Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

First Openly Gay Legislator? Not Yet

Patricia Todd is seeking to become the first openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature. Her 59-vote win in the Democratic primary last month, however, is being challenged by the mother-in-law of her opponent, Gaynell Hendricks.

The Hendricks camp argues that by waiting until July 17 to file her disclosure, Todd hid a $25,000 contribution by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and violated party rules requiring candidates to submit the forms at least five days before the election.

Hendricks alleges that the delay also obscured Todd's payments to two former primary opponents - $5,000 to Charlie L. Williams Jr. and $5,750 to Kamau Afrika. Both later endorsed her.

If nominated, Todd would become the first openly gay member of the Legislature.

In earlier filings, her campaign listed $6,000 in contributions from the Equality Fund, a gay rights political action committee. Hendricks and her lawyer said they believe voters might have been swayed had they known Todd's largest donation came from the Victory Fund.

The Todd campaign declined to comment on why it filed late, saying that it will save its explanation for the hearing.

Todd says her opponents can't accept that the district, which is majority black but does have inside its borders the gay-friendly Crestwood area, chose a white person to represent it.

But the issue people are talking about is whether a white woman should get to represent a mostly black district in a state where blacks couldn't vote two generations ago and where race is still an overriding factor in carving out election districts.

A black Democratic leader urged black voters to support Todd's black opponent, Gaynell Hendricks, on the basis of race, and Todd fears that racial politics may taint proceedings before the subcommittee.

"When do we get past this?" said Todd, who would become the first openly gay member of the Alabama legislature. "I can't believe that in 2006 we're still electing people on the basis of race."

Yeah, because, you know, you can't represent the interests of someone of a different race. Maybe someone should tell this guy that.

Todd's victory was previously covered in this BaT post.

4 comments Jake McCafferty last posted at 7:18 PM
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4 Comments:

I would think that Todd would have just as much (if not more) of the interests of the black community at heart. Gays are compassionate people! We know what it is like to get shit on! But I am sure you know that!

By Anonymous, at 7:48 AM

This just really chaps my butt! I don't mean to be so ugly but for the love of man... I have to agree with duane, gays are very compassionate and understand what it like to get Sh*t on....

I hope she does win the nomination and goes on the state legislature... can you imagine all those good ole boys having to deal with her?? I say more power to her!!! Keep us updated!

By beachgirl, at 10:37 AM

Unfortunately, certain segments of our society remain anti-gay -- even those who have been discriminated against in the past (or the present) ... sometimes even moreso.

By Jake McCafferty, at 6:50 PM

I realize this prolly won't get read since it's an old post, but fuck it.

I'm originally from B'ham and you have to understand the dynamics of the city. It's bogged down in race and a corrupt black establishment. After the Voting Rights Act and Bull Connor's cronies took off for Shelby County, Birmingham was taken over by Richard Arrington and his cronies. The city essentially traded a corrupt, racist, idiotic white guy for a black guy of similar persuasion. The Arrington machine poisoned city politics and the city's still feeling its after effects.

It has nothing to do with gay/straight. It's all about power and the exploitation of some ignorant voters' racial bias.

Of course, you could trace all this to the union-busting of Mine-Mill by U.S. Steel way back in the day, but that's a subject for my master's thesis.

By Wes Wolfe, at 8:05 PM