For Devon Ojeda, fighting for equality is all about stamina. “Hope is a discipline,” the trans activist and organizer told LGBTQ Nation, which is why he believes wholeheartedly that the queer community is ready to show up and make their voices heard in the upcoming midterm elections.
It’d be understandable after the past decade in American politics to find large swaths of LGBTQ+ people resigned, burned out, and cynical about the future. But with the midterms only weeks away, advocacy organizations report the opposite: a zealous enthusiasm from voters determined to cast their ballots, turn the tide on this hostile administration, and perhaps even save democracy.
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Until this week, Ojeda worked as a senior national organizer for Advocates for Trans Equality and led the organization’s Voters for Trans Equality initiative, established to ensure trans people and allies have the necessary information and resources to safely cast their ballots.
“This is probably one of the most important elections, given where we are,” he said. “The Republicans said it themselves, if we take over Congress… that will be the end of the Trump administration. I think that should be the number one priority right now.”
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Ojeda worked with dozens of organizations, including the ACLU, to reach as many voters as possible. “There’s a huge concern that people will feel discouraged to go out to vote,” he said, “but it’s really essential that people do, and they create a plan.”
But the concern is not proving true. Based on the conversations he’s been having across the country, Ojeda is optimistic about queer voter turnout, as is Katie Blair, the Vice President of Advocacy at national LGBTQ+ organization PFLAG. Blair said folks running PFLAG’s voter registration initiative – called Turning Pride Into Power and aimed at mobilizing the group’s 350 chapters across the country – have found voters and volunteers are “more motivated than ever.”
“Our families know firsthand what’s at stake this election,” Blair told LGBTQ Nation, emphasizing that many of the people involved in PFLAG have been directly affected by the Trump administration’s attacks on LGBTQ+ rights. “They’re feeling that in their communities, at their schools, in their conversations.”
The numbers align with what Blair and Ojeda have seen. Research from the HRC Foundation found that registered LGBTQ+ voters are not only extremely motivated to vote this year, but they are more motivated than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts. The study found 92% of registered LGBTQ+ voters plan to “definitely vote” in the midterm elections, compared to 68% of non-LGBTQ+ voters.
LGBTQ+ voters are also more civically engaged and were significantly more likely than non-LGBTQ+ people to have participated in actions like contacting elected officials, donating to campaigns and causes, signing petitions, and sharing political content online in the past 12 months.
It’s no surprise, then, that Blair has seen PFLAG chapter leaders and volunteers only wanting to ramp up their efforts. “When I rolled out this campaign, we were like, ‘okay, we can’t wear people out,’” she said, “but they’re hungry for more. I’m getting emails every day with new ideas.”
“They’re unstoppable.”
Don’t accept no for an answer
Both Blair and Ojeda said the biggest challenge this election cycle has been helping trans voters navigate ever-changing voter ID laws, as well as the increase in state laws banning trans people from updating their IDs to accurately reflect their names and genders.
In Kansas, for example, Republican lawmakers rammed Senate Bill 244 through the legislature in February without debate, which, among other anti-trans measures, revoked the official documents of trans people. Trans Kansans received letters the same week stating that their driver’s licenses were no longer valid with the passage of the law, which went into effect over Gov. Laura Kelly’s (D) veto. At least 1700 trans Kansans with driver’s licenses reflecting their gender identity were forced to turn in their old licenses and carry new ones with a gender marker reflecting their sex at birth.
The law has caused chaos for trans people in the state, with one woman being threatened with jail time after a traffic stop last month because she had followed the law and obtained a license with an “M” gender marker, confusing the cop and leading her to be charged with driving without a valid license.
Laws like these have caused widespread fear that trans people will be either turned away at the polls for having IDs that don’t seem to match who they are, or else harassed by poll workers after being outed by the discrepancy between their ID and their gender presentation.
“What we’re trying to do is, first off, educate folks on the laws and how they can best make sure they can still cast their ballots,” said Blair, emphasizing trans folks especially need to ensure their voter registration is up to date and should bring two separate forms of ID to the vote in case a poll worker gives them trouble.
Ojeda gave similar advice and also encouraged trans voters to push back when questioned. “If a poll worker isn’t helping you get your ballot, demand a manager,” he said. “Know that’s illegal for anyone to intimidate you at the polls. Don’t just assume that the agent you run into is an actual federal agent. Don’t accept the provisional ballot as the first thing you can do.” He also suggested using the VoteRiders free helpline to ensure you have everything you need.
Despite the added challenges that laws like that in Kansas bring, Ojeda emphasized, “Bring your IDs anyway and vote.” The stakes, he said, are too high not to.
“There was a time when people were willing to die to go vote,” he said. “And I’m not saying go risk your life, but I’m saying that’s how important it is to go out to vote, that people have fought hard for your right to vote… Our role right now is to encourage people to be a little bit more brave about this, and I think most trans people understand. Because we have survived worse things.”
“There are ways to get help and to not stand down,” he added. “If you are registered to vote, you have the right to vote… They’re not allowed to deny you a vote. I’m not going to pretend and say that this is easy, but I think it’s essential to our survival… This is a hard time, but I think it’s very, very important to be brave right now.”
Both Ojeda and Blair suggest going to the polls in groups. Blair said many PFLAG chapters are even planning “parties” to encourage people to vote together, which she said will allow trans people to have allies to help them stay safe and advocate for their rights if need be.
Allies, she added, are critical in this time. “Allies need to help carry that water for our trans siblings. We need to be there making sure they feel confident to cast their ballots because all of our rights are at stake.”
Just vote
Another challenge facing trans voters in many districts is the fact that even many Democrats are caving on trans rights, at least when it comes to certain areas, like sports participation.
At a time when so much is at stake, what do trans people and allies do when faced with choosing from a pool of candidates who have all disappointed them in some way? Do they swallow the betrayal and vote blue anyway?
“Personally, I do think it’s very critical to get those blue seats,” Ojeda said. “However, I also am somebody who lives in a blue state right now. I’ve been in a red state, and I can tell you how frustrating it is to hear folks in the blue states try to tell you who to vote for. You have the right to vote for the local area that you live in. You understand the politics there, and you know the cultural shifts there. It’s truly a personal choice.”
“I think there are trans women who hear [Democrats betray them] and it hurts a lot and they aren’t able to [vote for them] and we have to accept that that’s OK. Because at the end of the day these candidates should do better, and they should understand how the poll numbers work and how to move the movable middle.”
But Ojeda said this is also “a conversation that I think it’s too late to have.”
“Right now, we need to focus on how we support people to make sure they feel brave enough to go out and vote, regardless of who they vote for. A part of me, out of survival instinct, is like, yeah, blue no matter what, but we also have to remember that after the election, we have to hold these people accountable.”
Blair said the same, emphasizing that PFLAG works hard to educate candidates and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who miss the mark on trans rights. “We’ve seen a lot of success with that,” she said, “with people on both sides of the aisle. That’s PFLAG’s special sauce, and that’s the kind of power that we bring to the table.”
Ojeda said that for now, no matter who you’re planning to vote for, the most important thing is that you do it and that you refuse to take no for an answer at the polls.
At the end of the day, he said, it’s “very important to keep going.”
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