Today is election day 2021! It is an important opportunity to engage with your right to vote and to express support for the LGBTQ movement.
This year is a watershed moment in show casing the continued power and relevance of LGBTQ voters and issues. Many candidates have weaponized the transgender rights in an effort to turn out votes. These attacks are incredibly harmful to the transgender and non-binary communities. Additionally, state legislatures have proposed and passed dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills over the last year. Most recently, a ban on transgender students participating in sports was signed into law in Texas. Mounting attacks on the transgender and non-binary communites are real and dangerous. The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that “42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth”.
We have a responsibility to show up today for transgender and non-binary youth across the country. Voting is a powerful way to fight for LGBTQ rights and ensure that pro-LGBTQ voices are at every decision-making table.
LGBTQ voters were a powerful voting bloc in 2020 and can prove to be pivotal again.
According to data gathered by GLAAD, 93% of registered LGBTQ voters voted in 2020. This resulted in the election of pro-LGBTQ candidates across the country, from school boards to Congress. A Washington Post article found that LGBTQ voters may have swayed the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.
Today is an important opportunity to keep showing up to vote for pro-LGBTQ candidates and policies. Additionally, the LGBT Victory reported that there are 410 LGBTQ candidates on the ballot across the country. Check out their resources to determine if there are any LGBTQ candidates running in your area.
Voting today is a critical show of support for the LGBTQ community. For voting resources check out GLAAD’s elections page or HeadCount’s Vote with Pride initiative. Additionally, you can reach out to HeadCount’s election protection hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.
