My name is Nathan Kuipers. I joined DailyKos in 2004, and launched my campaign for the Florida House of Representatives last year. You can learn more about the campaign at www.nathanforfl65.com.
We have a lot of politicians in Florida who make their way by punching down. This tactic has been politically successful. It has involved disparaging LGBTQIA+ individuals, religious minorities, and people of color. It makes our discourse uglier, drives us further apart, and discourages minority communities. Sometimes, it even leads to violence.
I strive to not take these things personally, a process too many of us know too well. I worked in public schools, teaching music. But, the "Don't Say Gay" legislation opened doors to consequences for being myself. When our governor took his show on the road, he led many allies to consider boycotting Florida businesses. This included some LGBTQIA+-owned businesses. Our allies worried for their safety. For the first time in my life, parents asked if their LGBTQIA+ children could safely attend Florida universities.
Americans felt security after Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. Fast forward to 2024, and laws proposed criminalizing teachers. Educators could be punished for protecting gay, trans, questioning or queer students. These proposals spread in a rash across the nation. Conservative lawmakers work to connect two ideas: defending queer children from harm and criminal behavior. We see the state working to damage families that are on the “outside.”
My partner, Stephen, lost his brother Geoffrey to AIDS in 1994. Geoff died at Tampa General Hospital, where he had worked as a laboratory technician. Both brothers were deeply involved with and contributed to healthcare in Tampa. But, help for AIDS patients was unavailable. AIDS was not profitable to cure. Its victims were not valued enough for outrage. The cost of being on the “outside” of these dynamics was a burden to my family. We still live with its effects. In Florida, our state and legislature hold the power to change this dynamic.
Legislation put forward by Florida from this session is uninspiring. Our representatives remain mired in culture wars. My Republican opponent is incumbent Representative Karen Gonzalez-Pittman. She sponsored legislation to protect the membership process for college fraternities and sororities. It is a colorful detour in the culture war. What is missing is the work to restore academic freedom. The work to protect our students' future. Our legislature ignores big issues like housing, the cost of living, and insurance. Instead, they work to keep individuals and families excluded. They work to keep people on the outside.
I’m a true believer in the melting pot of our culture. I’m grateful that the state of Florida is a rich, diverse place to live and work. Our nation has a history of moving different groups through ridicule and alienation. It has moved them to acceptance and integration. We are moving to a place where the bad parts of this cycle are past us. That "hazing" component we subjected so many to in American history can be just that: history.
Running as a gay man in Tampa Bay isn’t quite as revolutionary as things other Americans did. When Shirley Chisholm ran for President in 1972, she put more on the line than I can imagine. Rep. Chisholm was so brave and unique that what she and I share most is people telling us the battle is hopeless. But it is my step, my small contribution, to bettering my home and our republic. A step to put an end to the marginalization of my people, and the others who have been "punched down" on.
Lately, many Americans have wanted to give up on Florida’s elections. Part of this may be the perpetuation of "Florida Man," which is actually a great example of our open press. Part of this may be the rampant fraud and exploitation that can occur in our state. Part of it might be the "Winter White House" in Mar-A-Lago. The largest factor, in my view, is the success of Florida Republicans.
This is a mistake. We can end the Republican supermajority in Florida. We can end the corruption of the judicial branch here and elsewhere. But it starts with electing state-level Democrats. It starts with competing and winning on turf Republicans have owned since the days of the Tea Party. I see it as a Floridian iteration of Howard Dean's 50-state strategy in our 67 counties.
Florida's 65th District is exactly the kind of target we need to turn the page. There is a narrative forming that can lead to a new chapter in American governance, but it needs support. Providing a progressive alternative through modern communications in this swing district creates change. The kind of change Kossacks have been working toward since I joined almost 20 years ago.
Supporting our campaign sends a message that there is support for LGBTQIA+ people. It says that there is an alternative for politicians from punching down on out-groups. It says that America, and Florida, believes in building towards our shared future. It says that Tampa is moving to a new cosmopolitan culture. In a twist on what our New York-to-Tampa migrants say, "If it can win here, it can win anywhere."
Please support me in burying the Ruby Florida myth and writing a new chapter.
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