Fabian Nelson, Mississippi’s first openly gay legislator: ‘I’m staying true to my constituents’

Fabian Nelson stands outside the Mississippi state capitol in Jackson. Photograph: Wiley Smith

Fabian Nelson didn’t have a campaign platform when he announced his candidacy for Mississippi’s house of representatives. He knew, though, that his community’s needs would be central to his mission.

“When people are running for office, [they can be] very selfish and say: ‘Oh, I live here and this is what I need,’” he said. “But what you need is not necessarily the best thing for the community.”