John,

Today is Harvey Milk Day, a day to honor and celebrate activist, organizer, and the first openly gay man elected to public office in the country, Harvey Milk.

This day is important to me personally, especially in an election year. Harvey Milk is an example of the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, and a reminder that it is through the political process we reach true equality. Many people in America assume that just because marriage equality passed, we achieved equality. To some extent, yes. Life for an LGBTQ+ person like me is much better than before 2015.

But life being “better” doesn’t mean we’re equal. It’s still far from that. We desperately need warriors for the LGBTQ+ community like Eva in Congress. Help me get her elected by contributing $20.20 today.

From healthcare to employment to housing, LGBTQ+ people suffer every day. To give you an idea, right now:

• 31 percent of transgender Americans lack regular access to health care.
• Truvada, the only drug approved to prevent infection of HIV, costs about $20,000 a year in the United States.
• In 17 states in America, there are no workplace protection laws for LGBTQ+ people, meaning you can be fired at any time for your sexual orientation or gender identity.

And that’s just a few of the major issues. A lot of the disparity is exacerbated even further by class and race — a wealthy, white gay man in New York City has a much different life experience than a black transgender woman in Louisiana.

That is why we need representatives in Congress to be LGBTQ+ advocates, not just allies. And right now, too many Democrats just talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.

A lot of representatives pay lip service to LGBTQ+ equality because it’s part of the party platform. They will go to pride events, wave the flag, and say all the right things. But when it comes to fighting for real progress, they sit still.

(Some don’t even mention it on their website as a priority - www.tomohalleran.com).

I’m proud to stand beside Eva because she won’t just stand on the sidelines waving a pride flag at a parade, she will be a dedicated warrior for the LGBTQ+ community. When she’s in Congress, she will prioritize LGBTQ+ people in all areas — in healthcare, in our economy, in education.

Queer people throughout history have put their lives on the line just to be acknowledged by our government. The least we can do is elect real advocates to continue this crucial work.

Contribute $20.20 or more today so we can have a real LGBTQ+ champion for Arizona’s First District.

In Solidarity,

Steven P, Comms Director