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In essence, we're going to make anti-LGBTQ extremists change their playbook. Our lives will not be co-opted by hate and discrimination any longer. We will not be treated like a threat. Now — truly more than ever — we need to protect the LGBTQ community, especially queer and trans youth who are already facing the brunt of hateful policy and beliefs.
To do that, we need to focus on our wins just as much as our losses. Wins like Sarah McBride being elected as the first out trans member of Congress, or Montana state Rep. Zooey Zephyr winning her bid for reelection. In 2023, Rep. Zephyr became the first out trans lawmaker in the state — and in the same year, Republicans voted to bar Zephyr from speaking on the floor of the state legislature after she spoke out about the importance of healthcare for youth. Her reelection shows that despite the opposition, Zooey's voice remains a deeply valued force for many Americans.
Across the country, at least seven trans and nonbinary candidates won their races. And in the state of Wisconsin, voters rejected anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and campaign ads by reelecting Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the first out LGBTQ senator in history. Like GLAAD, she has been fighting for our community for nearly 40 years, chairing the Dane County Task Force on AIDS in 1986.
Anti-LGBTQ extremists can try their worst, as they always have, but they can't get rid of us. We're not going anywhere — we never will. But to win this fight, we need our whole community by our side. And if you're one of the many who are worried about their healthcare, their marriages, their workplace rights, and more, just know that the wins mentioned above are proof that our strategies are working.
For the last 40 years, GLAAD has worked tirelessly to change the narrative and fight for LGBTQ representation. Clearly, voters across the country have resonated with that work. Make a gift now to support our work and protect the LGBTQ community. Remember, their hatred doesn't detract from your magic — it emboldens it.
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