Trans candidate targeted by flyer saying she “was born to be a white man”

Sylvia Swayne, a member of the Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee competing in the special Democratic primary runoff to represent Alabama House District 55, has been targeted with a transphobic flyer. LGBTQ+ organizations have condemned the flyer, which has reportedly been distributed in the district, calling it illegal.

Swayne’s opponent, Democrat Travis Hendrix, has also condemned the flyer, saying that it was neither created nor supported by his campaign and affirming his support for the LGBTQ+ community.

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The full-color flyer, which was apparently distributed by Hendrix supporters, shows a side-by-side comparison of Swayne and Hendrix, including an excerpt from an Advocate post with the words “transgender candidate” highlighted. At the bottom of a list of negative claims about Swayne, the flyer’s makers appear to have added the following: “Sylvia was born to be a white man +and [sic] lives as a white woman/transgender.”

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As Victory Fund vice president of political programs Sean Meloy notes in his statement, the flyer does not include a “paid for by” disclaimer, so it is unclear who is responsible for its creation and distribution. A Swayne campaign representative noted to LGBTQ Nation that they do not believe the flyer was mailed out but was distributed on District 55 residents’ front porches.

“The flyer in question came to my attention this morning from a voter who received it on their front door,” Swayne said in a statement Thursday. “I am extending the Hendrix campaign grace and have not seen any evidence that this flyer came from them. As I have said from Day 1, I have never asked folks to vote for me because I’m trans.”

“This kind of rhetoric is a hateful distraction, period,” Swayne continued. “This campaign has always been about focusing on the issues that matter in our district — Medicaid expansion, expanding affordable housing, getting to the root issues of crime, and strengthening public education.”

In a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday, Hendrix said that the flyer “wasn’t created or supported by my campaign or myself.”

“My respect for, and commitment to, the LGBTQ+ community has never wavered,” Hendrix’s statement continued. “I’m deeply saddened by the personal attack of my opponent Sylvia Swayne. I reject hate tactics and do not support the message included in the flyer as it only continues to perpetuate oppression and marginalization of those I care about and support.”

According to Alabama’s Fair Campaign Practices Act, “Any printed campaign literature, political advertisement, or electioneering communication must contain a clear and unmistakable identification of the entity responsible for directly paying for the advertisement or electioneering communication.”

Both LPAC and the Victory Fund described the flyer as illegal.

Both LPAC, a national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people to local, state, and federal office, and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ+ candidates down the ballot, released statements condemning the flyer.

“LPAC unequivocally denounces the transphobic attack featured in this illegal piece of literature dropped at voters’ doors by supporters of Sylvia Swayne’s opponent,” Lisa Turner, Executive Director of LPAC said in a statement. “There is no place in campaign discourse for hateful attacks that put the safety of a candidate at risk. We call on Travis Hendrix to publicly renounce this attack and on the state of Alabama to investigate this illegal dark money assault. We stand with Sylvia Swayne as she continues to put voters first and focus on solutions for her community, not personal attacks.”

“The illegal literature distributed to voters against trans candidate Sylvia Swayne is hateful. And with no disclaimer information or paid for by included on the piece, it’s clear these transphobes would rather resort to shady politicking and low blows than an honest debate about issues,” the Victory Fund’s Meloy said. “We urge the voters of Alabama state House District 55 to research for themselves which candidate can provide results on issues like making our communities safer, affordable housing, expanding Medicaid and investing in public education to create opportunity for all who call District 55 home. We’re confident that policy issues – not personal attacks – will push Sylvia to victory on Election Day.”

Following last month’s special Democratic primary election, both Swayne and Hendrix advanced to the October 24 runoff. As Alabama Today noted in September, with no Republican candidate running to represent District 55, next week’s runoff election will likely decide who will take the seat in the state’s House of Representatives vacated by Rep. Fred Plump (D) after he entered a plea deal in a federal corruption probe.

Swayne came in second in last month’s election, earning 21.45% of the vote to Hendrix’s 27.91%. If elected, Swayne would be Alabama’s first out transgender state representative.