While Democrats fumble to make Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan’s sexuality a non-issue, on August 26 Florida Republicans will have to decide whether to support Donna Milo, a Cuban transwoman running for U.S. Congress. She’s a bit like Oklahoma’s Brittany Novotny, the Democratic transwoman running for state legislature—so long as “openly trans” qualifies as a similarity. Except that Milo’s running on the Republican ticket, and and last time I checked the Republicans would rather invade a country than support anything even remotely trans.
Oh, you know the Repuglicans, the ones who used gay marriage as a wedge issue in 2004 and who currently use trans-inclusion as an wedge against ENDA. It’s not that all Democrats are “fierce advocates” necessarily, it’s just that their elephant counterparts seem to love stomping LGBTs for “values” votes.
The August 29th vote will pit Milo against two other Republican candidates—restaurateur Karen Harrington and businessman Robert Lowry—in a bid to unseat Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz. And while it’ll be interesting to see how many dollars and votes Milo gets from the Repubs, it is possible that Milo’s trans status may never become a big deal since the Florida’s 20th Congressional District leans Democratically anyway.
If she does win, it’ll be even more interesting to see how she fits in a party that contains both Meghan McCain and teabaggers.
How about we take this to the next level?
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j
It’s the oppressed yearning to be the opressor really.
delurker again
Debbie’s a really good congresswoman. I hope she stomps on any of these Republican jokers.
james_in_cambridge
This is just an exercise in mental masturbation anyway….Debbi Wasserman-Schultz is unbeatable in that district. But I do enjoy watching the Re-thuglicans tripping over their own bigotry so I hope lots of Dems register as Republican and vote for the trans woman in the Republican primary, then vote for Debbie in the general election. Go Donna!!!
Samwise
I don’t understand why she’d ever want to be a Republican, and there’s nothing specific about her politics in that article. It’s certainly gutsy of her to be openly trans when she could easily pass, and God knows we need more out LGBT politicians. But if I lived in her district, I’d vote for the liberal.
Jason
Why are so many Cubans Republicans?
Rodrigo
Jason- many cubans turned republican after the CIA recruited Cuban expats living abroad to help topple Castro in 62…after the failure by the democrats (namely jfk) they turned republican…
GayGOP
Not all of us are transphobic, and I would posit that many of the Dems, nearly an equal number, are transphobic, but, like racists in the North, they hide their transphobia better than their opponents.
I hope that Congresswoman Wasserman-Shultz loses in an upset to Ms. Milo.
Howee in Southie
A lot of intolerance and lack of understanding expressed by some here I see.
Perhaps she is running as a Republican because she agrees with the GOP on the majority of issues- did that ever occur to some of you? 2nd Amendment rights, taxes, defense, deregulation, school choice, abortion, et al… None of these are “LGBT” issues- why can’t some of you accept that we don’t all march in lockstep to the Far Left “progressive” Dem POV on all issues, simply because- some- Dems give better lip service to LGBT issues? Donna seems to be a well-rounded individual, not exclusively defined by one aspect of the totality of who she is.
Embrace diversity- hug a Republican!
tjr101
She’s probably more concerned about tax cuts for the rich, greater “rights” for corporations, and limiting a woman’s right to choice than for equality in general. Just another log cabiner. Unfortunately for her she won’t get far in a Republican primary for the simple fact of who “she” is.
Andrea
Just a point of clarification: The Florida primary election is to be held on August 24. You mentioned August 26 in the beginning of your blog and then August 29 further along. Both dates are incorrect.
jill
@tjr101:
And you base that opinion on what, exactly? Stereotyping?
Hmmm… it seems that’s what some in “the community” claim to abhor when done by others. Perhaps you are “just another hypocritical liberal…” Yes?