CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Two of the top Republican candidates for mayor of San Diego are openly gay and voters have barely registered it. According to the Associated Press, the issue just doesn't come up at campaign appearances or in local news coverage. That's because lesbian district attorney Bonnie Dumanis and gay city council member Carl DeMaio haven't made their marks as LGBT activists, which, say political watchers, may help explain why their sexual orientation has been a non-issue even among social conservatives. Neither makes a secret of being gay, but, as AP's Elliot Spagat points out, they don't draw attention to it, either.
San Diego, America's eighth-largest city, has had a Republican mayor for almost two decades, which means both Dumanis and DeMaio are on the right side of the political divide. That could make for an interesting LGBT political victory, although there are only about 20 openly gay Republican elected officials nationwide, according to the Victory Fund. If either of these candidates win, San Diego would be the the nation's largest city to ever choose an openly gay GOP leader, say Donald Haider-Markel, author of Out and Running: Gay and Lesbian Candidates, Elections, and Policy Representation. What remains to be seen, he says, is whether the Republican party will endorse either candidate -- financial backing and party support have been difficult for gay Republican candidates in the past.
When San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders, a Republican, announced in 2007 that he believed gays should have rights to marry, saying his lesbian daughter and members of his staff deserved no less, he caused an uproar among Republicans who threatened to take away his endorsement. About one-third of San Diego County's Republican Party central committee voted to yank its backing of Sanders, Chairman Tony Krvaric told AP, but Sanders kept the endorsement and went on to win election.
Now that Sanders is leaving office (forced out by term limits, rather than lack of voter support), all eyes are on Dumanis, the 59-year-old DA backed by Sanders and a bevy of cops in part because of her law enforcement background, and DeMaio, a 36-year-old former businessman who is a man of the people, almost solely focused on improving city finances.
LGBT voters in San Diego are finding themselves with an odd mix of options -- a gay man, a lesbian, or Democrat Bob Filner, a straight congressman who has made marks as an LGBT activist. Filner served on the LGBT Equality Caucus in the 112th Congress and has supported marriage equality, fought against Pro. 8, and called for an end to LGBT discrimination in schools and the workplace.
deliciousdiane
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Biden will hammer Trump over abortion bans in Florida speech
April 23 2024 5:00 AM
Tristan Snell, who brought down Trump University, sees conviction in hush money case
April 22 2024 7:36 PM
Joe Biden admin marks Earth Day with major environmental initiatives
April 22 2024 4:18 PM
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott: 'We want to end' trans and gender nonconforming teachers
April 22 2024 4:13 PM
Nonbinary 17-year-old killed two years after being reported missing
April 22 2024 3:46 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedIndulge in luxury and sensuality with The Pride Store’s Taurus gift guide
April 22 2024 11:46 AM
The gay man leading the Earth Day Initiative offers hope for the future
April 22 2024 9:00 AM
Pattie Gonia takes drag and fierceness to Capitol Hill to voice environmental concerns
April 22 2024 8:23 AM
Jodie Foster leaves her mark in cement at L.A.'s Chinese Theatre
April 22 2024 7:55 AM
Climate change has a bigger impact on LGBTQ+ couples than straight couples. Here's how
April 22 2024 7:42 AM
Iraq postpones vote on bill punishing gay sex with death
April 20 2024 1:31 PM
Russian poetry contest bans entries from transgender poets
April 20 2024 1:25 PM
Here's who won 'RuPaul's Drag Race' season 16
April 20 2024 1:01 PM
Trending stories
Most Recent
Recommended Stories for You
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.
Diane Anderson-Minshall is the CEO of Pride Media, and editorial director of The Advocate, Out, and Plus magazine. She's the winner of numerous awards from GLAAD, the NLGJA, WPA, and was named to Folio's Top Women in Media list. She and her co-pilot of 30 years, transgender journalist Jacob Anderson-Minshall penned several books including Queerly Beloved: A Love Across Genders.