Earl Fowlkes works for Derek S. Green’s campaign as the principal liaison for the LGBTQ community. In this role, Fowlkes, who is openly gay, connects Green to key stakeholders in the LGBTQ community.
“I’m using my bully pulpit to the extent that I have one to really let people see who this man is and to let them know that he is a proven ally,” Fowlkes said. “Even though Philadelphia has a large queer population, we’re still a vast minority and we need allies. We can’t do it by ourselves.”
Fowlkes is not the only LGBTQ community member working on the campaign trail. Many of the candidates vying for Philadelphia mayor have LGBTQ people working behind the scenes. In addition to Fowlkes, PGN spoke to LGBTQ staff members working for Helen Gym, Allan Domb, Warren Bloom, Rebecca Rhynhart, Jeff Brown and Maria Quiñones Sánchez.
For Harrison Morgan, “it means a lot” to work as Gym’s digital director because “for a very long time, our community hasn’t been represented in politics.”
“To be in a position on the campaign — for someone who is running for such a significant office — and to feel like you’re able to contribute, that does mean a lot and it’s a testament to [Gym’s] leadership that she is willing to make it a priority to ensure that people from the LGBTQ+ community are heard and that their perspectives are valued,” Morgan said. “She is leaning on those voices for her campaign and her future administration.”
Rashad Taylor said the LGBTQ community “is always top of mind” for him while working as Allan Domb’s campaign manager. However, LGBTQ issues are not the only thing he notes as important. He also takes other marginalized identities into consideration when building a team that’s reflective of the city.
“I’ve led the life of a Black gay man but that’s just one perspective,” Taylor said. “It’s important to have all of the diverse perspectives at the table. I’m generally sensitive to diversity and inclusion issues, but I’m not perfect. I looked around [at the campaign team] early on and I said to myself, ‘We need more women voices around this table.’ As much of a feminist as I think I am, it’s important to have women around the table who have lived experiences different from mine, particularly in this city. I think that diversity makes for better policy and better campaigns.”
As Bloom’s LGBTQ+ liaison, Kashim Anthony Turpin is also trying to use his voice to help his fellow LGBTQ community members while working on a mayoral campaign. This includes spreading messages to promote LGBTQ-inclusive workplaces and safer schools for LGBTQ students and staff through online interviews while simultaneously endorsing Bloom.
“My community still isn’t safe, which is understandable but also disheartening because it’s 2023 and to not feel safe is a problem,” Turpin said. “I think education is key and the more people that are educated on who and what we are, they realize we’re not a threat.”
While Taylor and Turpin noted the role their LGBTQ identity played while working with their mayoral candidates, Noelle Coulter Daniels is not having that same experience while working as field director for Rhynhart’s campaign. Daniels said Rhynhart has always had “great supporters in the LGBTQ community.” Due to that, Daniels said she does not believe her LGBTQ identity influenced any campaign decisions.
“There were already plans to make sure that we were talking to members of the community and that we were going to events for every Philadelphian, for every group,” Daniels said. “So I don’t think [my identity] has influenced [the campaign] because there were already lots of plans to make sure every Philadelphian feels included.”
All of the staffers PGN spoke with noted supportive work environments while working on their respective campaigns. Emma Grant said she felt “a sense of openness and acceptance that I think is very rare within politics” while working as deputy director of finance for Jeff Brown’s campaign.
“[My identity is something] that I’m really passionate about and proud of,” Grant said. “When you’re working within political campaigns, whether they’re Democratic or Republican, you never really know how those around you are going to support you in your identity. [While] working with Jeff Brown and the rest of the campaign, my experience has been very good thus far and I think it will continue to be throughout the campaign. I’m surrounded by some of the most supportive people I’ve ever worked with within politics, especially Jeff himself.”
Rafael Álvarez Febo echoed similar statements. While working as a volunteer on Quiñones Sánchez’s campaign, Febo said he always feels “respected and supported.” He also noted that his intersectional identity and Quiñones Sánchez’ commitment to intersectional identities has given him confidence in his candidate’s leadership capabilities.
“I think that any campaign that’s really serious about Philly moving forward is thinking about the intersection of being queer, and black and brown and poor,” Febo said. “The LGBTQ community is at that crossroads, that intersection. I always say there is no one in the community that’s a rainbow flag. I’m Latino. I’m gay. I’m Puerto Rican. I’m a mixture of identities. You’re not just queer. You’re queer “and.” The “and” is important. I think it’s important for the community to know that someone wants to understand the intersection and work toward helping the people at those intersections.”
In addition to Green, Gym, Domb, Bloom, Rhynhart, Brown and Quiñones Sánchez, other mayoral candidates include Amen Brown, James DeLeon, Cherelle Parker, and Mike Stack. The 11 candidates will face off during the primary election on May 16, which currently has no Republicans in the race.
