We knew that under this amazingly blue tsunami of the USA Polls there had to be 0ne tiny thread of bad news.  And there was.  Very sad.  In Long Island NY,  Gay Army Black Hawk pilot Democrat candidate Chris Gallant lost his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota in New York’s 1st Congressional District. 

In defeat, he remained the same stoic campaigner, saying, “Public service should be judged by what a person can do for their community. Last night, the voters of the First District made their decision, and I fully respect it/ Though we are disappointed in the outcome, this race is a reminder of the values that we can demand from our leaders: honesty, loyalty, and steadfast commitment to serving this country and each other.

The result keeps the Long Island seat in Republican hands and closes a campaign in which Gallant’s record of military and community service competed for attention with scrutiny of his private life. The extremely handsome Gallant, an Army National Guard pilot, former Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controller and union leader, and volunteer firefighter, but the Opposition wanted to make sure we knew of yet another career as a model. What got them all so very worked up was the photos they circulated of him modeling for fetish retailer Mr. S Leather resurfacing

It didn’t scare Gallant at all, and he not only quickly acknowledged the images; he also refused to be shamed out of the race, arguing that voters deserved a campaign focused on his qualifications and their needs. VoteVets backed his candidacy. 

“I’m going to continue serving my country,” he said. “I am still a firefighter, still a pilot, still your neighbor, and I’ll find the next way to be useful to this community.”

As we, the queer community at large, thank him for his service to our country in his army career. But also for refusing to be bullied by homophobic cowards