Endorsement Questionnaire

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Step 1 of 22 - Instructions

Instructions

All candidates seeking an endorsement from LGBT Democrats of Virginia must complete the questionnaire below. Endorsements are considered and voted on by the Executive Board on a rolling basis, and the level of financial support is determined on a case-by-case basis for each endorsed candidate. As an official caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia, LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia does not endorse in Democratic primaries. Current endorsed candidates can be found here.

Instructions: Please complete and submit the questionnaire using this form. At the Board's discretion, interviews may be scheduled with candidates prior to making endorsement and contribution decisions. Candidates who do not return questionnaires may not be considered for endorsement by LGBT Democrats of Virginia.

Publication: Your answers are "on the record," Will be circulated to all members of the Board, may be shared outside the organization, and may be published on the LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia website.

Candidate Information

First Name*

Last Name*

Phone*

Email*

Office Sought*

Locality*

District*

VA Senate District*

VA House District*

US House District*

Campaign Information

Address*

City*

State*

Zip*

Campaign Website*

Please provide the URL for your campaign website.

Contribution Page

Please provide the URL to your contribution page.

Campaign Manager Information

If your campaign has a campaign manager, please provide their contact information below. If not, please continue with the questionnaire.

First Name

Last Name

Phone

Race and Election Information

Is the office sought partisan or non-partisan?*

Partisan

Non-Partisan

Are you the incumbent, challenger, or is it an open seat?*

Incumbent

Challenger

Open Seat

Are you the Democratic nominee or have you been endorsed by your local Democratic committee?*

Democratic Nominee

Endorsed by Local Democratic Committee

Currently Running in Democratic Primary

None of the Above

Primary Election Date*

General Election Date*

Hidden

Election Year

More Information*

LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia only endorses candidates who are Democratic nominees or have been endorsed by local Democratic committees. Please share more about your situation and why you're seeking our endorsement at this time.

Local Democratic Committee Endorsement Confirmation*

How can we best confirm that you've been endorsed by your local Democratic committee?

URL of Online Announcement from Committee

Contact the Committee Chair

URL of Online Announcement from Committee*

Name of Chair*

Email of Chair*

Phone of Chair*

Biographical Information

Previous Elected Offices Held

Do you openly identify as LGBT+?*

Yes

Are you a member of LGBT+ Democrats of Virginia?*

Yes

Not Sure

Have you been endorsed by any LGBT+ organizations now or in the past? If so, which ones and when?*

Yes

Please list the LGBT+ organizations you've been endorsed by, the year of the endorsement, and what office you were endorsed for.*

Organization

Year

Office

Attachment of Separate Biography (Optional)

Please feel free to attach a separate bio if you feel it will add value to our decision. You may also attach additional pages if needed to fully answer the question.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 1.

Position Questions

The following questions will allow you to articulate your support or opposition to several current issues impacting the LGBT+ community. All questions are required. If you've previously held office, please include specific legislation or policy you worked to pass or defeat when answering.

Your Non-Discrimination Policies*

Have, or will, you establish a written non-discrimination policy for your campaign or office staff and volunteers, inclusive of protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity? Please explain.

Protecting Equal Access to Public Services*

Do you believe public employees should be able to refuse to carry out their public duties without consequence when such duties may contradict their sincerely held religious beliefs? Please explain.

Preserving Free Speech and Expression*

Legislation passed and proposed in other states prohibiting drag shows and similar LGBT+ performances clearly violates constitutionally protected rights of speech and expression. Do you oppose any legislation or other attempts to prohibit performances of this type? Please explain.

Prohibiting Bans on LGBT+ Individuals from Military Service*

While President Obama signed the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2012, it did not make it illegal for presidential administrations to ban military services of LGBT+ individuals through policy. Trump effectively banned transgender individuals from military service in 2019. President Biden reversed this ban in 2021. The opportunity to serve should not be subject to the whim of a sitting president. Do you support legislation prohibiting bans on LGBT+ individuals from military service? Please explain.

Removing Marriage Discrimination*

Virginia has yet to remove marriage discrimination from our constitution. Even though President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges as it did Roe v. Wade, same-sex couples would lose the right to marry within the Commonwealth. Do you support amending the Constitution of Virginia to remove marriage discrimination? Please explain.

Providing Comprehensive Family Life Education*

While most Virginia school divisions provide Family Life Education (FLE), most do not include sexual orientation or gender identity in their curriculum. Do you support all school divisions offering comprehensive, age-appropriate FLE inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity? Please explain.

Preventing Bullying and Harassment*

Virginia lacks explicit statewide protections against bullying and harassment of LGBT+ students in public schools. Local school divisions have the authority to enact inclusive policies against bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Do you support explicitly protecting LGBT+ students from bullying and harassment in state law and local policies? Please explain.

Protecting Transgender Students*

Youngkin’s administration co-opted legislatively mandated model policies intended to protect transgender students to, instead, misgender them, prohibit access to facilities aligning with their gender identity, and limit their access to counseling services. Legislation has also been proposed requiring school divisions to forcefully out transgender students to their parents or guardians. Do you support policies and legislation that protect transgender students? Please explain.

Keeping Public Education Funds in Public Schools*

Virginia is below average in per-pupil education funding. Private schools are often religious institutions that often expose students to anti-LGBT+ instruction. Do you oppose legislation that may divert public education funding to private schools through vouchers, grants, or tax incentives? Please explain.

Ensuring Access to Gender-Affirming Care*

Leading health organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association support age-appropriate gender-affirming care to prevent depression and suicidal ideation among transgender individuals. Do you oppose any legislation that prohibits access to age-appropriate gender-affirming care? Please explain.

Ensuring Funding for HIV Prevention through Testing and Treatment*

Access to HIV testing and treatment is vital in preventing the spread of the virus. Individuals with HIV and receiving proper treatment can lead long, productive lives and cannot transmit the virus to others sexually. Do you support public funding for HIV testing, treatment, and prevention? Please explain.

Supporting Women’s Right to Choose*

With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Youngkin and other Republicans are attempting to enact a 15-week abortion ban. Do you support a women’s complete bodily autonomy? Please explain.

What Else Should We Know? (Optional)

Is there anything else we should know about your campaign and advocacy for LGBT+ equality or inclusion? This can include polling information, other endorsements received, participation in LGBT+ advocacy, volunteering with LGBT+ organizations, etc

Public Bio for Website

Thank you for completing this questionnaire. Should you be endorsed, we will add you to our website as an endorsed candidate. Please submit the following to be used on the website.

Hidden

Candidate Full Name

Candidate Photo*

Please submit a quality photo, preferably a headshot, to be used on the website.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: jpeg, jpg, Max. file size: 5 MB, Max. files: 1.

Public Biography*

Please include a brief biography to be published on the website. Please do not provide a link to a biography already online, but copy/paste it here if you want to reuse it. If pasting from another source, please be sure to check that line breaks are correct.

We Appreciate Your Feedback

How would you rate your experience completing this questionnaire?*

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Is there anything you'd like to share about your experience completing this questionnaire? (Optional)