Hey John,
Last week, I attended Freshman Orientation with other new members of the 117th Congress. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that someone like me could be elected to the United States House of Representatives and proudly serve as one of the first Black LGBTQ Congressmen.
This historic achievement is due to my amazing campaign staff – and the support of the team at Victory Fund. Before I get into how they helped me win, I need to ask: will you chip in and support Victory Fund’s efforts to elect more LGBTQ candidates like me? With the support of donors like you, we will keep winning!
During the campaign, we had a tough fight on our hands. My main opponent, Rubén Díaz Sr., was a virulent homophobe with a 20+ year history of making bigoted remarks about LGBTQ people. He even led rallies against marriage equality and commented that he would refuse to report sexual harassment if he saw it. We knew early on that if Rubén was able to smear me using outdated, disgusting fear tactics, the race would be over before it began.
But before Rubén could start attacking me for being LGBTQ, Victory Fund helped me define my campaign and message. They used their platforms to call out Rubén’s homophobia and organized other grassroots groups to do the same. They featured my story in media and in messages to supporters like you. And they helped do the one thing an LGBTQ candidate like me needs most – raise a lot of money to win! If you can make one more generous donation to help future candidates like me, I appreciate it.
But Rubén wasn’t the only bigot on the campaign trail. Amazing LGBTQ Congressional candidates like Gina Ortiz Jones, Jon Hoadley and more faced homophobic and transphobic attacks from the first to last seconds of their campaigns. In fact, 2020 saw an unprecedent number of anti-LGBTQ attacks launched by groups like the National Republican Congressional Committee, QAnon and more.
It’s clear that when an LGBTQ candidate can define their lives and campaigns, it pays off at the ballot box with voters. I’m proof of that! But when bigots take the reins, their onslaught has a terrible price. If we’re going to keep winning, we need to be ready for whatever comes next. Will you donate one more time to help more LGBTQ candidates win?
Thank you again for defending LGBTQ candidates like me. You’re making history.
Ritchie Torres
U.S. Representative-Elect, New York’s 15 Congressional District
