|
John,
Like many, my partner Paolo and I came of age at a time when being gay was still considered a crime in many states.
I often reflect back to when I was 17 years old in the wake of 9/11. I had a deep sense of duty to serve the country, but policies like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discouraged me from joining the military.
Thanks to the brave LGBTQ+ Americans who came before me and had the courage to come out, I eventually got the chance to work openly in law enforcement and counterterrorism.
|
|
Paolo and I recently at Palm Springs Pride.
Despite the strides we've taken toward equality, the recent election of Speaker Mike Johnson proves the GOP is hell-bent on turning back the clock on LGBTQ+ rights.
Johnson’s record reads like something out of an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group’s wish list. Aside from voting against marriage equality just last year, he:
- Is on record supporting the criminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ+ adults,
- Previously worked with an organization that pushed so-called conversion therapy,
- Claimed that a ‘homosexual agenda’ will destroy society and likened being LGBTQ+ to pedophilia and bestiality. Really.
The fact that the Speaker of the House doesn’t respect Paolo's and my right to love is shocking -- especially in 2023. And the fact that Ken Calvert and the entire Republican Party handed him the Speaker’s gavel is even more horrifying.
We can send a clear message that rejects Johnson’s hateful agenda by turning the House blue next year. That starts by flipping CA-41.
Can you please split $5, or whatever you can afford, between Fight for Progress and our campaign to help us flip CA-41, defeat Ken Calvert, and restore decency to Congress?
|
