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Queer Texas Democrat Campaigning on Grindr

Queer Texas Democrat Campaigning on Grindr

Huey Rey Fischer is a lot of things. He is a democrat. He is queer. He is the son of an immigrant mom from Mexico and a liberal Jewish father from Brooklyn. He is a vegetarian. He is a “progressive Democrat on a bicycle.” He is a graduate of UT Austin.

He is also running to be the state representative in Texas’ District 49, which encompasses the University of Texas at Austin. A longtime incumbent is vacating the seat, and Huey is campaigning against six others with eyes on the newly vacant seat.

Although only 23, Huey has a bit of experience. By his sophomore year he was president of the Uni­ver­sity Demo­crats, and he’s spent three sessions as a Lege staffer. Starting under Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAl­len, he parlayed that into a position in the office of Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, before switching to a new role with Austin’s Rep. Eddie Rodriguez.

As the youngest nominee running for the seat, Huey has turned to social media to get young voters to turn out to the poll. And by social media, we mean Grindr and Tinder.

“My campaign was brainstorming ideas about how to engage with millennials. With Facebook and Twitter, people have to opt in—but when it comes to Grindr and Tinder, it’s direct engagement, direct conversations. It’s a medium that my opponents would never be able to use, anyway; it probably wouldn’t be appropriate for a 45-year-old to be messaging millennials on dating apps. We figured it’d be a fun way to engage with voters,” Huey told Slate.

While unconventional, the move just might move some of those Grindr trolls to get up and vote for issues that directly relate to their community.

When Slate asked Huey about his platform, queer right concerns spewed out of him.

“I’m talking about issues that aren’t even being discussed at the legislature. On LGBT rights, I’m the only one talking about suicide and homelessness rates among LGBT teens. I’m talking about employment discrimination, the sexual assault crisis at UT, and the rising tuition at our colleges. I’m going to be more than just a good vote. I’m going to be a proactive member of the legislature, pushing the conversation back to the left.”

Beat ’em where you can, queen!

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