I smiled and got a bit teary-eyed when I read Chanel Vargas’ story about Ally Maldonado, ‘How Sen. Kamala Harris Inspired 1 Young Mexican-American Woman to Come Out to Her Family’
Campaign rallies can often stir up strong emotions. For college student Ally Maldonado, attending Senator Kamala Harris's presidential campaign kickoff rally in Oakland in January inspired her to make a life-changing decision. "We must all speak truth about what is happening," Sen. Harris said. "We must seek truth, speak truth, and fight for the truth. Let's speak some truth." It was these words that inspired Maldonado to come out to her parents after the rally.
"As a Mexican-American queer woman, this is it. [Harris] is it for me," Maldonado told POPSUGAR via email. In the video, produced by Sen. Harris's presidential campaign, Maldonado reflects on the moment that sparked her to action. "So when she says, 'Let's speak the truth,' it's like, 'Okay, let me speak my own truth,' because part of it wasn't there. I have to be honest with myself first. So I came home and I talked to my mom about it. . . . She had a really good reaction — better than what I'd anticipated. I just needed that extra tug."
Following her eye-opening experience at the rally, Maldonado got the chance to meet Sen. Harris. The student wore a Kamala Harris Fearless Shirt for the occasion, and Sen. Harris had some wise words to share with her young supporter. "I'm proud of your strength; I'm proud of your courage; and I'm proud of your leadership," she said. "You have to remember something: Real leaders don't ask anybody if they can lead. They just lead, and that's what you've done. Never ask anyone permission to lead."
Pride Month 2019 has seen a lot of high points so far, and a back-lash of hate-spewing to go with it, much of it egged on from the oval office. Kamala Harris’ response to Trump:
I had the honor of being one of two Grand Marshals at my own local Pride Parade, and the only sad note of the day was I didn’t get to wear my rainbow colored Kamala swag — which arrived two days after the event. I wanted folks to see that I take pride in my chosen candidate.
This year was special, because it is also the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, which I wrote about in Marching with Pride; armed with history.
As a bi woman I can’t speak to the gay male or transgender experience. I will share a funny-tragic story though. In the early 70’s a series of circumstances forced me to abandon what I was doing politically and go underground. It was pretty scary being targeted by both the FBI and the NYPD, who had shoot-to-kill orders and photos of us on the dashboards of their squad cars. Many of my leftist friends were not willing to take the risk to take me and my partner in. In desperation, I showed up at the apartment of two gay friends of mine who I had spent a lot of time with at Howard University. They had moved to New York and were living on the upper west side of Manhattan. They were both drag queens. They not only took us in, but insisted that cops were not going to stare at a group of queens and wouldn’t pay any attention to me if I morphed into a gay boy. They shaved the head of my straight male Black Panther partner, and pierced his ears. They did the same to me. I became a young drag queen — like my friend Sylvia (who I was imitating). We would go out to clubs and gay bars, and when we sashayed down the streets at night, the cops would look away. I lived as a gay boy in public for almost a year. I passed :)
Prior to that my only experiences had been in lesbian clubs. The world of gay men was a very different scene. I won’t ever forget that time, or those two brothers. My Panther partner started out as mildly homophobic. At the end, after we were busted, he became a staunch ally of the LBGTQ community. He is one to this day. People can change. My two gay friends saved both his life and mine.
Kamala Harris is, and has been, a long time supporter and defender of LBGTQ+ rights. I respect her for that, and it is one of the reasons I’d like to see her become President.
Here’s her position on LGBTQ+ Equality
We must speak truth: Homophobia and transphobia are real in this country, and they’re being fueled by an Administration that openly attacks Americans based on who they are or who they love.
We’re at an inflection point in our struggle for equality, and Kamala won’t leave anyone to fight alone. Together, we’ll fight for the equality of the LGBTQ+ community in all of its diversity.
That’s what Kamala has done her entire career. As District Attorney in 2004, she established an LGBT hate crimes unit. And when many Democrats supported civil unions, Kamala was marrying same-sex couples at San Francisco City Hall. As Attorney General, Kamala led efforts to abolish gay and transgender “panic defenses” in criminal trials that were used to excuse violence against LGBTQ+ people, and refused to defend California’s discriminatory Prop. 8 in court, setting the stage for nationwide marriage equality. As Senator, Kamala led the charge against President Trump’s anti-LGBTQ+ judicial nominees, and sponsored legislation to ensure LGBTQ+ Americans are properly counted in the census and to prevent the use of religious beliefs as a justification to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people.
As president, Kamala will fight to pass the Equality Act to provide the LGBTQ+ community explicit and comprehensive protection from discrimination in all facets of life, including employment, schools, and public accommodations. While she wages that fight, she will immediately reinstate President Obama’s LGBTQ+ equality executive actions to protect federal workers and prohibit discrimination by federal contractors, in federally funded housing programs, and by hospitals participating in Medicaid and Medicare. Kamala also supports placing a third gender option on federal identification cards and documents. She will roll back Trump Administration rules that allow individuals to use their religious beliefs as a justification to discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans.
