Mississippi Democrat poised to become the state’s first openly gay lawmaker
www.nbcnews.com
“I still think I’m in a dream. I’m still trying to process it and take it in,” Fabian Nelson said after his historic victory.

Mississippi will have its first-ever openly gay state legislator after a House candidate won his Democratic primary election runoff Tuesday.

Fabian Nelson, a 38-year-old Realtor from Byram, prevailed over Roshunda Harris-Allen, an education professor at Tougaloo College and alderwoman in Byram. The race to represent the House district in the south Jackson metro area was decided in a runoff after neither Nelson nor Allen received a majority vote in the Aug. 8 primary. A local pastor finished a distant third and did not advance to the runoff.

Republicans did not field a candidate for the general election, so Nelson will go on to represent the district. He will be sworn in before the next legislative session in January. His win marks the fulfillment of a goal he’s had since visiting the Capitol on an elementary school field trip and telling his teacher he’d sit on the House floor one day.

  • GregoryTheGreat@programming.devEnglish
    1294·
    1 year ago

    Does the writer want us to focus on him being a democrat or being openly gay?

    One is kinda not our business and the other is a façade for probably being a shill for some business sector.

    • MicroWave@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      59·
      1 year ago

      The article literally gave the reasons why:

      “It sends a real message in a time when we are seeing attacks legislatively and through violence against the LGBTQ+ community that the majority of people reject that kind of animus,” Rob Hill, state director of the Human Rights Campaign’s Mississippi chapter, said in an interview after Nelson’s victory. “I think a lot of youth around the state who have felt like their leaders are rejecting them or targeting them won’t feel as lonely today.”

      …

      Nelson’s victory comes on the heels of a historic wave of restrictions passed by Republican-controlled legislatures targeting the rights of transgender people. LGBTQ advocates say they’ve seen a record number of measures aimed at their community in 2023. In February, Mississippi enacted a ban on gender-affirming hormones or surgery for anyone in the state younger than 18.

      • wrath-sedan@kbin.social
        30·
        1 year ago

        Came to say exactly this. Especially given the wave of anti-LGBTQ legal attacks sweeping states like Mississippi electing their first openly gay rep is a big deal.

        • Piecemakers@lemmy.worldEnglish
          51·
          1 year ago

          They make it so damn hard, to, um, have a firm, uh, position on — I mean, to get behind — well, like, you know… Right? ::tingles:: 🥹🤗

    • cybervseas@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      Either way this guy has a killer smile! I hope he’s good for Mississippi and for the country, because we need every good person we can get.