By: Al Ballesteros
Photo by: Gstudioimagen | Dreamstime.com/Photo by: Pedro Neves| Dreamstime.com
Next month national, state and local elections will take place, and you have a very important voice in this matter. The LGBTQ vote is big in the United States, estimated at 9 million registered voters according to the Williams Institute. However, about 21% of LGBTQ people who are eligible to vote are not registered to vote. The Latino LGBTQ adult population size in the US is estimated to be 2.3 million with many living in the larger cities of the United States. And because this will be a very close presidential election, the LGBTQ voter can make a huge difference in deciding the future of the country and on state and local issues of importance.
The same study found that approximately 50% of all registered LGBTQ voters are Democrats, 15% are Republicans, 22% are Independents and 13% are other.
An analysis in the Washington Post for 2020 showed that LGBTQ voters comprised 7-8% of the overall electorate, a turnout that played a decisive role in President Joe Biden’s win in the close contest swing states.
GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization released findings of a poll gauging motivation and top issues ahead of the 2024 general election next month. The poll was conducted in January 2024 about several issues and involved registered voters, including LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people.
The poll was conducted prior to President Joe Biden removing himself from seeking a second term in office and leading the way for Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the nominee. At that time, LGBTQ likely voters preferred Biden over Trump by +53 percentage points nationwide (68% Biden / 15% Trump). Although GLAAD has not updated its poll since Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee, one would suspect these same percentages found in the poll would hold true today for her with respect to preference for president among LGBTQ voters.
The poll also found that in general, LGBTQ likely voters prefer a congressional democratic candidate by +63 percentage points nationwide (77% Democrat / 14% Republican).
Other findings of the Poll included that 53% of registered and likely 2024 voters say they would oppose a political candidate (who) speaks frequently about restricting access to health care and participation in sports for transgender youth. As well, 49% of LGBTQ voters reported experiencing real-world harassment or bullying caused by the current state of political discourse in our country. Not surprising, 72% of those polled experience negative impacts to their mental health and emotional well-being caused by the current state of political discourse in our country.
Options to vote: Election Day will be Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The last day to register to vote is October 21, 2024, by mail if postmarked by this day. You can also register on-line by 11:59 pm on October 21 if you go to: www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration. You can also check this website for early voting dates and locations to vote. Outside of California, go to www.Vote.gov to register in other states and find local information about early voting, mail in voting, same day voting, locations, etc.
Adelante Recommendations:
President: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Kamala Harris was quick to conduct same-sex marriages when she was the elected district attorney for San Francisco City and County in 2004. “One of the most joyful (moments of my career) was performing the marriages in 2004. Truly joyful,” Harris told The Advocate Magazine in 2023. A Harris-Walz administration would be staunch advocates of maintaining marriage equality in the US. Harris was against a 2008 California Ballot Proposition number 8 in California which revoked marriage equality that year. After it passed, Harris and the Governor did not defend the proposition as it made its way up to the Supreme Court where it was eventually struck down. As a senator, she introduced a bill to mandate insurance coverage of PREP, the HIV prevention method. She has been a consistent supporter of the Ryan White Care Act and its continued funding to care for people living with HIV. She championed legislation to fight hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, expand access to capital for small businesses, revitalize American’s infrastructure, and combat the climate crisis,” according to her official White House biography.
Harris has spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in conservative states around the country, such as the “don’t say gay” laws affecting education and against bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Her VP running mate, Tim Walz was once a high school football coach and helped launch the high school’s first club for LGBTQ students.
As Vice President, Kamala Harris has hosted pride month receptions at the White House. She met with WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner before Brittney’s first game and after her release from Russian captivity. She has spoken extensively about the importance of reproductive freedom and during her convention speech Harris has said if elected President she would sign into law these freedoms when the Congress sends legislation to her desk.
Vice President Harris is a steadfast supporter of the Affordable Care Act, (The ACA), which extended healthcare coverage to tens of thousands of low-income LGBTQ people for basic medical care. The ACA also provides coverage for medical care and life saving drugs for tens of thousands of people living with HIV and those at risk via PREP and PEP. The ACA also blocked medical Insurance Companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Republicans have said they would repeal the ACA and this would mean hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ people losing medical coverage.
In June of this year, Vice President Harris welcomed current and former cast members and creators of Queer Eye to a White House reception celebrating the program’s 20th anniversary.
Vice President Kamala Harris is a friend of our community and Adelante Magazine urges you to vote for her and Governor Tim Walz for President and Vice President of the United States
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Some State & Local Issues which could use your support: Measure A: Sales Tax Measure – Vote Yes: A yes vote supports repealing the Measure H tax and replacing it with a sales tax of 0.005% with revenue going to affordable housing, mental health and addiction treatment, and services to children, families, veterans, domestic violence survivors, seniors, and disabled people experiencing homelessness.
Our perspective is that these important funds are helping homeless people get off the streets into housing and services which help keep them housed. It is documented that disproportionate numbers of LGBTQ people are homeless, and these funds reach them with life-saving medical, mental health and substance use disorder treatment. Adelante urges a Yes vote on Measure A.
Prop 34: Requires certain providers to spend 98% of revenues from federal discount prescription drug program on direct patient care. Authorizes statewide negotiation of Medi-Cal drug prices. Supporters: The ALS Association, California Chronic Care Coalition: Latino Heritage Los Angeles. Opponents: National Organization for Women; Consumer Watchdog; Coalition for Economic Survival; AIDS Healthcare Foundation; Dolores Huerta. Vote No.
Prop 35, Makes permanent the existing tax on managed health care insurance plans, which, if approved by the federal government, provides revenues to pay for Medi-Cal health care services. Vote Yes.