I wasn’t always a political nerd, a mantle I now wear proudly. It’s something that changed around the time I moved to Florida in 2007.
I was in my early 20s so I had voted before then, just not in my best interests. My hometown wasn’t aggressively conservative — though it had no shortage of the brand of bigotry often found in such circles — I just didn’t know any better.
Like a lot of people, I grew up with a baseline understanding that you shouldn’t discuss religion or politics with the folks in your orbit. I now fully believe they’re the two things that every single person should absolutely be talking about, because ignorance and indifference only help elect people like Donald Trump.
It was the ignorance of my youth that helped elect George W. Bush in 2004, my first presidential election. I thought he was a fool but almost everyone I admired on a personal level supported him, so I went with the incumbent.
Kids vote for the darndest things.
I was apathetic to politics because I didn’t understand they could make a difference. Politicians never seemed to showcase any real support for the socioeconomic class I grew up in, to say nothing about the LGBTQ+ community of which I quickly realized I was a part.
Basically, growing up poor and gay in Ohio doesn’t make you particularly patriotic. I was convinced the system didn’t work for folks like me, and I was certain that it never would.
No one broke through that gridlock until Barack Obama — or, I should say, two friendly women at a gas station in Tarpon Springs. I moved to Florida a little over a year before the 2008 election and they stopped me to ask if I was registered to vote.
I was, but updating my registration from Ohio to Florida wasn’t something I had given much thought. I was tangentially aware of the national politics playing out around me, but I was more concerned with building a new life here.
It wasn’t easy, and I had no reason to believe voting would change that, but those two women did. They outlined all the ways Obama wanted to fight for people like me, and I believed them.
They were decades older than me, Black, clearly religious and probably married with grandchildren, but for all of our obvious differences we shared a single truth: we were hungry for change. Another straight white man wasn’t going to bring it.
Those women weren’t officially working with the campaign, at least as far as I could tell, but they were Obama’s finest surrogates. I made sure I was ready to vote for him after meeting them and I proudly did so. That man will always be my favorite president.
He didn’t fix this country but he certainly made it a better place for people like me. That’s what politics can do — and why conversations about politics matter. I’m so thankful to those ladies, whoever and wherever they are, and I thought about them when my husband and I voted early this month.
If you haven’t already voted by mail or taken advantage of early voting yourself, underway through Aug. 16, please make sure to vote on Aug. 18.
To help you make an informed decision, Watermark Out News reached out to hundreds of candidates ahead of this year’s race to get them on the record about LGBTQ+ issues in our last issue. You can view candidate responses — or the lack thereof — right here:
They made clear that we have allies, from those seeking seats on school boards to those running for governor, and Florida has made clear that we need them now more than ever.
When you aren’t taking part in your civic duty, have a little fun in your community. Our new issue focuses on inclusive third places in Tampa Bay and Central Florida, environments outside of our homes or workplaces where we can connect with one another.
In Central Florida news, our primary election coverage continues as we look at the race for Orange County mayor. Richard Kowalczyk, a former owner of Southern Nights Orlando and its shuttered sister in Tampa, is also sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
We preview Cocktail’s upcoming St Pete Pride fundraiser in Tampa Bay, an event designed to help the nonprofit continue its work. Zubrick Magic Theatre also celebrates five years and we preview “Conscience” from Powerstories Theatre, a Lavender Scare-era staged reading at Stageworks.
Watermark Out News is proud to be your LGBTQ+ news source. Stay safe, stay informed, make a plan to vote and enjoy this latest issue.
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