A Muslim Democrat running for Washington’s 9th Congressional District has admitted to obscuring her support for LGBTQ+ to appease her Muslim supporters.
Melissa Chaudhry, 34, is facing the ire of the LGBTQ+ mob over the comments, which she made in an interview with the Stranger.
‘LGBTQ+ rights are not optional. They are foundational to any candidate seeking Democratic support.’
She was asked why LGBTQ+ rights were not mentioned on her campaign website despite her claiming to support the issue.
“Because a lot of Muslims do not feel that way, unfortunately,” she responded.
Among the LGBTQ+ activist groups excoriating Chaudhry was Washington Stonewall Democrats Chair Andrew Ashiofu.
“Our community is not expendable. LGBTQ+ rights are not optional. They are foundational to any candidate seeking Democratic support,” wrote Ashiofu.
His group followed up with its own scathing statement.
“She avoids talking about LGBTQIA+ issues so as not to offend her Muslim supporters,” the group said. “What a privileged statement to make, creating misinformation to cause chaos between two oppressed demographics. One would think she would apologise and move on. Again, thinking rationally is not something all candidates possess, as proven by Melissa.”
Chaudhry responded to Ashiofu in a lengthy statement on social media.
“If you are queer, and you are wondering if you and your rights are safe with me, I assure you from the bottom of my heart, you are, you have always been, and you always will be,” she wrote.
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“I have supported full equality for LGBTQ+ people my entire life, not since this campaign started, my entire life,” she added.
Her campaign appeared to add LGBTQ+ issues to her website after the outrage ensued.
In a post on YouTube, she accused the Washington Stonewall Democrats of being bigoted against her because she wears the hijab.
Chaudhry also caused consternation among Democrats after indicating that she planned to switch to the Green Party once she got into office.
“I don’t want you to publish this,” she said during the explicitly on-the-record interview with the Stranger.
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