When the Democratic National Convention gathers on Aug. 19–22 in Chicago, approximately one third of the delegates from Maine will be identifying as LGBTQ+, according to a report by Maine Morning Star.
“Due to the stakes of this election, I think for Americans from all walks of life, and particularly those who have been historically marginalized, those who feel the temperature rising on their safety and their rights to exist in our society, I think that that’s been a major motivation for getting involved in this election,” state Rep. Ryan Fecteau, Maine’s first openly gay Speaker of the House, told the Star. “I think we really feel the significance of this moment.”
Reports Maine Morning Star:
For most delegates who identify as LGBTQ+, the core reason they wanted to represent Maine at the national convention, many for the first time, is frightfully personal. Amid the introduction of a record-breaking number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures and with a clear recollection of what their lives were like under a former Donald Trump presidency, delegates said they are concerned about future policy changes as well as the overall tone set by whoever is next in the Oval Office.
“You know, every two years, or every four years, we hear that this is the most important election of our lives,” said John Hennessey, delegate and board president of EqualityMaine, the oldest and largest statewide organization dedicated to creating a fair society for LGBTQ+ people. “This time, I believe it.”
Maine has led the country in protections for LGBTQ+ people, including legalizing same-sex marriage before country-wide change and being ahead of many states in adopting discrimination protections. Connected to these early advancements, the state’s legacy of LGBTQ+ activism also runs deep.
“It’s important to remember that our state has a more diverse population than its popular conception,” said delegate Ellie Sato, who chairs the state party’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. “In order to make progress for future generations, ensuring that disadvantaged and marginalized communities have a voice is of the utmost importance.”
Read the complete Maine Morning Star article here.
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