One politician who voted against LGBTQ rights has left office, but who replaced him?
Rep. Dan Lipinski is the unseated politician of the hour. The Democratic representative lost the recent primary in Illinois with 43.6 percent support. But for LGTBQ citizens, this is great news. You see, Lipinski has a history of opposing LGBTQ rights and issues.
According to the Washington Blade, Lipinski was a Catholic lawmaker who’s served in Congress since 2005. With that, Lipinski has repeatedly fought against LGTBQ-focused bills. In 2006, he vote “present” for a proposed U.S. constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Then in 2007, he voted against an early version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would have supported LGBTQ workers. He then gave his support to the First Amendment Defense Act, which backed the “religious freedom” movement.
That said, there is some good he did for the LGBTQ community. Lipinski voted to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (unlike some other politicians). On top of that, he voted in favor of federal hate crimes protections for LGTBQ people. Despite that though, he has constantly had to fight for his seat in Congress. And now, he has lost it.
But who has Dan Lipinski lost his 3rd congressional district seat to? Marie Newman. It wasn’t a landside vote, however, as Newman only won by a slight margin. While Lipinski won 43.6 percent of the vote, Newman won 47.7 percent. Despite that, a win is a win and Newman’s campaign expressed interest in supporting LGBTQ rights. Specifically, her campaign expressed three points she wanted to pursue:
- Supporting the Equality Act, which would guarantee legal protections to anyone that identifies as LGBTQ+
- Full inclusion of all students in all spaces and discussions–including LGBTQ students, students with diverse religious or racial backgrounds, and students with disabilities–through full integration
- Encouraging awareness around the LGBTQ community through teaching LGBTQ history, culture, and sharing perspectives
After hearing of Lipinski’s loss and Newman’s win, Ilyse Hogue, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, celebrated.
“The voters of Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District have spoken loud and clear, rejecting Rep. Dan Lipinski’s anti-choice, anti-equality, and anti-worker agenda,” Hogue said in a statement. “They have a champion in Marie Newman and soon will have a representative in Congress who shares their values and priorities.”
Sources: The Washington Blade, Marie Newman Campaign