Photo via Aaron Emmanuel Lewis’ Facebook
ORLANDO | Aaron Emmanuel Lewis, an Army veteran, community advocate and openly gay Black man, has announced his candidacy for Orange County Commission District 7.
This historic bid could make him the first openly gay person elected to the Orange County Commission. Lewis is the president of Framily Support Network, a nonprofit where he works with families that are currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk, as well as victims and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.
As he became more involved, he realized that if he really wants to be able to help people, he needs to be in a position where he can influence policy.
“I am somebody who speaks out very openly, very frequently,” Lewis shares. “I believe that the truth matters and that understanding is important. And I don’t like hiding behind an issue.”
Lewis and his husband, also an Army veteran, have been married for seven years. They met while serving in the U.S. Army during the first Trump administration and after the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” entering a military that, at least on paper, had finally acknowledged that queer service members could serve openly.
Lewis says protections like Equal Opportunity and the Army’s SHARP (Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention) program provided critical safeguards for many service members, particularly women and LGBTQ+ troops.
“I actually met my husband in the exact same unit, the same platoon for a while and because of Equal Opportunity and SHARP, we were able to have that relationship,” Lewis explains. “There were a lot of people who didn’t agree with it. We had leaders that we could tell were uncomfortable with the fact that they had gay soldiers, but they would never say anything, and they would never do anything because they knew that we had protection on our side.”
Born to Trinidadian and Jamaican parents and raised in Orlando, Lewis’ life embodies resilience, service and a deep belief in community.
His platform addresses housing affordability, transit expansion, flood resilience and community-based public safety. His plan invests in good jobs, affordable housing and small business growth, while connecting residents to real financial tools and opportunities.
He recently sat down with U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost to speak about a legislation to abolish ICE in the community. They spoke about the issues that are going on at the state level and met in partnership with Orlando 50501.
He believes that elected officials have an obligation to represent their constituency at every level because they have the access, which he wants to use “to help as many people as I can.”
Lewis hosted his official campaign kickoff March 20 to continue building what he calls a people-powered movement grounded in dignity, opportunity and belonging.
He says he is somebody who will fight for what’s right. He thinks that almost anything is possible and although it may be hard and expensive, it can be achievable. His grassroots campaign will be focused on helping the community.
“I’m frustrated and fearful of what could happen, but it’s also what’s motivating me to make sure that I stand up right now in this moment and run for office as a gay Black man to show that you can achieve anything,” Lewis shares.
For more information, visit VoteAaronLewis.com.
