Your Allyship Vote
I’ve often said Bursting Through is not a political organization, which is true. It is about community, human connection, and narrowing the space between people who love each other but don’t always know the best way to show that love.
In short, Bursting Through’s mission states “The responsibility to create safety and a good quality of life for your LGBTQ+ loved one belongs to us all.” Right now, and perhaps more than ever, that mission is tied to United States politics and your vote.
Many people understandably don’t like politics or politicians. At best politics is boring. It involves policy, legalities, and a lot of fine print. Politicians can be out of touch with reality, slippery, and present as inauthentic.
Historically, I have liked politics and politicians. I became politically active at 13 when my aunt ran for local office in my small Iowa hometown. I remember pounding the pavement each weekend, knocking on every door, and enthusiastically asking them to vote for her.
In high school, I was elected as head delegate of our Model U.N. chapter. As a young man, I caucused for Dukakis and had lunch with his kids. I engaged with a then-unknown Arkansas Governor Clinton in a small diner and even got my haircut next to John Edwards.
More recently, I was a caucus captain for Pete Buttigieg’s presidential bid and pounded the pavement for the Biden-Harris ticket. Not long ago I passionately supported a new and powerful voice in the Las Vegas Mayoral primaries.
What drew me to politics was the people and the free exchange of ideas. What fascinated me about the process was the thoughtful and orderly way those ideas were exchanged until an outcome emerged.
Over the past decade, politics has turned toxic. Free exchange of ideas has been replaced with the “my way or no way” motto. The process has stood still or moved forward in ways that don’t reflect the majority and at times the Constitution.
In these confusing political times, I see smart, contemplative, and loving people desperately trying to normalize what they see. Politics has historically been about uncomfortable compromises or unliked outcomes so an uneasy feeling about political issues is familiar. These intelligent individuals are creating scenarios to fit that belief system even when they are not there.
Every American identifies as an independent thinker and we have “freedom for all” in our DNA. It is challenging to accept the reality that someone you love, know, or maybe just like is being attacked by the full forces of just ONE United States political party; but it’s true.
Here is a snapshot of the open, forceful, and prideful political and legal attacks against the Queer Community initiated exclusively by Republican lawmakers.
2018- 38 Anti-LGBTQ+ laws introduced by Republican lawmakers at the state level.
2021- 17 Anti-LGBTQ+ bills enacted into law in Republican ran states.
2022- over 510 Anti-LGBTQ+ laws introduced by Republican lawmakers in multiple states.
2023- over 520 Anit-LGBTQ+ laws introduced by Republican lawmakers in multiple states.
2024- Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the opinion that overturned abortion rights that the same rationale could also be used to overturn cases establishing same-sex consensual relations, and same-sex marriage.
These are facts I, as the founder of Bursting Through, researched and am sharing with this community who want their LGBTQ+ loved ones to feel safe, be happy, and flourish. They are political truths and also a frightening reality to Queer people like me.
The reality of shaky civil rights and threatened basic freedoms your Queer loved ones face daily firmly cancels out the outdated belief that “It’s just politics, it’s not personal.” It was profoundly personal for me to see the same aunt I enthusiastically pounded the pavement for as a kid featured in a front-page newspaper article proudly caucusing for the Republican presidential nominee.
Your vote is individual and private, your decision-making process is complex, cerebral, and spiritual. No one can tell you how to cast your important vote. But, I hope your Allyship heart and head are better informed than you were when you began reading this.
Active Allyship is alive and well in your November 5 vote. I empower you to take your Ally Action to the polls with you and vote your Ally heart.
Thank you for your Allyship, membership and being part of the journey. Please support my efforts to extend Bursting Through’s reach and put our stories of compassion and expanded love in front of more people.
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