Bledsoe: Here is the truth about Payne’s support for the LGBTQ Community

NEWARK— Unfortunately, the LGBTQ community is once again being tokenized for political gain, this time by the campaign of Congressman Payne’s challenger, Imani Oakley.

Instead of focusing on issues and reaching out to community leaders for feedback, Oakley has resorted to lies and political grandstanding to get elected. It’s my opinion that this style is not the type of leadership we need in Washington, D.C.

Unfortunately for Oakley’s campaign, as far as LGBTQ issues go, we can unequivocally say that we have a solid ally in the Congressman. Congressman Payne originally co-sponsored and voted for H.R.5. – the Equality Act, which passed the House of Representatives. Also, the Human Rights Campaign gave Congressman Payne a perfect score for his voting record on LGBTQ-related issues for the 116th and 115th Congress.

During one of the darkest moments in LGBTQ history, the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in 2016, Congressman Payne spoke out against the hate crime and tragedy that killed 49 innocent people and left dozens of others scarred for the rest of their lives.

In 2014, Congressman Payne along with 200 other lawmakers, signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to use executive authority to ban workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees of federal contractors.

In 2009, before being elected to Congress, then-Newark City Councilman Donald M. Payne, Jr., was instrumental in sponsoring and voting for the City of Newark’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning Concerns Advisory Commission.

Congressman Payne also co-sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 34 (2019-2020), supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2019 Day of Silence in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools, and  House Concurrent Resolution 86 (2017-2018), condemning racist and hate-based attacks on college campuses and reaffirming support for inclusion and safety in institutions of higher learning.

As a black, openly gay man and former Newark School Board Member, I can attest to the Congressman’s long-standing support of the LGBTQ community. I have benefited from the leadership, mentorship, and friendship of Congressman Payne and without his support, I probably would have never been elected in 2017 to the Newark Board of Education serving 35,000 children. Congressman Payne’s support for the LGBTQ community is strong and he stands with us every chance he gets.

Our country and the 10th congressional district need policymakers and leaders to work across the aisle, not more divisive tweets that are not based on the reality of the life of the LGBTQ community.

—Reginald Bledsoe is an LGBTQ Activist and Chair of the Essex County LGBTQ Democratic Caucus.