Three openly gay candidates are vying
for a seat on the Indianapolis City-County Council.
According to the Indianapolis
Star, the three candidates are breaking ground in a state
with only a handful of openly gay elected officials, none of whom are
serving on the council.
Zach Adamson is considered the
likeliest to win. He has the endorsement of the Gay
& Lesbian Victory Fund, a group dedicated to supporting
openly gay candidates. Adamson, the owner of a downtown hair salon,
is running for an at-large seat on the council against three
Democrats.
The 40-year-old Adamson told the paper
that his sexual orientation was irrelevant: “There aren't a lot of
gay potholes. We don't have gay or lesbian parking meters. I'm
focusing on the issues that are impacting people on a daily basis.”
Attorneys Todd Woodmansee, 38, and
Jackie Leigh Butler, 55, are looking at a steeper incline because
they face Republican incumbents.
Woodmansee said there had been little
discussion during the campaign about the fact that he's gay.
“The historical significance of it is
the fact that it doesn't matter,” he said. “We can have people
running regardless of what their sexual orientation is, regardless of
what their race is and regardless of what their religion is. It's a
really welcome sign that Indianapolis is an inclusive city.”
Butler said her partner, Dawn, and her
8-year-old son, Will, had accompanied her as she canvassed
neighborhoods with just one bad encounter.
Councilwoman Ginny Cain, Butler's
Republican opponent, has previously been quoted as saying that
homosexuality is “an unhealthy chosen addiction.”