Today, HRC released the following statement celebrating Probate Judge Steven Reed’s election victory in the race for mayor of Montgomery, Alabama. 

“Steven Reed is a longtime, unapologetic ally of the LGBTQ community, and last night, he made history as the city’s first Black mayor,” said HRC Alabama State Director Carmarion D. Anderson.“HRC was proud to endorse Reed and help turn out the vote for this steadfast champion of equality. We congratulate Steven Reed on his win and look forward to working closely with him to keep moving Montgomery and Alabama forward.”

In 2015, Reed made clear his deep commitment to LGBTQ equality. When now-former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore instructed probate judges and their staff to disregard a federal court’s ruling on marriage equality, Reed was the first of them to speak out against Moore and in favor of marriage equality. When Moore attempted the same stunt the next year, Reed said, “Judge Moore’s latest charade is just sad and pathetic. My office will ignore him and this [anti-equality ruling].” This August, Reed stated that he would support LGBTQ-inclusive protections.

In 2014, HRC launched Project One America, an initiative geared toward advancing social, institutional and legal equality in Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. In 2019, Texas became a Project One America state, in recognition of HRC’s long-term commitment to the state. HRC Alabama continues to work to advance equality for LGBTQ Alabamians who have no state-level protections in housing, workplace or public accommodations. Through HRC Alabama, we are working toward a future of fairness every day -- changing hearts, minds and laws toward achieving full equality.