Democratic congressional nominee Chris Gallant modeled for BDSM retailer while in military, photos show him having sex with another man
Quick Look
- Democratic congressional nominee Chris Gallant, an openly gay man running in New York's 1st Congressional District, modeled for San Francisco-based fetish retailer Mr.
- S Leather while serving in the Army National Guard, with photographs showing him engaged in sex with another man; the images were available on the company's website between 2011 and 2020, and his attorney confirmed their authenticity while stating they were taken during a private, consensual photo session with his then-partner.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Chris Gallant is an openly gay man running for Congress in New York's 1st Congressional District against Republican incumbent Nick LaLota. He served in the Army National Guard and has been openly gay in the military since shortly after the repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in 2011. He won the Democratic primary in June with about 63% of the vote and has described himself as a helicopter pilot, former FAA air traffic controller, and volunteer firefighter.
Democratic congressional nominee Chris Gallant modeled for a BDSM retailer while serving in the US military, with some photographs depicting him having sex with another man, the New York Post reported on Sunday.
Gallant, an openly gay man who is running in New York’s 1st Congressional District against Republican incumbent Nick LaLota, appeared in photographs for San Francisco-based fetish sex shop Mr. S Leather wearing collars, straps, neoprene, and bondage equipment, the newspaper said.
The images were available on the company’s website between 2011 and 2020, according to the NYP, with some showing Gallant fully nude and engaged in sex with another man. The period overlapped with Gallant’s service in the Army National Guard.
The photos are no longer available on the website, the NYP reported, but Gallant’s attorney Sara Azari confirmed that they are genuine. She added they had been taken during a “private, consensual photo session” with his then-partner, noting that Gallant was friends with the owner of Mr. S Leather and had agreed that selected images could be used in connection with the company’s products.
According to Azari, Gallant later asked the company to remove the photographs as he began considering public office, and Mr. S Leather complied. Some images subsequently appeared on unaffiliated gay pornography sites, which she said fell outside Gallant’s original consent.
The lawyer went on to stress that Gallant “will not allow photographs from a past relationship or employment to be distorted and weaponized for political purposes or used to distract voters from the issues that matter.”
Gallant, 37, won the Democratic primary in June with about 63% of the vote. His campaign has described him as a helicopter pilot, former FAA air traffic controller, and volunteer firefighter. Gallant says he has been openly gay in the military since shortly after the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2011.
A similar controversy erupted in Virginia in 2023, when Democratic state House candidate Susanna Gibson was revealed to have livestreamed sex acts with her husband on Chaturbate while soliciting payments from viewers for specific acts. Rival Republicans later mailed voters sealed flyers marked “explicit” and “18+ only,” containing screenshots and quotes from Gibson’s videos, with the Democrat later narrowly losing the race.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Gallant's campaign will face increased scrutiny and potential attack ads related to the photographs as the general election approaches.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- How will this controversy affect Gallant's electoral prospects against Nick LaLota?
- Will other similar past controversies involving Democratic candidates emerge during the campaign?
- What specific actions will Gallant's campaign take to address voter concerns about the photographs?
