Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Via the Wall Street Journal:
Carl DeMaio is one of three openly gay Republicans running for Congress this year, and he would be at least the third to serve in the House if he wins. But Mr. DeMaio on Thursday will take a step that none of them has, airing a campaign ad that features a shot of him with his same-sex partner. The clips are brief: A shot of Mr. DeMaio holding hands with his partner, Johnathan Hale, as they march in a gay pride parade in 2012, followed by a clip of the San Diego candidate waving a rainbow flag that symbolizes the gay-rights movement. Several GOP campaign officials and Elizabeth Wilner, who tracks campaign ads for the nonpartisan firm Kantar Media, said it was the first time they knew of a candidate of either party airing an ad featuring a gay partner.
That fleeting 2012 San Diego Pride photo is from the parade where local activists called on attendees to turn their backs on DeMaio as he passed as he had the financial backing of Prop 8 supporters and had staked out anti-union positions. DeMaio also vowed that LGBT rights will never affect his political decisions.
PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: In August 2013 DeMaio angrily denied
a claim that he’d been seen masturbating in the men’s room of the San
Diego City Council. Another news story alleges that DeMaio was secretly behind
the drive to recall disgraced former Mayor Bob Filner, presumably with
the intent to position DeMaio to replace him. Filner resigned before the
recall campaign officially launched. In July the Log Cabin Republicans endorsed DeMaio’s bid for the US House.