Friend: This is a longer, but especially important, email about why I’m running for Congress to defeat my anti-LGBTQ opponent Chuck Edwards.

It’s also National Coming Out Day so I thought I’d share my coming out story with you and some thoughts on how that connects to this moment and my campaign.

I hope after you’re done reading, you’ll chip in $25 or more to ensure we have the resources to fund our organizing work and run a winning campaign.

As an LGBTQ person, you never really stop coming out. Instead, it’s a part of daily life, with countless moments and choices about how you talk about your life, how you dress, how you move through the world.

That’s true for me right now, as we campaign across Western NC, knocking doors, and organizing in parking lots and backyards. The moment I introduce myself and talk about my family – Meghann and our three kids, the four loves of my life – I come out again. Each time, I feel proud and I am also reminded why coming out matters.

When I married Meghann in 2008, our marriage was not legally recognized in North Carolina, or most places in the country. It was a daily reminder to us of the work that needed to happen.

Together, we launched the Campaign for Southern Equality. We were told that what we were doing was unrealistic and that we were reaching way beyond the stars. But with focused action and grit, we kept pushing forward. And finally, marriage equality became legal across all 50 states.

That’s why on this National Coming Out Day, I’m celebrating all of the progress that’s been made and reflecting on how far we still have to go.

My extremist opponent Chuck Edwards confirmed in our debate last night that he opposes the freedom to marry. He has spent his time as a state legislator working to pass “Don’t Say Gay” bills. The contrast between us could not be starker.

If we’re going to ensure our laws finally work to fully protect LGBTQ people, then we must stop electing people who oppose equality.

We win when we work together. Will you please chip in $25 or more today to our grassroots campaign to help us spread our message and organize across Western NC before Election Day in four weeks?

National Coming Out Day is about celebrating the LGBTQ community. It’s about supporting people who are coming out for the first time. And it’s about recommitting to being brave and strong about working to create a world where things considered “impossible” actually happen.

We’re in this together – always.

– Jasmine