Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Virginia Mercury reports:
Days after John Reid became the de facto Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked him to drop out of the race. Reid vowed he would “not back down” in a fiery video response on his campaign’s Facebook page Friday evening.
Youngkin’s request, first reported by The Richmonder, came in response to allegations that a social media account with the same handle that Reid uses had shared pornographic content online. A Tumblr account bearing the same username Reid has used on other social media platforms included explicit photographs that had been reposted from other accounts.
“The Governor was made aware late Thursday of the disturbing online content. Friday morning, in a call with Mr. Reid, the Governor asked him to step down as the Lt. Governor nominee,” a spokesperson for Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC said in a statement.
Richmond’s CBS affiliate reports:
“What happened today is another coordinated assassination attempt against me to force the first openly gay candidate off of a Virginia statewide ticket,” Reid said. “It’s shameful, and I won’t back down.” Reid, the conservative radio host of NewsRadio WRVA in Richmond, said in the video he has been “openly gay for 30-plus years.”
In the video on X, Reid said that two weeks ago, a few “local religious activists” called him to verify the validity of three photos circulating of Reid at a drag show in downtown Richmond, suggesting if they were real, it would be in Reid’s “best interest” to drop out of the race.
“As I’ve said over and over on the radio and in my speeches, drag is not for kids, but, really, who cares what adults watch or what they do in an of-age restaurant, bar, or club?” said Reid in the video. “That extortion and smear attempt was ridiculous, and I refused to back down, and I decided not to tell the press or the general public about it.”
Reid said he received “nonstop harassment and vulgar threats” online and in person from others, including other Republicans, attacking himself, “his life,” and his partner of eight years, but that the worst of the harassment arrived on Friday. “What’s happened today was my worst fear: a total fabricated internet lie, so basic a middle schooler could’ve constructed it,” Reid said.
The Virginia Scope reports:
“The Governor did call me today and said there were salacious pictures on the internet reposted by an account that uses my Instagram handle,” Reid said Friday in a statement. “I have now seen the supposed ‘evidence’ and it’s not my account, even though they’ve used a similar username to what I have on Instagram.”
“JRdeux” is the username for the Tumblr. It is also the username for Reid’s personal Instagram account. “Jrdeux” is also a userhandle on TikTok. The account has no posts, but Reid’s partner is one of the followers listed on the account. The “JRdeux” TikTok account follows 341 accounts.
Reid, who posted recently about someone using photos of him and his boyfriend inappropriately, says this is the second attack against him in this manner. “I’m not a perfect person. I never said I was, but I’m not a liar, and I’m not weak, and I’m not going to be bullied.”
If you don’t want to watch Reid’s response video on X, you can also view it on YouTube, as the clip cannot be embedded here.
Please watch and listen intently and hear the facts of the matter! Official Statement!!! pic.twitter.com/q5MxSorBZ9
— John Reid (@JohnReid4VA) April 25, 2025
Since everyone’s talking about John Reid today…here’s some actual substance (which you pretty much won’t get from the “mainstream media”) on his far-right, noxious views. bluevirginia.us/2025/04/majo… h/t @DemocraticLGs
— Blue Virginia (@bluevirginia.bsky.social) April 25, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Republican nominee for lieutenant governor of Virginia John Reid:
“I haven’t publicly performed or publicly posted anything pornographic. Have I seen porn? Yes. Have I had one-night stands? Yes.”
pic.twitter.com/qWK2L5g9yB— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 25, 2025