Trump's military ban prompts $50k donation to transgender Va. candidate
Source: Washington Post
Virginia Politics
Trumps military ban prompts $50k donation to transgender Va. candidate
By Fenit Nirappil July 27 at 3:21 PM
Presidents Trump decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military sparked a wave of condemnation from Democrats and Republicans alike.
But the political arena where it resonated perhaps most personally was a local state House race in Virginia, where Democrat Danica Roem is looking to make history as the states first transgender lawmaker. She is vying to unseating Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), a social conservative who has sponsored a bathroom bill and a ban on gays and lesbians from serving in the states National Guard. Both pieces of legislation failed.
For our president, who opted out of serving in the military, to attack transgender people for being unfit to serve . . . is the height of hypocrisy, said Roem, 32, a former newspaper reporter. Transgender military members . . . have done more to serve and protect their country than Donald Trump ever will.
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Roem said she received a $50,000 donation from Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, who chairs the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, after Trump announced the transgender military ban. That is on top of the $150,000 she raised for her bid, including an earlier $35,000 from Abele. ... Abele, who is a major donor to LGBT causes, said he coincidentally was at the White House on Wednesday for an economic development event with Trump, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and others, when he heard about the presidents announcement.
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Fenit Nirappil covers politics and government in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. He previously covered the California statehouse and suburban government outside Portland, Ore. Follow @FenitN
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/transgender-va-candidate-on-trumps-military-ban-height-of-hypocrisy/2017/07/26/f155ca78-7251-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html
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