Dear John: Before this year, every election was deemed, “the most critical in our lifetime.” We took it for granted that values such as a government of, by, and for the people, and a nation where all are created equal would not be under threat. But, that is where we find ourselves now. For marginalized communities, including our LGBTQ+ loved ones, this election will determine whether we hold the rights we’ve won, and whether we will be able to push back against all the rights that have been taken away--or never granted at all. For our LGBTQ+ loved ones and their families, imminent threats include Family equality Sanctioning of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination by government contractors The elimination of pre-existing conditions protections and other safety nets provided by the Affordable Care Act And representative democracy through a complete and fair Census. And these are just the cases before the Supreme Court. In the states, the 200+ anti-LGBTQ+ bills we saw in 2019-2020 will pale in number compared to 2021 if anti-LGBTQ+ majorities win in state legislatures. In the U.S. Congress, there is already a bill to ban trans girls from sports, and anti-LGBTQ+ interests are urging Members of Congress to dismantle Title IX, upend the First Amendment freedom of religion, eliminate the Affordable Care Act, and permanently change immigration policy by leveraging fear and prejudice about LGBTQ+ people—especially transgender people. If you haven’t heard it before: Elections matter. Voting matters. And Every Vote Counts. Election Day might be on November 3rd, but VOTING is already happening, now. It is imperative that PFLAGers do everything we can to mobilize communities to vote. If you haven’t yet used our tools, please visit pflag.org/pflagvotes2020 for ways to mobilize voters, educate them around how to vote and why it is important to do so, register to vote, and protect the vote and voters. Thank you for all that you are doing in service of this year’s election. This one is critical. Sincerely,  Brian K. Bond, Executive Director | 
