Former Representative and Democratic presidential primary candidate Tulsi Gabbard spent the weekend trying to convince the White House and prominent Democrats to disavow Lori Lightfoot, the out mayor of Chicago, after she announced she will prioritize media requests from reporters of color.
“Mayor Lightfoot’s blatant anti-white racism is abhorrent. I call upon President Biden, Kamala Harris, and other leaders of our county [sic]—of all races—to join me in calling for Mayor Lightfoot’s resignation,” Gabbard tweeted. “Our leaders must condemn all racism, including anti-white.”
Related: Tulsi Gabbard tells Tucker Carlson gender-neutral language denies the “existence of women”
Lightfoot won the election in a run-off in May 2019. She became the only black lesbian mayor in the nation – and the first out mayor of one of America’s three largest cities.
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Recognizing the second anniversary of her narrow election, Lightfoot announced that she is disappointed in the “overwhelming whiteness and maleness of Chicago media outlets, editorial boards, the political press corps, and yes, the City Hall press corps specifically” that covers her.
For that reason, she is “being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters.” Lightfoot took questions only from reporters of color on May 20, the anniversary of her inauguration, for one round of interviews.
Gabbard, who has made a habit of appearing on Fox News, earned praise from other right-wing lawmakers, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO).
“I’m with @TulsiGabbard on Lori Lightfoot,” Boebert tweeted. “Her comments are disgusting, despicable and simply inexplicable. She needs to resign.”
I ran to break up the status quo that was failing so many. That isn't just in City Hall.
It's a shame that in 2021, the City Hall press corps is overwhelmingly White in a city where more than half of the city identifies as Black, Latino, AAPI or Native American.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
This is exactly why I'm being intentional about prioritizing media requests from POC reporters on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of my inauguration as mayor of this great city.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
We must be intentional about doing better. I believed that when running for office. I stand on this belief now. It’s time for the newsrooms to do better and build teams that reflect the make-up of our city.
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) May 19, 2021
Mayor Lightfoot's blatant anti-white racism is abhorrent. I call upon President Biden, Kamala Harris, and other leaders of our county—of all races—to join me in calling for Mayor Lightfoot's resignation. Our leaders must condemn all racism, including anti-white.
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) May 21, 2021
I’m with @TulsiGabbard on Lori Lightfoot.
Her comments are disgusting, despicable and simply inexplicable.
She needs to resign.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) May 22, 2021
Gabbard ran in the Democratic presidential primary in 2020 and faced strong criticism for her past work as a conservative activist including working for an anti-LGBTQ organization.
Before Gabbard was elected to Congress, she worked for one of her father’s anti-LGBTQ organizations, the Alliance for Traditional Marriage, which she later cited as a positive experience when she ran for the state legislature in 2002.
“Working with my father, Mike Gabbard, and others to pass a constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage, I learned that real leaders are willing to make personal sacrifices for the common good,” she told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin at the time.
The Alliance for Traditional Marriage’s website, which appears to have been written by Gabbard’s father, had an FAQ that promoted conversion therapy, telling people that “a person can walk away from homosexuality if they are repentant, sincere, and determined” and “for those who experience the urge for sexual activity with someone of the same sex, it’s possible to overcome those sexual desires, no matter how powerful they may be.”
When asked about this, she said that she personally never supported conversion therapy and in early 2019 she made a video apologizing for her anti-LGBTQ past. She said that her views had changed, but she was still accusing Democrats of “fomenting religious bigotry” for saying that Christian judges should not impose their religious beliefs on others.
She was the second-to-last candidate to withdraw from the primary. She endorsed Joe Biden and did not run for reelection for Congress. She did, however, introduce a bill trying to ban trans girls and women from participating in sports prior to leaving office, knowing it would not be considered at the end of Congress’s session.
Lightfoot has not responded to Gabbard. Neither Biden nor Harris has responded to Lightfoot’s decision or Gabbard’s comments.
Okay–who chanted Tulsi's name three times into the mirror?
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) May 21, 2021
Tulsi has always had issues with lesbians. She used to call us "radical homosexual extremists" for wanting to get married. It's unsurprising she is attacking Lightfoot. Still auditioning for Fox News, she even claims there is "anti-white" racism. Pure Trumpism. https://t.co/DSOgP89Fzm
— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) May 21, 2021
That's Vice President Harris to you, boo boo. pic.twitter.com/z0bxkkCn0i
— chris evans (@chris_notcapn) May 21, 2021
There is no such thing as "anti-white racism". There are no systemic or widely-cultural barriers for white people that infringe on how we move through the world. This is silly as hell. https://t.co/uAYCRJ9ExP
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) May 21, 2021
Say what you will about Tulsi Gabbard, but no Republican had ever done so well in a Democratic presidential primary before she came along.
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) May 21, 2021
Chicago is not in your district. Mayors are decided locally. What have you done for Colorado's District 3?
— Leland Hermit (@AngeloBCollie) May 22, 2021
This says more about Tulsi than I ever could. Where are all you virtual signaling Tulsi-Crats? I’m sure you’ll find a way to defend this garbage. Cognitive dissonance is a helluva drug. https://t.co/q53dgCUKd3
— RealTimBlack (@RealTimBlack) May 23, 2021
As controversial as that was, it's important to note that the policy was for one round of interviews. @chicagosmayor gave a press conference yesterday and answered questions from reporters, regardless of background. A lot of misinformation from national hot-take artists on this. https://t.co/VEM2SzzpRJ
— Paris Schutz (@paschutz) May 21, 2021
To all those who are here to discuss diversity in local media – welcome! The Mayor is highlighting the lack of diversity in the press and chosen—for a single day—to prioritize 1-on-1 invus with media who are people of color.
More here: https://t.co/dUAv5qbLBQ
-Team Lightfoot
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 20, 2021