Pride Fund Endorsed Candidate Christ Hurst Defeats Gun Lobby Candidate, Joseph Yost

Washington, D.C. November 7, 2017 --Pride Fund to End Gun Violence PAC — America’s only national LGBTQ political organization focused solely on gun violence prevention — is extremely proud to congratulate its endorsed candidate, Chris Hurst, on his incredible victory over Republican and NRA-endorsed incumbent Joseph Yost in Virginia’s 12th House District. Hurst’s victory is proof that pro-LGBTQ and pro-gun reform candidates can win, even in rural Southwest Virginia.

“We are holding NRA-backed candidates like Joseph Yost accountable across the country and making sure they are defeated at the ballot box when they stand in the way of commonsense gun reform. We are tired of listening to the same flawed talking points from NRA-endorsed candidates, and watching as these candidates allow 33,000 Americans to die every year from gun violence,” said Jason Lindsay, Executive Director of Pride Fund to End Gun Violence.

“Virginia can and must do better to protect all communities from discrimination and should prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender,” said Chris Hurst. “I’m proud to have had Pride Fund’s endorsement in my campaign to serve the 12th district of Virginia.”

We supported Chris’s campaign in the following ways:

Pride Fund got involved in Chris’s race early and endorsed him in May because we knew that he could flip the 12th district and defeat NRA-backed Republican incumbent Joseph Yost.
Created a digital video ad, “Fighter”, to highlight Chris Hurst’s campaign in House District 12 and bring national attention and resources to his race.
Pride Fund was the first group to release a digital ad supporting a delegate race in the 2017 Virginia elections.
We were one of his first endorsements and were the first gun reform group to support his campaign.
Hosted an in-person campaign rally in July with Ralph Northam, Chris Hurst, and Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf.
Using our robust social media and e-mail list, Pride Fund continually highlighted Hurst’s race with original and earned media content.

Pride Fund gives the LGBTQ community a voice in the movement to pass sensible gun laws and prevent future gun tragedies. We support pro-LGBTQ candidates at the state and federal level, like Chris Hurst, who will act to reform our gun laws and improve safety in all American communities. In contrast, Chris’s opponent, Joseph Yost, holds an “A” rating from the NRA, and has voted to allow guns in elementary schools and arming citizens with machine guns, hand grenades, and bazookas.

Chris Hurst’s personal story, played out live on national television, drove him to public service: he was inspired to run for state delegate after his girlfriend, Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television two years ago. This act of gun violence shook Virginia and the nation.

Following the Pulse massacre and most recent mass shootings in Las Vegas and Texas, we are encouraged by Chris Hurst’s commitment to commonsense gun reforms and to continuing the march toward equality for the LGBTQ community. Pride Fund looks forward to working with Hurst and his constituents in the 12th district of Virginia as we reclaim our communities from the threat of gun violence.