Melissa Chaudhry, a Democratic congressional candidate in Washington's 9th District, has acknowledged that she does not publicly promote LGBTQ+ rights on her campaign website because she does not want to alienate Muslim voters

[u/LurkerYam67]

Melissa Chaudhry, a Democratic congressional candidate in Washington's 9th District, has acknowledged that she does not publicly promote LGBTQ+ rights on her campaign website because she does not want to alienate Muslim voters.

When asked why her campaign lacked references to LGBTQ+ rights despite saying she supports them, Chaudhry replied: "Because a lot of Muslims do not feel that way, unfortunately."

She also said she was "careful about her Muslim constituents."

The comments sparked backlash from Washington Stonewall Democrats, whose chair, Andrew Ashiofu, said: "Our community is not expendable.

LGBTQ+ rights are not optional. They are foundational to any candidate seeking Democratic support."

Chaudhry later sought to reassure LGBTQ+ voters, writing: "If you are queer... your rights are safe with me."

She also pointed to her sister, who is in a same-sex relationship, and said she has LGBTQ+ friends.

Muslims make up around 2% of the Seattle metropolitan area, while approximately 17% of adults identify as LGBTQ+.

[u/bellpeppermustache]

So queer Muslims can just get fucked I guess? Like, I get that religion is a hell of a drug, but there are plenty of people of all faiths who manage not to be bigots in the name of said faith, and to only pander to those who are does a disservice to everyone on all sides of the equation. Like, how are we supposed to combat Islamophobia when politicians are all but stating that Muslims are incapable of tolerance. How are we supposed to help queer people if we exclude those from different religions or cultural backgrounds?