Hi Friend,

My name is Jeremy JF Thompson, and I’m proud to be the Campaign Manager for Mel Manuel. I’m also their best friend and a fellow queer, nonbinary resident of Louisiana’s North Shore.

Living in this deeply religious, conservative area—just north of New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain—has not been easy for LGBTQ+ people like us, especially those like myself who have experienced hate crimes, discrimination, and harassment.

A few years ago, Mel and I realized something needed to change. The lack of community and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals was painfully evident, and the sense of isolation many of us felt was overwhelming. In response, we founded Queer Northshore, a community organization dedicated to bringing together LGBTQ+ residents of our region. In just 2.5 years, Queer Northshore has grown to over 2,800 members. We’ve hosted more than 150 events, from casual meet-ups to educational workshops, and even organized the first Pride parade our community has ever seen.

Despite these successes, the environment here remains challenging. Bigotry has always been present, but the past few years have seen an alarming increase in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, fueled by far-right rhetoric and coordinated attacks on our rights. Many of us, including myself, have faced hate crimes, harassment, and discrimination.

But rather than being intimidated, we’ve been driven to fight back by responding to the far-right's push to ban LGBTQ+ books from our libraries in an effort to erase our existence.

One of the many articles featuring interviews with Mel regarding the Far-Right’s new war on LGBTQ+ and especially trans people in Louisiana.

In 2023, we saw a concerted effort from local far-right groups to remove any young adult books addressing LGBTQ+ themes from the shelves. This attack is not just about books—it’s about silencing our voices, erasing our stories, and denying our youth the chance to see themselves represented.

We took action. When the St. Tammany Library Board held its first meeting on the proposed bans, we showed up in such large numbers that our opponents accused us of bringing in paid activists from New Orleans.

Since then, we’ve shown up at every critical meeting. We’ve stood up, spoken out, and fought to protect our right to be seen and heard. Our efforts have garnered national attention, and Mel has become a leading voice in the fight against book bans.

Mel is quoted and interviewed in each of these articles. You can listen to the story of our fight here on the Brooklyn Library’s Podcast.

We know why they want to ban these books. Books are powerful; they share ideas, foster empathy, and inspire change.

The far right fears this change. They know that America is becoming more diverse and accepting, and they’re desperate to cling to outdated beliefs. Their attempt to control the narrative through book bans only highlights the emptiness of their ideology. Our growing community and increasing visibility prove that love and acceptance will ultimately prevail.

But our fight is far from over. The upcoming 2024 election will be critical. If the far right regains power, our hard-won victories could be reversed overnight. That’s why we need leaders like Mel Manuel, who are willing to stand up, challenge extremists like Steve Scalise, and advocate for true equality.

Will you join us? Can we count on your contribution? Your donation will empower our campaign to take this fight to the electoral stage, unseat my far-right opponent Steve Scalise, mobilize voters, get Kamala Harris elected, and ensure every voice in our community is heard:

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I believe in Mel’s vision and the change we can make together. I hope you’ll see what I see and join us in this crucial battle for justice, equality, and the future of our nation.

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Jeremy JF Thompson
Campaign Manager
Mel for Louisiana