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Every LGBTQ+ Vote Counts

July 2, 2024

As a LGBTQ magazine writen from the heart of our community, we can’t stress enough how crucial it is that we all get out and vote in this week’s election. Our voices matter, and it’s time we make them heard loud and clear at the ballot box.

Let’s be real – we’ve all felt that creeping sense of apathy, the whisper that says, “Why bother? Nothing ever changes.” But we must push back against that defeatist attitude. As cultural theorist Raymond Williams once said, “To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing.” By casting our votes, we’re not just participating in democracy; we’re actively shaping our future.

Remember, every single vote counts. We can’t afford to take any result for granted. The only way to ensure our community’s interests are represented is by showing up and marking those ballots ourselves. As Williams noted, “There are no masses; there are only ways of seeing people as masses.” Let’s prove we’re not a faceless mass, but a vibrant, diverse community of individuals whose votes add up to real power.

It’s easy to forget the struggles and sacrifices of those who came before us. Our LGBTQ elders fought tirelessly for our right to have a say in the political process. Countless activists suffered, risked everything, and some even died so that we could have this fundamental right. As Williams reminds us, “The human crisis is always a crisis of understanding: what we genuinely understand we can do.”

We get it – life is hectic. Between work, relationships, and all the other demands on our time, it can feel like a hassle to get to the polling station. But We implore you: make the time. Carve out that hour, rearrange your schedule if you need to, but make sure you vote. Let’s make voting an ordinary, essential part of our cultural practice as LGBTQ individuals.

You might think your single vote won’t make a difference, but history has shown time and again that elections can be decided by razor-thin margins. Your vote could be the one that tips the scales. By voting, we’re choosing hope over despair, action over inertia.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen. And it happens because people like us show up, election after election, to make our voices heard. We’ve seen progress in LGBTQ rights over the years, and that progress came about because our community refused to stay silent.

So this week, let’s flood the polling stations. Let’s show up in numbers too big to ignore. Let’s prove that the LGBTQ community is a political force to be reckoned with. Because when we vote, we don’t just change election outcomes – we change the narrative. We change the future.

Your vote is your voice. Use it. Own it. Celebrate it. And together, let’s write the next chapter of our story – one vote at a time.

Don’t forget to bring your photo ID, you can’t vote without it!  More info here: 

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