Mel Manuel is an American politician from Covington, Louisiana. They are currently the democratic candidate for Louisiana's 1st congressional district.
Career
editManuel worked as a school teacher for 15 years, teaching high school Spanish.[1][2] They founded the nonprofit Queer Northshore alongside Jeremy JF Thompson.[3][4][5] Manuel is the Director of Operations for the Louisiana Abortion Fund and a spokesperson for the St. Tammany Library Alliance.[2][6][7]
Manuel announced their candidacy to the House of Representatives in 2023, running against republican majority leader Steve Scalise.[5][8] They focused their campaign on economic issues, like universal basic income, education reform, and LGBTQ issues.[1][7] On October 23, Manuel received national attention after releasing a campaign add which depicted them injecting testosterone to raise awareness for LGBTQ rights in Louisiana.[6][9]
Personal life
editManuel is Non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b McKendry, Nolan (16 September 2024). "Scalise's Democrat challenger promises universal basic income program". The Center Square. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ a b Hawkins, Drew (December 22, 2022). "The battle to keep LGBTQ+books in Louisiana libraries". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Bailly, Sophia (July 4, 2024). "'Pride or die:' Queer Northshore champions LGBTQ+ support in rural Louisiana". NOLA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Handley, Rachel (June 1, 2024). "Northshore sees first-ever Pride parade, a "dream come true"". WWL. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b Poche, Kaylee (December 20, 2023). "Progressives ramp up effort to oust controversial Louisiana Democratic Party chair". The Gambit. NOLA.com. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b c Legrand, Robin (October 31, 2024). "In US, transgender candidates enter political lion's den". NBC News. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b Woods, Kennith (31 August 2023). "The Queer Progressives Helping to Pull Louisiana to the Left". The Nation. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
- ^ Mathews, Jacob (October 31, 2024). "Majority Leader Scalise faces few challengers in race for eighth term". The Center Square. MSN. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Hansford, Amelia (24 October 2024). "Non-binary congressional candidate takes testosterone in powerful campaign ad". Pink News. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
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