LGBTQ History Month, Voting and Democracy

October is, among other things, LGBTQ History Month. Throughout the month, LGBTQ advocates and organizations will be sharing insight and perspective from important people and events in our community’s history. And throughout the month, many of these remembrances will no doubt focus on the importance of honoring our history by voting in November.

We’ll be supporting both of these activities this month by joining the Washington Blade’s effort to encourage the LGBTQ community to vote. Each Friday of this month, we’ll have a half-page ad in the Blade’s print editions that uses quotations about voting and democracy from LGBTQ authors, poets and politicians to encourage our community to register and vote.

As one of our ads will note, 1 in 5 LGBTQ people are not registered to vote. For a community still working to secure equality under the law, that’s a significant obstacle. If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote, visit GLAAD’s action page at https://www.glaad.org/action to check your registration, learn where to register to vote in your area and take the pledge to vote.

And if that’s enough of an incentive for you, here’s a preview of the quotations we’re using in our Blade ads this month:

“Your silence will not protect you.” – Audre Lorde

“If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.” – Bayard Rustin

“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” – James Baldwin

“The only way you really see change is by helping to create it." ― Lena Waithe

“Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.” – Harvey Milk

As we will note in one of the ads, we’ve based our business on “restoring common sense to communications.” This most critical of election years, we are encouraging the LGBTQ community to help restore common sense to democracy by voting.

As an NGLCC-certified LGBT Business Enterprise run by a gay man with a history degree, we understand the importance not just of honoring our history, but learning from it. And as a business focused on public affairs and communications, we understand the importance of promoting democracy. It’s at the very root of our ability to do business.

Check out our ads in the Blade’s print editions and online at www.washingtonblade.com. And of course, please VOTE.