#electeds

Marcus Brandon (D-NC) serves the 60th district in the North Carolina House of Representatives which includes the cities of High Point, Greensboro, and Pleasant Garden. After defeating an incumbent Democrat in the 2010 primary, Brandon was elected to his first term in the State House with 70 percent of the vote in the 2010 Midterm Elections. In 2012, he was elected to a second term.

Prior to public office, Brandon worked as a political consultant for NGP software and served as a national finance director for Dennis Kucinich in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary.

Brandon is the only openly-gay member of the North Carolina State Legislature and was the first openly-gay African-American elected official in North Carolina's history. He is currently running for Mayor of High Point.

Q&A

What motivated you to enter public service and what does public service means to you?

My dedication to public service comes both from my desire to address the poverty I see all across our community and from my wish to represent the voices among my constituents that often go unheard. The zip code I live in, 27260 in High Point, is the poorest zip code in any of North Carolina's top ten cities.

It's unconscionable for that to continue, and it's our duty as public servants to fix it. In addition, many of our most vulnerable citizens have had longstanding complaints with their government. I felt that these concerns were going unanswered, especially by the man I ran against in my first race for State House. Addressing these concerns is the essence of public service, and that's why I ran for office.

How did you get your start in public service? Were there any mentors along the way that helped you, and if so how did you find them? 

I've been working in public service in one capacity or another ever since I was a kid, handing out fliers door to door for Harvey Gantt. My family and I have worked on political campaigns and other community activities for a long time; my uncle, Lewis Brandon, is actually one of the main figures in the local civil rights movement, and I consider him to be a close mentor. In many ways I believe I am a descendant of the civil rights movement and the work that they did.

In addition to my uncle, my parents have been one of the biggest sources of inspiration and guidance in my life. Throughout the difficulties I've faced both before being elected and while serving in office, they've been there to provide their support and help me know the right path to follow.

How has your identity as a gay man influenced your political career and what was the reaction when you came out publicly. How did you overcome any negative reactions you encountered? How has being Out been positive for you?

The issue first came up during my campaign for State House in 2010. There were some who were surprised by my coming out, but I never had anyone who broke off friendships or associations over it. My family especially has been behind me. Politically the issue, while relevant, has never been central to my campaigns. I am an openly gay man, but that has never defined who I am as a public figure.

Obviously, being out has been helpful in allowing me to be who I fully am. I consider it to also be a great asset in my dealings with other public servants. Many times, those who were inclined to vote against equality issues were moved after hearing the voice that I expressed in the state legislature. There have been political downsides and defeats sometimes, even from those I have connected with personally, but progress continues over the long run.

Did you ever feel like you were going it alone as a member of the LGBT community? Were there any communities or leaders that helped you overcome being a member of a minority community?

It has sometimes been a trying experience, almost like uncharted territory. Being the only openly gay member of the legislature means that you have to serve as the example for LGBT people across the state. It's also been a challenge at times in the African American community, where LGBT issues are not usually brought up as much as elsewhere.

However, I have to hand it to my pastor, Cardes Brown, who was the leader of the North Carolina NAACP while I was first running. Rev. Brown supported me from the beginning, and it was his staunch advocacy for me that helped to change many minds in the African American community.

I think it also is worth mentioning that you are a member of two minority communities. Probably too often the LGBT community is represented to the public by white gay men, that's changing, but by my measure African-Americans are not always included in the conversation or visible in the LGBT community as they ought to be. To be frank, for the sake of our Caucus members who may be struggling with this as well, how did you deal with being openly-gay within a Southern African-American community that is often seen as more socially conservative? Of course, feel free to correct me if my impression is misguided. 

As I said, in some ways it can be a difficult conversation to have in the African American community. Change has been slower there, but I have seen it move forward and I am confident that attitudes will shift through the example of others like Rev. Brown.

I do want to bring up another issue, which is the perception that the white LGBT community often places on those of us like myself who are members of multiple minority groups. Too often we have been pigeonholed into agreeing with all "progressive" positions. As a public servant, my job is to fight for what my constituents need, and though I do consider myself a progressive, there are times where I have to go against the expectations of my party in order to properly serve them.

What are some of the big issues circulating in North Carolina right now that affect LGBT students? How can LGBT students or allies become involved in the process?

LGBT students in North Carolina face many of the same problems as students everywhere: the rising cost of tuition and services, the sluggish economy, and the contracting social safety net. These have been my main focus during my work in the General Assembly and I believe I've done some part in helping to allay those problems.

One of the best ways to become involved is to organize. Students should join their campus' Gay-Straight Alliance or form a new one if none is present. They should also band together with other groups, both on campus and in the public service world, to represent their issues and their rights and become more engaged in the political process.

What advice would you give to allies of the LGBT community in supporting young LGBT students in pursuing careers in public service? 

The most important thing for allies to remember is that the best way they can help is by providing a platform for people in the LGBT community to express their own voices. Go into your personal communities and share your LGBT friends' words with others who may be more willing to hear the message when it's coming from you. Encourage support for their ideas and help to propel the message.

Any last words of advice or thoughts you'd like to share?

No specific advice at this time other than to continue to reach out with others in the community who are willing to share their views and insights. It's been an honor for me to participate in this interview and I hope that others will feel the same way.

Giving the inmates the asylum

I really don’t want to write about the North Carolina Democratic Party and had decided that I wasn’t going to, regardless of who was chosen as the new executive director this weekend. However, with the news that the party only has $60,000 cash on hand and is considering giving up the Goodwin House, I need to get a few things off my chest.

I don’t know the new ED, Casey Mann, so I don’t know if…