abide by the gay marriage laws,” and schools will “teach Gay History by mandate.” The attack flier comes just one week after many accused her opponent, Toni Preckwinkle, of using a dog whistle during a debate to signal Lightfoot’s sexual orientation to anti-LGBTQ influencers and voters. NBC-Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern posted the fliers on Twitter (view here).
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker – now President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund and the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ mayor in U.S. history – condemned the homophobic attack and issued the following statement:
“Homophobic forces attempting to derail Lori’s historic candidacy are using the politics of hate and fear to mobilize anti-LGBTQ voters for Toni Preckwinkle. The attack fliers are infused with mischaracterizations of the LGBTQ community and the laws that protect them – including bigoted stereotypes that are too often used against LGBTQ candidates when their opponents get desperate. Chicagoans, regardless of who they support, must speak out forcefully against efforts to mobilize voters through bigotry.”
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to change the face and voice of America’s politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government.