US Senate candidate Graham Platner reassures transgender Mainer he will fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Despite past controversies, he emphasizes growth and empathy. #GrahamPlatner
Platner, a Marine veteran and oyster farmer who launched his Democratic primary campaign in August in hopes of ultimately challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) for her seat in 2026, answered that he firmly believes “that every single American has the right to live the life they want to live in their own body as they see fit,” and emphasized what he views as his “responsibility” as a straight, white, cisgender male, to defend the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
“I get to put myself out there in ways that other people don’t,” said Platner. “I’m doing this because I know that I can say things, I know that I can have conversations, I know that I can knock on doors in places that a lot of other people can’t have access to, that a lot of other people won’t feel safe in.”
“Yes, I will absolutely stand next to you, and if we ever have to go knock doors together, I’m happy to stand by your side,” he added.
Wow, people are really pulling the last bit out of context and assuming the worst implications. His “stand by you” and “knocking on doors” thing is him acknowledging his white male privilege to feel safe doing things like going door to door in most neighborhoods, and being happy to extend that safety to others by standing beside them while they do it.
I get the concern about having a Nazi tattoo for over a decade, and concern that everything he is doing is performative based on his past. But what he said was pretty unequivically that he will support LGBTQ+ people, including in action. Whether anyone believes him or not is up to them. But what he said was not mealy-mouthed, it was direct.
Wow, people are really pulling the last bit out of context and assuming the worst implications. His “stand by you” and “knocking on doors” thing is him acknowledging his white male privilege to feel safe doing things like going door to door in most neighborhoods, and being happy to extend that safety to others by standing beside them while they do it.
I get the concern about having a Nazi tattoo for over a decade, and concern that everything he is doing is performative based on his past. But what he said was pretty unequivically that he will support LGBTQ+ people, including in action. Whether anyone believes him or not is up to them. But what he said was not mealy-mouthed, it was direct.
Seems he is going fairly hard in the mortally correct direction, there.