Openly gay New York congressional candidate Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the New York Army National Guard and volunteer firefighter on Long Island. He was an air traffic controller with the Federal Aviation Administration and served in a union leadership role with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
But he is being attacked for another job he once had.
Gallant modeled for historic San Francisco-based retailer Mr. S Leather more than 15 years ago. Gallant's photos are no longer on the company's website, but internet archives show they were online from the time they were taken in 2011, when Gallant was 22 years old, up until 2020.
Mr. S Leather sells a wide array of custom clothing, gear, and lifestyle products for adults, primarily in support of the leather and BDSM communities. Gallant posed for photos wearing white boxer briefs while modeling a leather collar and a leather harness.
The original store was founded in June 1979 by English immigrants Alan Selby and his partner Peter Jacklin. After losing Jacklin to AIDS in 1987, Selby, nicknamed The Mayor of Folsom Street, became an important figure in San Francisco's queer and leather communities and co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Emergency Fund, personally raising over a million dollars before his death in 2004.
The company remains the largest fetish and leather retailer in San Francisco. It also supports U.S. manufacturing by producing roughly 95% of its leather and latex items in local California workshops.
While no nudity was involved, Rupert Murdoch's tabloid paper the New York Post ran a story about Gallant's one-time modeling gig, claiming the photos were "XXX-rated."
Other right-wing media, conservative pundits, MAGA influencers, and Republican politicians jumped to sensationalize the story, trying to make the photos seem more salacious than they are—despite being no more revealing than a standard Times Square underwear ad.
Rather than sidestepping the attacks, Gallant addressed it directly in a video message on his social media, saying:
"By now, you've probably seen the stories and the pictures, but let's be clear about what this is. This is a coordinated political hit meant to drive me out of the race, and this represents everything that is wrong with our politics today."
"The establishment is clinging to power, mudslinging as a means of skirting accountability at the ballot box. Look, I am very proud of who I am, and I won't be shamed into silence, and I won't allow my private life to be distorted and weaponized against me."
You can watch his response here:
He continued:
"I am not a politician, actually, far from it. But I've been fighting for this country since I first enlisted in the Army at 17 years old."
"I wasn't scared flying Black Hawk helicopters in the Middle East. And I sure as hell won't let some pictures from my past scare me out of this race."
"So hear me when I say this: I'm in this to win. I've never been one to back down from a challenge, and I'm not backing down now. Thank you for all of the ongoing support that we've received."
People found Gallant's response to the right-wing attacks spot-on.
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Gallant will face off against incumbent Republican Representative Nick LaLota in November.
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