I recently wrapped up my last day on St. Petersburg City Council after eight good years. I left brimming with gratitude, a full heart and a sense that the important work we do is never quite finished.
It depends on a cycle of good, elected people to carry and pass on the baton of city work. It has been quite a ride. When I ran for council in 2005 at the age of 35, I was the first openly gay person to run for office in Pinellas County. A true trailblazer, this was before the local Stonewall Democrats were even created.
I nearly caught up with an incumbent in a decently close race for a newcomer, but I was attacked for being a lesbian along the way. More importantly, I was remembered for responding to the attacks with dignity and poise, turning the campaign back to the issues at hand – affordable housing, smart growth, public safety – and moving past the haters.
While we have made much progress, I do not mean to suggest that we are free from the discrimination and violence from those who try to exploit and unravel our community.
A few years later, I would be elected to the council in 2013 along with my colleague Amy Foster, and the two of us joined Steve Kornell as three openly elected members of the LGBTQ community in a council of eight. In 13 short years, our city went from attacking the novelty of gay candidates to electing three of us, almost as if it were no big deal.
Was this progress? I definitely think so. But it was progress that came from the collective experience of the many LGBTQ folks and our allies who vote in local elections.
What did it mean to have openly gay representatives in local government, and what does it mean that there are none now? There is very real progress in that all elected officials carry the banner of equality, not just the gay ones. (Finally!)
It would be difficult for any successful future mayoral or council candidate to be triumphantly anti-gay, but remember we only got to this point of progress with a lot of hard work. Let’s not take that progress for granted.
We must be on guard not to dissolve into a “checking the box” insincerity and complacency at election time. We must be wary of gatekeepers who would perniciously sacrifice the gains and sacrifices of everyday LGBTQ people for their own benefit.
Be on the lookout for political liaison positions that could migrate into ineffective posturing and tokenism. Be wary of organizations that now repeatedly endorse straight candidates over qualified gay ones.
Fight with your last breath any racism and sexism within our own movement. Those are things that can metastasize into unredeemable decay.
As we become a bigger city, those are the type of big city political problems with which we must contend, or we will lose the golden age of cooperation and progress we have worked so hard for.
I encourage all young LGBTQ people who are interested in engaging with their communities on issues they care about to think about local politics seriously. Whether as a neighborhood leader, volunteer or aspiring candidate, city government is an excellent opportunity to shape smart growth, ensure public safety, work on equity, support the arts, advocate for transit and safe roads for all, and so many other relevant issues central to our everyday lives.
Look at St. Pete as an example. Steve Kornell was known for his support of youth at risk. Amy Foster was a legend on homeless and housing issues. I pioneered our environmental progress and drove sustainability and health equity into the DNA of the city’s planning process. The representation of members of the LGBTQ community in and of itself speaks to the positive vibe of a growing progressive city that is forward looking, and we brought bigger dimensions to our work than just our sexual orientation and gender identities.
As Equality Florida rightly points out, equality is also good for business because we shout from the rooftops that we welcome all, no matter who you are; the best and the brightest of all stripes can find a peaceful home and build a good life in St. Petersburg.
I loved city council and I loved the work. Every single day. Even on the challenging days, and there were a handful of those.
The next council will have even bigger challenges. I encourage you to get to know and support your council members, who do a lot of work that is often unrecognized and yet integral to how city hall functions. Their successful work depends on large part with their connection to the community.
Talk to your representatives about your life, your family and what you care about.
They represent you and need to know you and know your story as a member of the LGBTQ community living and working in St. Petersburg.
Stay connected. Be engaged. Your city is waiting for you and the best is yet to come.
Darden Rice is the immediate past St. Petersburg City Councilmember for District 4.
