Happy Pride Month, John.
Pride is an opportunity to celebrate the progress the LGBTQ+ community has made, reflect on the work it’s taken to get here, and reaffirm our commitment to the work that remains to secure justice and equality for all LGBTQ+ people.
At a time when LGBTQ+ rights, and trans rights in particular, are under attack from the far right, it is as important as ever that we fight to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person can live and thrive as their authentic selves.
This Pride Month is especially significant to me because I’m running in New York’s 10th Congressional District – which includes the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ liberation movement, the Stonewall Uprising, which was led by queer people of color. It remains home to one of the most vibrant LGBTQ+ communities in the nation.
I learned how to be my authentic self in what is now NY-10, in New York City.
When I arrived at law school, I was still closeted. I was too nervous to come out to my classmates but I found refuge with the gay community of the West Village, finally in a place that felt accepting to me. Following law school, I moved to the city, where I gained my footing as a young lawyer, working in offices in Midtown and lower Manhattan. Through my experiences in this city, I found the courage to come out to my family and friends.
It was in the West Village that I attended my first Pride Parade. I will never forget how nervous I was that day. But I will always remember how it felt to march alongside other queer people, including queer people of color, like me. How it felt to really see myself in the people around me and be seen by them, cheered on by the allies who embraced us.
Growing up closeted, and in the many years since, this community has been an oasis for me as I navigated becoming who I am today. Yet, it has never had an openly gay representative in Congress. With your help, I would be honored to become the first.
I am proud to have been elected the nation’s first openly gay, Black member of Congress in 2020, and have served as a progressive champion. NY-10 deserves representation that represents its values.
Today, LGBTQ+ folks have rights that were unimaginable back then, but also still face many of the same challenges. We can't mark Pride without addressing the crisis of violence against trans people in America. LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to be homeless as their straight, cisgender counterparts. And the far-right majority on the Supreme Court is poised to overturn marriage equality.
So this Pride Month, as we proudly parade in the streets, may we also recommit to our fight for justice and equity for the whole LGBTQ+ community.
None of us are free until we are all free to live and love how we choose. I believe that the people of NY-10 and I share a vision of a future where everyone — and I mean everyone — can live in dignity.
Thank you for your ongoing support! 🌈🌈🌈
Onward,
Mondaire
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