Army veteran and former combat medic Dylan Blaha says he’s running for Congress because “an attack on one is an attack on all…What’s happening right now to trans people — to the LGBTQ+ community — is not OK. Somebody needs to stand up.” Speaking to The Advocate, he explained that he was raised to believe in equality and can’t stay silent as transgender people, drag performers, and queer Americans are targeted.
A lifelong ally, Blaha’s campaign blends his personal convictions with his military experience. He said, “The military taught me that silence and inaction carry consequences…When governments stop valuing human life, it starts small, and that’s why you stand up early.” Calling himself a “fighter ally,” Blaha said his campaign includes trans and nonbinary volunteers developing data-driven policy proposals to strengthen nondiscrimination protections as “No human should be left behind.”
He links equality with economic justice: “You can’t separate equality from affordability. The trans woman sleeping in her car because she got fired deserves housing just as much as the single mom who can’t afford rent.” Blaha’s unapologetic stance places him among a new generation of progressive Democrats unafraid to champion queer rights.
