Dear President-elect Biden:
I’m writing you this open letter as you prepare to take office as president. My son was just a few months too young to vote in the last election, but watched it with great concern, for its results would directly impact him and his family. Would the next administration be one that treated our family with equality? Would it view families like ours as part of the rich fabric of American diversity or as aberrations?
“This is not normal,” I tell my son. At 17, he’s old enough to understand that logically, even if he barely remembers a time when our president wasn’t an egomaniacal, violence-enabling, reality-show host. Even though our leadership will change for the better on January 20th, though, I worry as he heads towards adulthood in a country still deeply divided. Can we adults give him, and all young people and children, the country they need to grow into happy, healthy adults? Will the ideals of freedom and equality for all ever be more than distant visions?
In a year like no other, LGBTQ families, like all others, struggled with the physical, mental, and economic challenges of the pandemic. And with children of LGBTQ parents much more likely to live in poverty than those with non-LGBTQ parents, the pandemic may have hit many LGBTQ families, like those of other marginalized groups, particularly hard. Pandemic aside, there were many political and legal challenges—and a few victories—directly related to LGBTQ parents and our children in the U.S. this year. Here are the highlights, good and bad.
The Biden-Harris campaign released a new short video after their win was called Saturday. It speaks to all Americans—and includes several queer people, as well as a soundtrack by one of our queer foremothers.
This morning, I woke up feeling something that I haven’t felt for four years: hope that my son would come to adulthood in a country that he could be proud of.
This election could be more consequential for LGBTQ families—and for the future of our country in general—than any other in history. Go vote if you haven’t; help someone else get to the polls if you can. Here are a few tips.
This November’s presidential election may carry with it the biggest consequences any U.S. election has ever had for LGBTQ parents and our children. That’s why we need to make our voting plans now.
As we head into the fall and one of the most momentous elections in our nation’s history, voting is more important than ever. A new picture book about voting and civic engagement is both timely and queer-inclusive.
Karine Jean-Pierre, a veteran political organizer, commentator, and author, will be the chief of staff for newly announced VP candidate Kamala Harris. She’s also a lesbian mom—and her daughter was her inspiration to join the campaign.
We have our ticket: California Senator Kamala Harris will be Joe Biden’s running mate, bringing her intelligence and drive to bear in what may be the most important election of our lifetimes. Their win is far from certain, however—which is why each of us needs to do what we can to help.
