LGBTQ rights become latest fight in race for Raleigh mayor

The race for mayor now includes a spat over which candidate is a stronger advocate for gay and transgender rights.

Three days after losing the endorsement of an LGBTQ-rights group, challenger Charles Francis issued a statement Thursday saying he supports the gay and transgender community.

“I believe in the equality of all people,” Francis, an attorney, said. “I have acted on this belief, in my daily life – employing, doing business with and counting as personal friends many gay and lesbian people.”

The Equality NC Action Fund, a political action committee, announced Monday that it is endorsing incumbent Mayor Nancy McFarlane in the Nov. 7 runoff election. The group endorsed both candidates prior to the Oct. 10 general election. McFarlane is an unaffiliated candidate, and Francis is a Democrat.

Equality NC said it decided to revoke its endorsement of Francis after learning that he previously campaigned for “anti-LGBTQ candidates,” former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith and U.S. Rep. George Holding. The group also cited concerns about Francis’ “courting of the Wake County GOP leadership that was instrumental in pushing HB2 in North Carolina.”

Francis didn’t respond to a request for comment Friday. In the statement, he said he opposed anti-LGBTQ legislation such as Amendment One, which defined marriage in the state constitution as between a man and a woman, and House Bill 2, which limited transgender access to restrooms in government buildings.

Francis said Equality NC should revisit its decision and that McFarlane, who also opposed Amendment One and HB2, hasn’t done enough for the LGBTQ community. He said McFarlane has “failed to use the mayor’s office as a bully pulpit for pro-equality legislation or policy in the face of a North Carolina legislature that is hostile to LGBTQIA+ people.”

When the General Assembly approved HB2 last year, McFarlane released a statement affirming the city’s support for the transgender community. The law has since been repealed.

On Monday, McFarlane released a statement saying the endorsement from Equality NC recognized her efforts “even when the recognition of equal dignity and value was most politically divisive.” She noted her work in rewriting the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance in 2014.

The LGBT Center of Raleigh named McFarlane the 2017 “ally of the year.” On its website, the group says McFarlane has been helpful in securing permits for a street festival and issuing proclamations recognizing the center’s efforts.

Francis, for his part, pointed out that Charlotte and Greensboro are rated higher than Raleigh on the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Index. The index is used as a benchmark on corporate and government policies and practices related to the LGBTQ community.

“Raleigh also needs more city services targeted to the needs of trans people, LGBTQ youth, and the homeless,” Francis said in the statement. “In addition, we need to add training to make sure our police are well-trained to keep LGBTQIA+ people safe in all interactions.”

The debate about Equality’s NC’s endorsement comes as Francis and McFarlane publicly jockey for the favor of local liberals. Democrats outnumber both Republican and unaffiliated voters in Raleigh.

The Wake County Democratic Party, which endorsed McFarlane in the past, is endorsing Francis. Party chairwoman Rebecca Llewellyn wrote a post on Facebook this week urging people to listen to Francis speak on the campaign trail.

Francis and McFarlane have sparred on everything from affordable housing and city spending to ensuring all residents have access to the benefits of Raleigh’s growth.

This story was originally published October 27, 2017 at 1:56 PM with the headline "LGBTQ rights become latest fight in race for Raleigh mayor."