D (5:12)

I am devastated about this news from the Supreme Court, period. Right. Like I'm a, I'm a queer American, I'm a black American, I'm a woman. And I know that for generations People have fought and died for our right to vote, for the Voting Rights act, and to have the Supreme Court so cavalierly, in one state, stroke of a pen, dilute that gut, it is terrifying. And then to see Louisiana take action immediately. You know, we know exactly why they see the power that we're building and what we're growing. They're trying to do everything that they can to rig the system right now, but I'm confident that people are not going to let it happen. I think that's why we got to show up in numbers this year that are too big to ignore.

C (5:52)

Well, so I want to talk to you about that. What is the Human Rights Campaign doing right now to make sure that voters turn out come November?

D (6:00)

Look, this election is so serious. We need a check on Donald Trump and this out of control administration, full stop. That's what this election is about, and that's why we're mobilizing our community. We are investing $15 million, our largest investment in midterm ever, to turn out voters to win. Look, if there's three things I can tell you, it's this 92% of the LGBTQ+ community is motivated to vote. That is huge. And there are 74 million equality voters across this country that we've identified that priorit our issues when deciding who to vote for. And lastly, this year, LGBTQ people are estimated to be 10% of the electorate with those sorts of numbers. You don't have to be a mathematician to know the opportunity that's in front of us, not just to. To hold the races that we know that we've are. That we have, but to flip districts that are competitive. I mean, anybody that is in a Republican, that's in a Republican district that they didn't win by more than 15 points is at risk right now. So I'm excited about this election because I think that we can really put some numbers up in terms of turnouts, some numbers up in terms of flipping House seats that can change the trajectory of this fight, particularly this fight for equality.

C (7:11)

Well, tell me more about this $15 million push, because it sounds like a lot of money, right? But then some House races on their own cost $15 million just to win. Right? So where are you guys focusing on what states, what districts? Tell me more.

D (7:24)

Yeah, well, it's both broad and surgical. Okay. The Human Rights Campaign, we're the largest LGBTQ plus civil rights organization in. We've got 3.6 million members, and we're growing. And we want to make sure that folks know, no matter where you live, no matter what zip code that you're in, no matter what congressional district, you have a voice and you need to make your voice heard. So we've got distributed and digital organizing tools that folks can use to use your own telephone, connect it with the voter file, and call people to remind them to get out and vote. Well, I know some folks don't like to call, so text them too. But we're putting the tools in people's hands to do that, no matter where you are. So that's one. And on the other end, you know, we are looking at these maps really closely and looking at places where the number of the quality voters that we've identified can be the difference maker. In some of these races. You know, most maps, if you look at Cook Report or any other report, will tell you there's, you know, 17 to 20 red to blue or House districts that are super competitive, that if we flip, we will take control of the United States House. Through looking at those, we've identified eight that had a vote difference. We lost these races by under 157, under under 150,000 votes. But there are 1.4 million equality voters in those same districts. Those are the places that we're focusing on to send all of our volunteer and member energy to be the difference maker. And that said, right now, I think in an election like this, there is a real opportunity to ride the wave of engagement that we're feeling. Because people are pissed off, right, about the prices of gas, about the, the spikes in their health care premiums, about just not feeling safe day to day. That kind of energy is going to motivate them to get out to vote. And if we can focus on areas that are competitive and flip those districts too, that can be a game changer in terms of taking back control here

C (9:14)

in D.C. now, something I like to talk about is essentially while everyone in the media and the public, they're talking about Trump's ballroom behind the scenes, he's actively working to roll back rights and kind of sinister ways that the American public doesn't really actually ever hear about. Can you talk some of really the key concerns you and HRC have right now, especially as it relates to LGBTQ Americans in this moment.

D (9:39)

Yeah, and I mean, look, he is a caricature of an evil genius, right? I mean, like, that's what you're seeing when you say sinister. I think that, you know, that's even downplaying what him and his cronies are up to, because they're not just Dismantling our rights. Right? If you look at the Supreme Court, if you look at the executive orders that they've put forward, if you look at all the wars that they're starting around the world, but they're also dismantling our democracy. We asked LGBTQ voters, what are the issues that matter most to you this year? And their answers were clear. They are concerned about the state of our democracy and actually getting to fair and just elections. They're concerned about the economy and what that means for the livelihood of our families and for our kids. And they're concerned about safety and well being. Because around every corner, you see an assault on our lives and on our rights. And I think that that's important because sometimes people think about our community and think that we're fighting for, you know, special rights, but at the end of the day, this is about human rights, about our community getting the same basic civil rights and protections as everyone else. But to do that, we not only have to win this election and keep advancing on the path towards equality, but we got to protect this democracy. That's what's at stake.

C (10:55)

Now, I do want to ask you, before I let you go, something that's personal to a lot of my viewers. A lot of my viewers are young Gen Z. Some are even Gen Alpha under the age of 18. What do you say to an LGBTQ youth, a young person in this country, who sees the attacks, for example, on trans athletes, who sees the attacks on LGBTQ youth across America, the rolling back of the LGBTQ plus suicide hotline, for example, last year, and they're just scared. And they say, I don't feel like I'm represented in this country. I don't feel like my voice matters right now in this moment.

D (11:30)

I'd say this is our time, this is your moment. And in times like this, we can't lose sight of our hope, and we certainly cannot lose sight of our power. Generation Z, nearly 30% of that generation is a member of our community. They are afraid of your power. So you better show up and give them something to be afraid of. But this is the moment. And this isn't about, like, you know, having such a dismal attitude to what's in front of us. This is about rebuilding a democracy that's truly by and for the people. And every social movement has been led by young people every single step of the way. So I'm excited, I'm hopeful, and I hope that folks can find a little bit of that, you know, courage in community and come out and join us. Not just on Election Day, but every day in between. Because they do have something to be afraid of, and it's the power of young people.

C (12:16)

Kelly Robinson, thanks for taking the time.

D (12:18)

Thanks a lot.

C (12:19)

Hey folks, thanks so much for watching. Feel free to add this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you watch for the latest breaking news and daily hits throughout the day. Make sure to follow. Subscribe. See you soon for more. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone Paying Big Wireless Way Too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month, of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront

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