Mary Trump, who needled former President Trump during his re-election bid with allegations of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic remarks in his family, has joined a political action committee that works to elect queer women to public office.
LPAC, a political organization dedicated to electing queer women to public office, on Friday announced Mary Trump, the niece of former President Trump and a lesbian, would join its board of directors.
"We will only create lasting and systemic change for progressive values if we increase the number of diverse players in power, and that includes LGBTQ women," Mary Trump said in a statement. "I am so excited to work with LPAC to create more opportunity for these new leaders and to build alliances with other progressives across the country."
Founded in 2012 as a political action committee intended to give queer women a greater voice in politics, LPAC endorses and supports candidates through direct investments and independent investment campaigns. LPAC has raised more than $6.3 million and endorsed more than 150 candidates, according to a statement.
LPAC supported Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema in recent election cycles as well as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. As of now, there are 11 openly LGBTQ members of Congress, including Baldwin and Sinema.
Laura Ricketts, a member contributor to the Democratic Party and LPAC board chair, credited Mary Trump with having "demonstrated thought[ful] leadership, media and political savvy over the last year as she has stormed the country with her insights and opinions."
"We couldn't be more excited to have her join us in building the power of our political action community and developing the next generation of LGBTQ women leaders," Ricketts.
(Mary Trump and Laura Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs, have something else in common aside from now both being board members of LPAC: They stand out as supporters of Democratic candidates in families that are overwhelmingly backers of the Republican Party.)
According to an article in Politico, Mary Trump joins LPAC as part of a broader effort to stay engaged in politics and recognition of the importance of LGBTQ voices.
"If it's only men making decisions about women's issues or straight people making decisions about LGBTQ issues, then that's where we run into problems and we've seen this," Mary Trump is quoted as saying.
Mary Trump is also working on a new book that would build on the success of an earlier tell-all book about the Trump family. The second book, "The Reckoning," is set to examine "America's national trauma, rooted in our history but dramatically exacerbated by the impact of current events and the Trump administration's corrupt and immoral policies," Politico reported.
Lisa Turner, executive director of LPAC, said in a statement Mary Trump would be a welcome addition to the organization as it pursues its "ambitious agenda for the next election cycle."
"We can't afford to accept the status quo," Turner said. "We must organize across the country and develop new leaders to walk the corridors of power. That is our core mission. We are thrilled to have Mary's help in doing so and invite all who are interested to join our effort."
This article originally appeared in the Washington Blade and is made available in partnership with the National LGBT Media Association.
