Victory Fund endorses Lightfoot, only openly gay candidate for mayor
The only openly gay candidate in the race for mayor of Chicago on Thursday won the endorsement of the only national organization dedicated to LGBTQ political empowerment.
Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker called Lori Lightfoot a “police reform expert” whose experience as a former federal prosecutor, Police Board president and head of the old Office of Professional Standards will be “invaluable” as mayor.
That’s particularly true with a federal judge poised to sign off on a consent decree outlining the terms of federal court oversight of the Chicago Police Department.
“It is also her experiences as an LGBTQ woman of color that provides an important perspective she will bring to her policies and decision-making, ensuring those who are often left behind will not be,” Parker, the former mayor of Houston, was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Lightfoot campaign.
“Lori is a history-making candidate at a time when Chicagoans are demanding fresh leadership — and we are thrilled to be standing with her.”
The Victory Fund was founded in 1991 by LGBTQ activists and donors determined to duplicate the success Emily’s List has had over the years in recruiting, bankrolling and electing women.
Since then, the organization has helped to elect “hundreds” of LGBTQ candidates, culminating in a “rainbow wave” Nov. 6. That’s when, according to the Victory Fund, “160 of our candidates won their races,” including U.S. Sen.-elect Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Colorado’s Gov.-elect Jared Polis.
It was not known precisely how much money and manpower the Victory Fund endorsement would mean to Lightfoot’s campaign. But it certainly can’t hurt. Lightfoot could not be reached. A campaign statement quoted Lightfoot as saying that she was “extremely grateful and humbled” by a Victory Fund endorsement that “deeply resonates with me.”
“As someone who grew up in a small [Ohio] town and didn’t know any openly LGBTQ+ people — much less role models or elected officials, I know that representation matters,” Lightfoot was quoted as saying.
“I hope that, as the first LGBTQ+ mayor of Chicago, I can expand opportunities for equity and inclusion — and for increased representation in government for decades to come. I’m looking forward to partnering with Victory Fund in this election and beyond to achieve this shared vision.”
Two months ago, Lightfoot chose National Coming Out Day to come out with her plan to make Chicago a more welcoming place for the politically potent LGBTQ community.
If Lightfoot is elected mayor, the Chicago Public Schools would work to establish “24hour drop-in centers” to provide LGBTQ youth struggling with family acceptance and homelessness places to sleep and lockers to store their belongings.
CPS also would implement an “LGBTQ+inclusive curriculum” to prevent bullying against students based on their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Lightfoot’s agenda also calls for the appointment of three mayoral LGBTQ liaisons to work directly with the South, West and North sides, coordinate with the Chicago Police and the Department of Public Health and hold monthly community meetings.
Chicago police officers would get special training to end police profiling of transgender people, prevent violence and hate crimes against them and aggressively investigate those crimes when they do occur.