Happy Valentine's Day, friend.

We can't help but think about love today, and as someone who grew up gay, it's a reminder that until very recently there were rules about who we could and could not love.

Many don't know this, but before I came home to Illinois I was a meteorologist in Tyler, Texas.

One morning, my boss approached me and said we needed to speak after the show.

In the conference room, I saw my employment contract laid out on the desk. Next to it was a printout of my profile from a gay dating website.

I was told I had a choice: to be "that person" in the profile or "have a job."

I decided then and there to resign and move back to Illinois.

That was 20 years ago, and I never imagined the LGBTQ community would be experiencing the surge in discrimination it is today.

We've seen far-right politicians banning LGBTQ books from schools and libraries. Republicans passed a bill to ban transgender youth from girls' sports.

So today, I'm reminded why we need representatives in Congress who can lead with empathy -- especially when it comes to protecting youth who may already feel marginalized.

My re-election campaign is being called the ONLY competitive House race in Illinois. Please send in a contribution of $5, $35, or even $100 to make sure we have the resources to keep this blue.

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Thanks, and Happy Valentine's Day!

- Eric