Former President Barack Obama speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
CHICAGO | For the second consecutive night, the Democratic National Convention in Chicago’s United Center made reference to LGBTQ+ rights, including in the context of the 2024 nominee’s record of expanding freedoms and protections for the community.
Vice President Kamala Harris “has always done the right thing, a champion for voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, the rights for women and girls,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said during the ceremonial roll call Aug. 20, whereupon she was officially made the nominee.
Leading the roll call was openly gay Democratic National Committee Secretary Jason Rae, who in 2006 interned at the LGBTQ Victory Fund (which at the time was called the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund.)
When Vermont pledged 24 votes for Harris, the state’s first LGBTQ+ representative in Congress, Becca Balint, was highlighted as an exemplar of its commitment to public education, as she previously served as a middle school history and social studies teacher.
Speeches were kicked off Tuesday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The night was headlined by former President Barack Obama, who said, “We believe that true freedom gives each of us the right to make decisions about our own life, how we worship, what our family looks like, how many kids we have, who we marry, and we believe that freedom requires us to recognize that other people have the freedom to make choices that are different than ours.”
“Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books, none of that will prepare our kids for the future,” former First Lady Michelle Obama said. “Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love — look, that doesn’t make anybody’s life better.”
“Americans with LGBTQ kids don’t want them facing discrimination at school because the state sanctioned it,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said.
Monday night saw two LGBTQ speakers, U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia and U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, Democrats of California.
Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, who is widely considered a rising star in Democratic politics, stepped on stage with a printout of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 right-wing and socially conservative governing agenda.
Then, when President Joe Biden took the stage to close out the evening with a rousing and emotional address to his party, he discussed “the freedom to love who you love” among the liberties that are at stake in November.
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