Receipts: Supervisor Deanna Alexander’s Anti-Gay Public Stances
How not to tell your coming out story to your representative
Tonight I went to a debate between the candidates for my County Board seat, Milwaukee’s #18, and submitted a question about LGBT rights. It wasn’t asked by the moderator, so I introduced myself to the incumbent — Supervisor Deanna Alexander.
I asked Supervisor Alexander her stance on conversion therapy and, as a gay man in her district, shared my experience growing up closeted in rural Wisconsin and the Catholic church… and how confusing and difficult it was. She thanked me authentically for sharing the story with her. Then she asked me to define conversion therapy, and if I had unwanted sexual desires growing up. I answered clearly and of course, growing up Catholic I was taught any non-straight feelings were not normal or acceptable. Then she proceeded to tell me that she supported any kids’ right (like my own) to get therapy to deal with any unwanted desires.
I recognized the terminology immediately. I was taken aback that she said it to my face, and a little shaken to be honest. When I got home and posted about my experience on Facebook… that’s when all hell broke loose.
My own representative, Supervisor Alexander posted my story to her supporters, stating that my story was “a bold faced lie”. And then she accused me of working for her opposition’s campaign (I don’t). I have been blocked from her social media, so I can’t confirm if the post is still up.
Her supporters swarmed my Facebook attacking me as a self-obsessed liar peddling bullshit, defending Deanna and WI Family Action along the way.
But the thing is that I didn’t go into the debate unprepared… I had researched both candidates’ public stances. And though Deanna claims to be pro-LGBT, her stances are often anti-LGBT. Luckily these are public statements that can be checked. Here are a few examples.
#1: Gay Conversion Therapy
Gay conversion therapy, or therapy to change sexual orientation, is child abuse and the topic that Alexander accused me of lying about. So let’s start here. Alexander told me conversion therapy wasn’t an issue the County addressed, yet the issue actually was taken up in late 2016-early 2017 and the bill passed through her committee.
Alexander appeared on In Front in February 2017 to discuss her opposition to this broad anti-discrimination Milwaukee County Board policy which she calls “everything but the kitchen sink”. It included LGBT protections including a ban on conversion therapy. Alexander begins to itemize her concerns, using the same argument for conversion therapy she used with me.
“One of the proposals said to disallow any type of conversion therapy. So if a parent were to find out that their child had inclinations of desire to the same sex and may be gay that they would be disallowed from getting any type of counseling to aid them with unwanted desired” — Deanna Alexander, 2/6/17
Alexander is so sure that gay people can be changed that she was the only person on Earth who hated Macklemor’s “Same Love”. This is real, I swear.
In a tweet exhange with Jackie Hill, an “ex-gay” Christian poet, Alexander states “I totally agree with your position” on sexuality being a choice. She shares the article enthusiastically with anti-gay lobbying group WI Family Action. What exactly is the position she totally agrees with?
I’ll spare you having to read the whole article, but Jackie Hill had “homosexual desires that had tempted” her and then “the conviction of her lifestyle began to overpower her sexual desires” because she “heard God send her a message as she lay in bed”. Hill “credited God’s amazing grace for helping her do the exact thing that “Same Love” claims isn’t possible — change.“
Hill uses the Macklemore song to say “ Those who defend homosexuality, such as Macklemore, argue that homosexual orientation is a predisposition. Even so, Hill stresses that predisposed homosexual desires aren’t an excuse to follow through with those desires.”
“If God chooses not to change my desires, he has promised to give me his Holy Spirit that will help me flee from them,”
Hill also gives advice in the article to religious folks who want to convert gay people: “If they already sense that your motive is to convert them, why would they want to talk to you?”
Here is the full Tweet exchange. I totally DON’T agree.
#2 Resistance to Marriage Equality
Supervisor Alexander’s protest of LGBT people entering pop-culture doesn’t stop with Macklemore, her morals also called her to defend a HGTV show who used their platform to oppose marriage equality.
In a bout of impressive ideological consistency (credit given where due), she agrees HGTV has a right to cancel, but stands against their discrimination against Christian discrimination for the sake of “diversity”.
She consistently tweets with WI Family Action whenever mentioning opposition to marriage, including that governments should leave marriage to churches and it will lead to polygamy. At this time, WI Family Action was leading the fight against Wisconsin marriage equality and maintains their position to this day.
#3 Support for Religious Right to Refuse LGBT People
Speaking of WI Family Action, their founder Julianne Appling is seen interviewing Alexander at “Chik-fil-A Appreciation Day” in Racine where Alexander attends the restaurant during the LGBT boycott to support their right to be anti-gay. She doubles down on not just enjoying their tasy chicken, but eating there to support their anti-gay values when Chik-fil-A opens another store in Brookfield.
She also Tweets in support of anti-gay cake bakers to using their religious freedom to discriminate against serving LGBT people.
And even anti-gay pizza companies using their religious freedom to not cater LGBT weddings.
#4 Opposition to Transgender Bathroom Rights
Of course what matters most is Deanna’s voting record, and she’s consistently leading the opposition to policies trying to protect LGBT Wisconsinites. In 2014, she enthusiastically used her power to stop an anti-discrimination by citing concerns it would open up children to pedophiles.
Alexander stood proud of trying to block this important bill to protect LGBT rights because of her amendment.
Alexander believes the ordinances leave “loopholes that are going to aid sexual predators in hurting our community” and lend protection to “peeping toms and other predators to use LGBT protections as a cover for going into bathrooms they don’t belong.”
And her friends at the WI Family Action applauded her.
“We need more elected officials like Supervisor Deanna Alexander who stand up for those they represent and for what is right.” — WI Family Action
But luckily for us, she lost.
Time to Evolve!
Now I’m not the only one to experience the wrath of Supervisor Deanna for calling her on the bigotry of her policies. The Black Women who courageously ran against her for office have gotten the harshest treatment while trying to warn all of us about Deanna’s discriminatory actions and public policies. #TrustBlackWomen
I’m perfectly aware that a policy disagreement and Facebook spat from a relatively accepting elected official is a far cry from the fights LGBT rights activists fought for their lives only years ago. And I’m grateful that I didn’t get attacked tonight for merely existing. But I still don’t accept any anti-LGBT rhetoric or policies from elected officials.
Supervisor Alexander repeatedly states that she is not anti-LGBT and wants to stand for LGBT rights. If that’s true, certainly she can evolve by coming out against conversion, for marriage equality, against religious discrimination, and for LGBT workplace discrimination protections including full transgender bathroom rights. Having Christian values does not mean you can discriminate against LGBT folks, especially if you’re in office to serve them. I hope Alexander’s LGBT friends and supporters hold her accountable to pro-LGBT in policies, because I’m sure she won’t be taking my call anytime soon.
Oh and about that, no public official should ever be allowed to block their constituents on social platforms, no matter how much they disagree. It’s literally their job to hear our opinions. And how can your constituents defend ourselves when you call us liars?
