Scott Powers
House District 47 Democratic candidate Henry Lim is expressing his long professional and personal support for Orlando’s LGBT community in a new campaign video released Tuesday called, “What It Means To Be An Ally.”
Lim is in a tough three-way contest for the Aug. 30 Democratic primary with Elizabeth Tuura and Clinton Curtis. The winner would face Republican state Rep. Mike Miller of Orlando, to represent HD 47, which covers parts of central and east Orlando and Orange County.
In the video, Lim chats with two leaders of the area LGBT community, Lu Meuller-Kaul and Deb Ofsowitz. They talk about issues such as providing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with more employment protection, so they cannot be fired for their sexual orientation, and they talk about Lim’s record as a lawyer, a businessman and a general supporter of Orlando’s LGBT community.
“It’s not just about how you associate, but it’s ‘What have you done?’,” Lim said. “I wouldn’t expect anyone to vote for me because I’m Hispanic, or because my grandfather was Chinese, or because I’m a man, or because I’m straight. I want them to vote for me because I am a leader in this community and I will represent the values of this community. And those values are inclusion, love, community. That is what we’re about. And that is what I want to bring to Tallahassee. I want to bring that heart.”
Lim is an immigration attorney and the president of the Hispanic Bar Association of Central Florida. He assisted Osfowitz and Mueller-Kaul with the green card that enabled them to marry. He claims he has long been an active supporter of the LGBT community, and had provided free legal clinics to LGBT couples seeking to wed. He also said his office provided free legal assistance to Hispanic and LGBT families affected by the Pulse shooting.
The commercial may illustrate Lim’s longtime position as an ally for the area’s LGBT community, particularly through contrasts he makes with Miller.
But it may not necessarily portray him as the strongest advocate of LGBT issues in his Democratic primary race heading toward the Aug. 30 primary.
That’s because Tuura is openly gay, and she, too, has a long record of activism and a platform of supporting gay rights.
When asked about Lim’s new campaign video, Tuura acknowledged Lim’s support, but added, “This is a historic race. I would be the first openly gay woman (elected to office) in Tallahassee.
“After the Pulse nightclub massacre, the world saw what a great, accepting community we live in. It’s important for us to protect that community,” she said, while mentioning seeking job protection for gays. “Lastly, it’s personal too me. I could get fired for being gay. We love our LGBT allies. They’re very important to us. But you can’t get fired for being an ally. That’s why this is very personal for me.”
