Friend—Back in June, the Glendale Unified School District became a flash point for protest as anti-trans hate groups like “Gays Against Groomers” incited violence outside school board meetings.

Although in terms of policy it’s clear that the supportive allies, parents who defended their LGBTQIA+ kids and classmates, have won, tensions have remained.

Last week, a bombshell broke.

Protesters from the “Leave Our Kids Alone” group have been getting paid to wreak havoc for months.

At least one member admitted to “working” while attending a school board meeting. The group organizing the protests, listing events at school boards all over California, offers an “employment” option on their “attend an event” form. They ask for “documents in support of your submission”—it very frankly looks like a job application.

Our community is still looking into this. But the idea that outside organizations are paying protesters to disrupt our civil proceedings is very, very disturbing to me. Doubly disturbing considering the target is LGBTQIA+ rights.

Back in June, one of my opponents stoked these fires. He deadnamed and misgendered me, spread lies about my involvement with the school board, and sent his supporters to flood my inbox with hateful comments.

I’m grateful that several other candidates in this race, as well as departing Congressman Adam Schiff, condemned the violent tactics used by protesters back in June.

We cannot tolerate hate here—transphobia & anti-LGBTQIA+ hate aren’t just red state issues.

Our people-powered movement is going up against big money, and these paid protesters are another example of how excess wealth and rampant inequality are harming our nation’s social fabric.

If anyone reading this can spare it, please consider donating to my intersectional, humanitarian campaign against hate here and everywhere across the U.S.

We have just days left until our penultimate end-of-quarter deadline. We need to show our strength today, demonstrating the campaign’s viability to secure endorsements and consolidate the vote in this 20-candidate primary.

In 2020 I got over 60,000 votes in this very same election. If we can do it again, we will win and send the first trans person to Congress, as well as the first progressive from this heart-of-Los Angeles district.

Big money is trying to stop us. But if we stick together, they won’t.

Are you with me?

In solidarity,

Maebe Pudlo