But LGBTQ+ people don’t just face discrimination: too often in America today, they face violence as well. We can’t ignore it, and we must address it. As president, Kamala will appoint an Attorney General who makes investigating and prosecuting hate crimes a priority and invest in law enforcement training on interactions with LGBTQ+ individuals.
Kamala believes we also must fight for equality around the globe by making LGBTQ+ rights an integral part of our foreign policy approach. That starts with America living by the values we preach. On day one Kamala will reverse President Trump’s immoral ban on transgender servicemembers in the Armed Forces.
Kamala’s message is simple: Our America is one where everyone is afforded equal rights, and that’s the America we will fight for together.
Just announced:
There are about 70 million reasons to support Kamala Harris for President!
Newpioneer has rounded up some highlights of her sponsored legislation here.
snowman3 has rounded up some more legislative highlights here.
Want to know more about her positions and plans? Her policy page is Our America.
Or go straight to an issue: quality, affordable health care for all, economic justice,raising teacher pay, combating the climate crisis, criminal justice reform, action on gun violence, a fair and just immigration system, LGBTQ+ equality, government for the people, debt-free college and student debt, gender equality, American leadership at home and abroad, and fighting for racial justice.
Please remember to visit our community group page Kamala2020 and give us a follow! That way all our group efforts will appear in your stream; this makes it easy for everyone to keep up with our latest posts. As always, any who would like to join our group please leave us a comment and we’ll get your invitation right out to you!
f you’d like to volunteer to host one of our Kamala 2020 diaries, please leave your comment in the ”Calling all Volunteers”thread.
Even if you can’t commit to a weekly spot due to your busy schedules, guest bloggers are always welcomed!
This week’s schedule
Please volunteer! Come share your story about why you support Kamala!
Sunday, June 16 — Diana in NoVa
Monday, June 17 —Onomastic
Tuesday, June 18 — Desert Scientist
Wednesday, June 19—Diana in NoVa
Thursday, June 20— Denise Oliver Velez
Friday, June 21 — snowman3
Saturday, June 22 —rflctammt
Sunday, June 23—Dfh1
Let your voices be heard!
*Please remember this is a Kamala2020 group effort, & not a Daily Kos sponsored activity or endorsement.
While you’re here, don’t forget to visit Kamala’s Official Campaign Website and her Swag Shop for your favorite campaign gear! 😄
If you’re on Twitter, please follow@KamalaHarris and @SenKamalaHarris
(If you’re not on Twitter, bookmark to ersatz follow)
on Instagram: @kamalaharris
and facebook: KamalaHarris
Group Guidelines
The Kamala2020 community group has been created to positively support Senator Kamala Harris, and not to engage in negativity towards other Democrats running in the 2020 primaries.
All should be made to feel welcomed here. What’s not welcomed here is petty bickering over any of our preferred candidates, or personal attacks on fellow Democrats. We’re not responsible for the actions of others who may offend, insult or attempt to sow discord and disunity — that’s on them.
What we are responsible for are our own words and actions — that’s 100% on us.
I’d like to ask all group members, as well as those dropping by who support or are interested in Kamala’s bid for the nomination, that we not respond to negativity from other campaign’s supporters with even more negativity. Let’s do better than our best and respond with respect, humor or try to hold our peace. Recipes and cat pics work, too 😃
Doing no harm costs us nothing... pie-fights will cost us everything.
Upcoming Events:
June 21: Kamala will be at Rep Clyburn’s Fish Fry in Columbia, South Carolina
June 22: Kamala will participate in Planned Parenthood’s forum on reproductive rights in Columbia, South Carolina.
June 26-27: The first debates will be held in Miami, Florida, and will be broadcast live on NBC, MSNBC and Telemundo. Kamala Harris will be in the June 27 group.
June 30: March with Kamala Harris at SF Pride
July 30-31: The second debates will be held on July 30th and 31st in Detroit, Michigan, and will be broadcast live on CNN
Sept 12-13: The third debates will be held on September 12th and 13th, and will be broadcast by ABC and Univision.
Twitter Roundup — past and present:
2016 Attorney General Kamala D. Harris Announces Membership of New Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board
Mariana Marroquin, appointed by Attorney General Harris, is a Guatemalan actress, community advocate, and Program Manager of The Anti-Violence Project at Los Angeles LGBT Center. For more than 15 years, she has worked not only for the LGBT community but also with other underserved populations in the field of HIV prevention, domestic violence, victims’ rights, substance abuse, immigration, advocacy and community organizing.
From 2017
2019
Happy Pride Month everyone!