{"id":4368,"date":"2026-06-24T22:05:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:05:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=4368"},"modified":"2026-06-24T22:05:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T22:05:22","slug":"political-violence-a-major-hurdle-for-lgbtq-candidates-report-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tampamovingjournal.com\/?p=4368","title":{"rendered":"Political violence a major hurdle for LGBTQ+ candidates, report finds"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

Protesters rally in front of the Supreme Court as it hears arguments on whether gay and transgender people are covered by a federal law barring employment discrimination on the basis of sex on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Photo By Bill Clark\/CQ-Roll Call, <\/span> <\/p>

Read more Gov. DeSantis signs two bills in Bradenton to make it harder for local governments to raise property taxes<\/a><\/p>

Expand<\/div><\/div><\/div> <\/div>

A new report is raising concerns about the growing level of political violence and intimidation faced by LGBTQ+ candidates seeking public office across the United States.\u00a0<\/p>

The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute released the report this month, basing it on a survey of 215 LGBTQ+ candidates from 42 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., which found that harassment, threats and safety concerns have become a common part of the campaign experience for many of the queer community.\u00a0<\/p>

Researchers said the trend is influencing how campaigns are run and, in some cases, discouraging people from seeking office altogether.\u00a0<\/p>

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<\/div>

By the numbers:<\/p>

According to the report, nearly nine out of 10 respondents said they worried that running as an openly LGBTQ+ candidate would increase their risk of harassment or attack, with four in five fearing physical violence. The survey also found that nearly two-thirds experienced in-person harassment during their campaigns, while 80 percent of the respondents reported online abuse.\u00a0<\/p>

The report says, with more than half of those citing safety concerns to cause them to change how or where they campaigned, less than 10 percent could afford private security.<\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

“This report makes clear that political violence is not just increasing \u2014 it is reshaping who feels able to run for office in the first place,” said Evan Low, President & CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “No one should have to choose between serving their community and protecting their own safety. When LGBTQ+ candidates are driven out by threats and intimidation, our democracy loses the representation it depends on.”\u00a0<\/p>

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\u00a0<\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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