Every election is important, from choosing your local city council or commission all the way up to selecting the president of the United States.
This election is the most important in the last 100 years of our nation, however, if not in the country’s entire history. That’s because Donald Trump and his administration have systematically undone or threatened all of the progress made under President Obama for LGBTQ Americans.
From the transgender military ban to rescinding protections for LGBTQ students, to arguing against employment protections at the Supreme Court to opposing the passage of the Equality Act, our community is under constant attack.
Our transgender siblings of color are especially vulnerable now, as are our nation’s courts where marriage equality was largely won. Trump has now stacked them with right-wing judges, threatening all of the progress that our community has made.
We have two primaries and the general election on the Florida calendar this year to help change that, beginning with the presidential preference March 17. Our local primary follows Aug. 18 and the general election is on Nov. 3.
Florida is a closed primary state, which means that you must be registered in the party whose primary you wish to vote in. While the deadline to register for the presidential primary has passed, the deadline for the Aug. 18 primary is July 20. After that, the deadline to register in the general election is Oct. 5, where every registered voter can vote in each race regardless of party affiliation.
The presidential preference primary will welcome both Republicans and Democrats to the ballot box – and unlike 2008 and 2016, the Democratic ticket has more than two strong candidates. This means it will be very competitive, we’ll get more attention from the candidates than usual and that your vote strongly matters.
There are 16 candidates on Florida’s ballot as some have withdrawn since they were finalized. Due to the race’s competitive nature, it’s important to ensure the candidate you support has not withdrawn, whether you vote by mail, early vote or head to your local polling location.
Of note this year, the LGBTQ community can be proud that Mayor Pete Buttigieg did as well as he did. He won the most presidential delegates in the Iowa caucus, a historical first for an openly gay candidate, and tied for the most delegates in the New Hampshire primary. He also finished a respectable third in the Nevada caucus.
Like the mayor, every Democratic candidate running strongly supports our community. They all support pro-LGBTQ policies and legislation like the Equality Act, LGBTQ-specific health care, banning conversion therapy and reinstating protections for LGBTQ students.
It’s also important to remember that voting all the way down the ballot is critical after the presidential preference primary. At the state level, Commissioner Nikki Fried is the only official who has enacted protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity and she also created the position of LGBTQ liaison.
Unfortunately, she is the only statewide Democrat elected to hold office and our community is also under attack in the state legislature. Bills have been filed that would rescind local ordinances protecting LGBTQ employees, legalize so-called “conversion therapy” and imprison doctors for up to 15 years if they provide certain transition-related medical care to transgender youth.
The Florida Competitive Workforce Act, which would ban discrimination statewide against our community, has been introduced once again, but the Republican-led legislature has consistently blocked it from even getting a hearing. As we move into election season, it’s so important to pay close attention to every candidate.
That includes county commissions, school boards and city councils/commissions. They’re responsible for local ordinances which protect residents from discrimination and students from bullying. Those who have primaries will be on the ballot Aug. 17, and because of how some districts are drawn, many of these primaries are essentially the general election because one party dominates voter affiliation.
The main event will be Nov. 3, when in addition to the presidency every member of the U.S. House will be up for re-election. Many state legislative and local races will also commence, so be sure to check with your Supervisor of Elections to see which seats you will be voting on in addition to the country’s clear and present danger, the president.
He pushes anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice policy, gives tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy, denies climate change and has made us the laughing stock of the world. It’s time to push back.
Everyone has their favorite Democratic candidate(s) for president, but it’s important to remember that any one of them will be light years better than Trump. I urge everyone reading this to make sure that you are ready to elect pro-LGBTQ candidates from the top of the ballot all the way down!
I want to express my sincere thanks to Watermark for asking me to write this piece on the importance of voting this year, and I invite those of you in Hillsborough County to visit the Hillsborough County LGBTA Democratic Caucus’ monthly meetings. Throughout this year, we will be hosting many of these local candidates where you can learn where they stand on equality. It’s time to vote blue no matter who.
Dave Cutler is the president of the Hillsborough County LGBTA Democratic Caucus and the secretary of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus. He has been politically active since 2000 and looks forward to turning Florida blue this November. For more information about his work, visit HCLGBTADC.org and LGBTQDems.org.
