Democrats say “fog” around Trump is making race too close.
ATLANTA — On Thursday, the husband of Democrat Kamala Harris campaigned in Atlanta. Doug Emhoff is the second gentleman. He was here to mark this weekend’s Pride celebration.
Politics surrounding LGBTQ issues have been contentious in Georgia. Democrats are hoping they can help drive turnout for Harris.
At the state capitol, Republican bills to limit transgender treatments have drawn emotional opposition amid Republican support in recent years. Emhoff told this audience the same U.S. Supreme Court ruling that undercut abortion rights could also lead to legal challenges to gay marriage rights.
“Justice Thomas said basically everything based on this Griswold (v. Connecticut) right of privacy — ‘let’s take a look at it.’ And that includes gay marriage. That includes loving who you want to love. That includes right to contraceptives, and so many other fundamental core rights that we thought were locked in ’23,” Emhoff, a Georgetown University law professor, told about 200 people in northwest Atlanta Thursday.
“In Cobb County, (the school board is) taking books out of the schools that lean more LGBTQ friendly, and students and families have spoken up about that,” said Laura Judge, a Democratic school board candidate in East Cobb.
She views Kamala Harris’s candidacy at the top of the ticket as a sharp contrast with Republican Donald Trump – that can help win votes for local candidates.
“There’s almost like this Trump fog out there,” Emhoff told the audience, saying Trump’s third appearance on the presidential ballot has lulled some voters into overlooking his faults.
“He was a historically, horrifically bad and dangerous president when he had the role. He is even worse. He is degrading before our very eyes. You can see it,” Emhoff said.
Among the Democrats in the audience was Gillian Rabin – who aims to phone bank and canvas on behalf of Harris the next three and a half weeks.
“I like a man who is like entirely and fully supportive of his wife. You know? I think it’s really refreshing,” Rabin said. “I love that it’s in tandem with this Pride event because it’s all about equality.”
