Graham Platner’s allies turn on him after bombshell sexual assault report

He got away with having a Nazi tattoo and a past of making antigay, misogynistic posts, but a rising political star may be flaming out after serious new allegations came to light. The Christopher Street Project, a national political organization dedicated to electing transgender rights advocates, rescinded its endorsement of Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platner on Monday and called on him to leave the race after POLITICO reported that a woman who dated him accused him of forcing her to have sex with him five years ago.The decision was a striking reversal. Less than two weeks ago, the group endorsed Platner in an exclusive interview with The Advocate, presenting him as the kind of Democrat who would defend transgender people at a moment when federal policy has made their lives a bargaining chip in budget fights, agency directives, and electoral strategy.POLITICO reported Monday that Jenny Racicot, a 41-year-old Maine resident who had dated Platner, said he entered her home uninvited in 2021 and forced himself on her after she repeatedly told him to stop.“I remember him grabbing my pelvis and being really forceful of me,” Racicot told POLITICO. “I remember the specific moment where I thought to myself, like, ‘This is no longer my choice.’”Related: Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner admits using ‘indefensible’ antigay slurs in unearthed Reddit postsOn Monday, Tyler Hack, the organization’s executive director, said the group’s commitment to survivors left no room for ambiguity.“Christopher Street Project is an organization that believes survivors, and that commitment cannot be conditional,” Hack said in a statement to The Advocate. “Given the seriousness of the allegations and our commitment to believing survivors, we believe the most responsible path forward would be for Graham Platner to step aside. We are calling on him to do so and are rescinding our endorsement in this race.”The withdrawal came as several prominent Demo