Is First Presidential Endorsement in Victory Fund’s 28-Year History;
Victory Fund Will Mobilize LGBTQ and Allied Leaders on Behalf of Mayor Pete
New York, NY – Tonight LGBTQ Victory Fund – the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ candidates – announced its endorsement of Mayor Pete Buttigieg for President of the United States. The announcement came on the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising that sparked the modern LGBTQ rights movement and just a few miles from where the Stonewall Inn still stands. It is Mayor Pete’s first endorsement from a national organization and the first time in Victory Fund’s 28-year history that it is endorsing a presidential candidate. The 104-member Victory Campaign Board – the organization’s endorsement body – voted unanimously in favor of the endorsement earlier this month.
Victory Fund President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker made the announcement before 1500 Mayor Pete supporters at a World Pride campaign event in Brooklyn, New York. Mayor Pete accepted the endorsement and delivered remarks after.
Mayor Parker released the following statement about the endorsement:
“Fifty years ago, queer people of color and trans people led a riot that sparked a revolution – and now we build on that legacy by endorsing Mayor Pete Buttigieg for President of the United States. It was only 11 years ago that all the leading presidential contenders – Republicans and Democrats – opposed full recognition of LGBTQ rights and relationships. Yet here we are, just one decade later, endorsing the first viable LGBTQ candidate for president of the United States – a frontrunner in a crowded primary, neck-and-neck with the most well-known names in American politics.
“Mayor Pete’s candidacy is redefining what is possible in American politics. He is transforming perceptions of LGBTQ people – representing our community in small-town diners in Iowa to rallies in New Hampshire to the presidential debate stage. He is inspiring LGBTQ youth to come out, attend their first Pride parade and to believe they can achieve their dreams. And he’s inspiring more LGBTQ people to run for office, knowing that if Mayor Pete can do it at a national level, they can win in their states and communities as well.
“LGBTQ Victory Fund is endorsing Mayor Pete because he is the best candidate for president of the United States. Mayor Pete’s executive experience, record of military service, and authentic approach to politics and policy makes him the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. He is the anti-Trump: experienced, accomplished, patriotic and thoughtful. We see the path to victory for Mayor Pete and are ready to mobilize our network of LGBTQ people and allies to help make it happen.”
Mayor Pete is the first viable LGBTQ candidate for President of the United States and only the second to run for a major party’s nomination. In a recent Gallup poll, 76 percent of Americans said they are willing to vote for an openly gay presidential candidate. The number trends well with results from the 2018 midterms. Out LGBTQ candidates and Victory Fund endorsees Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema both won U.S. Senate seats – in Wisconsin and Arizona, respectively – despite Donald Trump carrying those states in 2016.
The endorsement announcement was made at Brooklyn Steel event venue in Brooklyn, New York. Victory Fund has endorsed thousands of candidates for local, state and federal government since 1991. Mayor Pete is its first presidential endorsement.
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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.
