Meet Sam Park.
The 34-year-old is currently running for his third term in Georgia’s general assembly. In 2016, he did what many believed to be impossible when he flipped a red district blue.
“I ran against a three-term, very well respected Republican chairwoman, most folks on both sides of the aisle thought I had no shot,” Park recalls in a new interview with South Florida Gay News.
In winning that election, Park became the first openly gay man to be elected to the Georgia state legislature and the first Asian American Democrat ever elected to the Georgia General Assembly.
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Although nobody seems less impressed by this than the candidate himself.
“I am actually quite representative of my district as an openly gay Asian American millennial,” Park says, humbly. “My district is majority-minority. It is very diverse and the median age is 36.”
Since taking office, Park, who is the son of Korean immigrants, has been a champion for LGBTQ equality, a voice for HIV awareness, and a vocal opponent of religious freedom laws that are being abused by companies to justify their homophobic beliefs.
As Georgia’s first openly gay state representative, he understands better than anyone about the importance of having a seat at the table and a “voice in the room on issues like non-discrimination ordinances.”
Park, who won his 2018 reelection with nearly 60% of the vote, has also spoken out in support of adding more LGBTQ content in the classroom and making sure sex ed classes are accurate and inclusive.
“My understanding is that Georgia does not have an LGBTQ curriculum for students,” Park says. “We’re still working to ensure that the sex education that’s taught is scientifically accurate.”
And when he’s not busy being a champion for LGBTQ people or running for reelection, Park is out marching in the streets for Black Lives Matter and rescuing lost kittens from danger.
Just last month, a stray cat showed up at his campaign headquarters. Park posted about it on Instagram, asking the cat’s owner to e-mail him personally so he could ensure it gets returned to its proper home.
When nobody responded, he adopted the kitten, naming her Mira and declaring her his new campaign manager.
“She meows a lot,” he laughs, “and is a little stinky, too.”
This week, Park was endorsed by Stacey Abrams. He will face off against Republican Carol Field in November.
tf3.0
I will bet any amount of money that he is married to a white man
Cam
The trolls are always here to deflect away from any LGBTQ people who’ve accomplished anything.
griffin87
I bet any amount of money that tf3.0 lives under a bridge and wears a red MAGA cap
Dadams77
And if he is married to a white man, that matters because???????
barryaksarben
WTF is wrong with you? you must be a troll or a very unhappy individual.
RFD
Who says he is married? I don’t see a ring on his finger. And if so why the f does it matter?
amanwithanedge
I’ll bet any amount of money you’re into scat. buh bye.
Gadfeal
You’re on for $10 grand. By the way, let’s define “White” as > 95% European genetic ancestry, or it’ll be an endless discussion, and “married” as officiated in the State of Georgia and legally equivalent to marriage between different genders.
Send me your details and we can register the wager on a secured online.
Kangol2
Who cares? He appears to be a decent person who’s doing a very good job. Focus on that!
desertguy
Probably right. But…..if he isn’t…..wink wink wink!!!
Mister P
Does it matter? Didn’t we fight to be able to marry whomever we want ?
Cam
Great that we have openly LGBTQ people winning in states like Georgia!
Kangol2
Thank you!
Gay Thomas
I see Congress in his future. Best of luck, Sam! I’ll donate when that time comes.
jw8890
The news in georgia sucks! I had no idea we had an openly gay representative! District 101 is lucky to have him!
barryaksarben
Im an older gay man and I am so happy to see him out there fighting the good fight as they used to say. We need men and women gaining positions in government to further the cause of justice and equality for all of us. We DO NOT need people like that uncle tom Richard Grennell willing to sell us all out for money and power. I will gladly donate what I can to further this young man’s political future. I dont care who he is married to if he is married. HE seems to be an admiral person. In the straight world spouses are considered to be a partner as his should be too
frapachino
Blows a big hole in the systematic racism BS! Congrats to this guy!
Kangol2
You clearly have no idea what “systemic” or “racism” means, though you exhibit quite a bit of the latter.
Cam
No surprise, the troll account that always defends Republican bigots tries to claim that a gay man winning in an area that has switched to Democrat somehow means Racism doesn’t exist.
Troll, we get it, your only job is to attack any achievements LGBTQ people make and defend bigots and racists. You aren’t subtle.
MajorTom
He rescues kittens? He has my vote (or would if I lived in his district). And I don’t care who he marries. That’s his business. Not mine.
nm4047
who’d have thought Georgia would vote in an Asian (gay or str8)
Kangol2
Quite a lot of people. The state is more diverse and its voters are more open-minded than you apparently think.
arnieca
and also, he was a keynote speaker for the recent democratic national convention, along with 2 other gay men. no mean feat there.
Essie
He’s a cutie.
RyanMBecker
Okay, I’m going to make a totally superficial comment. He’s cute. And he obviously works out. Just look at those arms holding kitty. I wonder if he has a Southern accent. The South has pockets of Asian-Americans, e.g. Vietnamese in Louisiana, and Chinese in the Mississippi Delta, some of whom have been there for generations. During the Louisianan floods, the news featured a young Vietnamese man rescuing people in his shrimp boat. When he was hailed as a hero, he replied in a thick Louisianan accent: “You gotta do what you gotta do.” The video went viral with many people saying how sexy and cute he was, with the accent being a big part of it.
Kevan1
@Kangol2 I respectfully disagree. Atlanta is more diverse, but Georgia as a whole is different. Remember a crazy QAnon nut, Marjorie Taylor Greene, just won the House primary in Georgia.
SinthiaDoom
I think this was great news. This guy is progressive, LGBT positive, kind to animals. I see a great future in politics for him. Nice to see news not wrapped up in divisive politics
Cam
It’s also nice to see somebody being openly themselves and not somebody acting like Clay Aiken did when he ran, trying to walk away from anything about gay, trying to be “Acceptable” to the right wingers in his area.
This guy isn’t apologizing for who he is and isn’t afraid to push causes he believes in. This is good for Georgia.
Dadams77
I think he is a stud. And he seems like a sweet guy.
hayesj
As backward as Georgia can be, I know, I’ve lived here my whole life, sometimes we hit the progressive jackpot. I am so proud that Sam is in there fighting for us.
Norm
I like him!
ShowMeGuy
Georgia is “in the south” but not necessarily “the South” any more. It becomes more “east coast” every year.