Steve May
Encyclopedia
Steve May is a politician from Arizona, a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives
. May came to national attention in 1999 when, following a speech to the House in which he discussed his homosexuality, he was discharged
from the United States Army Reserve
under the gay-exclusionary law known as "don't ask, don't tell
" (DADT).
May grew up in a Mormon
household in Phoenix, Arizona
, in the district he would later represent in the Legislature. He was an Eagle Scout
and a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
. He joined the Army Reserve, where he attained the rank of First Lieutenant. May unsuccessfully ran for the House in 1996 before winning a seat in 1998, as a Republican
. May had run as an openly gay man and had secured the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
, a political action committee
dedicated to helping elect openly LGBT
candidates to public office.
On February 3, 1999, May spoke on the floor of the Arizona House about pending legislation on public funding for health care benefits for same-sex partners and discussed being gay. The Army initiated discharge proceedings as a result. On September 17, 2000, an Army panel recommended May be discharged under DADT. May fought to remain in service and was successful in challenging his proposed discharge before the end of his term of service. Pursuant to a settlement with the Army, May received an honorable discharge in May 2001 at the scheduled conclusion of his term of service.
During his time in office, May served as the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee and was instrumental in getting Arizona's sodomy law
repealed. In June 2000, May filed suit against the state of Arizona after receiving a parking ticket that included a mandatory 10% surcharge to be paid into a state fund enacted by referendum in 1998 to provide subsidies to candidates for public office who agreed to certain campaign finance restrictions. May refused to pay the surcharge, claiming it was compelled political speech and an infringement of his rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution
and also provisions of the Arizona Constitution
. The Arizona Supreme Court
ruled in 2002 that the surcharge did not violate May's rights.
In 2002, May lost his bid for re-election facing two fellow incumbents who were set to run against each other following redistricting pursuant to the 2000 United States Census, by 58 votes. Following the loss, May developed SweetLeaf brand sweetener, based on the plant stevia
, and served as Chief Operating Officer of Wisdom Natural Brands, until retiring in 2008. When Arizona Representative John Shadegg
announced his retirement in 2008 May announced plans to run for the seat, but withdrew from the race when Shadegg announced he would seek another term after all.
In 2010, May joined the race for Arizona's 17th District House seat as a write-in candidate. In August, May was one of several Republicans named in a complaint filed by the Arizona Democratic Party, alleging that he conspired to recruit Mill Avenue street people
to run as Green Party
write-in "sham" candidates to pull votes from Democrats. May acknowledges that he recruited candidates but denies any conspiracy or wrongdoing. District court judge David G. Campbell
denied a request from the state Green Party to remove the candidates from the ballot. Following the revelation of a 2009 guilty plea to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, for which May served ten days in jail and received three years of probation, May dropped out of the race.
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
. May came to national attention in 1999 when, following a speech to the House in which he discussed his homosexuality, he was discharged
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
from the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
under the gay-exclusionary law known as "don't ask, don't tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" (DADT).
May grew up in a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
household in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, in the district he would later represent in the Legislature. He was an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and a member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
. He joined the Army Reserve, where he attained the rank of First Lieutenant. May unsuccessfully ran for the House in 1996 before winning a seat in 1998, as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. May had run as an openly gay man and had secured the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund is an American political action committee dedicated to increasing the number of openly LGBT public officials in US political life.The Victory Fund was founded in 1991...
, a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
dedicated to helping elect openly LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
candidates to public office.
On February 3, 1999, May spoke on the floor of the Arizona House about pending legislation on public funding for health care benefits for same-sex partners and discussed being gay. The Army initiated discharge proceedings as a result. On September 17, 2000, an Army panel recommended May be discharged under DADT. May fought to remain in service and was successful in challenging his proposed discharge before the end of his term of service. Pursuant to a settlement with the Army, May received an honorable discharge in May 2001 at the scheduled conclusion of his term of service.
During his time in office, May served as the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee and was instrumental in getting Arizona's sodomy law
Sodomy laws in the United States
Sodomy laws in the United States, which outlawed a variety of sexual acts, were historically universal. While they often targeted sexual acts between persons of the same sex, many statutes employed definitions broad enough to outlaw certain sexual acts between persons of different sexes as well,...
repealed. In June 2000, May filed suit against the state of Arizona after receiving a parking ticket that included a mandatory 10% surcharge to be paid into a state fund enacted by referendum in 1998 to provide subsidies to candidates for public office who agreed to certain campaign finance restrictions. May refused to pay the surcharge, claiming it was compelled political speech and an infringement of his rights under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
and also provisions of the Arizona Constitution
Arizona Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arizona is the governing document and framework for the U.S. state of Arizona. The current constitution is the first and only adopted by the state of Arizona.-History:...
. The Arizona Supreme Court
Arizona Supreme Court
The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. It consists of a Chief Justice, a Vice Chief Justice, and three associate justices. Each justice is appointed by the governor of Arizona from a list recommended by a bipartisan commission. Justices stand for...
ruled in 2002 that the surcharge did not violate May's rights.
In 2002, May lost his bid for re-election facing two fellow incumbents who were set to run against each other following redistricting pursuant to the 2000 United States Census, by 58 votes. Following the loss, May developed SweetLeaf brand sweetener, based on the plant stevia
Stevia
Stevia is a genus of about 240 species of herbs and shrubs in the sunflower family , native to subtropical and tropical regions from western North America to South America. The species Stevia rebaudiana, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its...
, and served as Chief Operating Officer of Wisdom Natural Brands, until retiring in 2008. When Arizona Representative John Shadegg
John Shadegg
John Barden Shadegg is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district, numbered as the 4th District before the 2000 Census, includes much of northern Phoenix....
announced his retirement in 2008 May announced plans to run for the seat, but withdrew from the race when Shadegg announced he would seek another term after all.
In 2010, May joined the race for Arizona's 17th District House seat as a write-in candidate. In August, May was one of several Republicans named in a complaint filed by the Arizona Democratic Party, alleging that he conspired to recruit Mill Avenue street people
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
to run as Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
write-in "sham" candidates to pull votes from Democrats. May acknowledges that he recruited candidates but denies any conspiracy or wrongdoing. District court judge David G. Campbell
David G. Campbell
David G. Campbell is a United States federal judge.-Early life and education:Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Campbell received a B.S. from the University of Utah in 1976 and a J.D. from the University of Utah College of Law in 1979.-Career:...
denied a request from the state Green Party to remove the candidates from the ballot. Following the revelation of a 2009 guilty plea to a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, for which May served ten days in jail and received three years of probation, May dropped out of the race.