I’ve given a lot of thought to our current political environment and the state of this election.
As a writer, I’m supposed to have this special “writer persona”. One that doesn’t alarm anyone, that doesn’t ruffle any feathers–one that focuses solely on the promotion of my work.
I get that. Who hasn’t been disappointed to learn the political views of one of their artist heroes? I remember vividly how terrible I felt when I learned that Orson Scott Card, the sci fi writer who thrilled and amazed me with “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker for the Dead”, had literally called for an armed revolution to keep me as a gay man from getting my rights. And a friend recently lamented the discovery that Moe Tucker, drummer for the Velvet Underground, was a Tea Party supporter.
So yeah, I understand the reasons for it. When a writer steps out of his/her carefully crafted persona, there’s a risk that they will alienate some of their fans.
And yet…
We are in the midst of a truly unprecedented election in this country, unprecedented for its bile and for its potential impact. There are many reasons to vote for or against either candidate. Some of these reasons are even true, based on real, factual things.
But only one of these two candidates represents a clear and present danger to me and those I hold dear.
When we won the marriage equality fight last year, it marked the end of a long struggle, of which my husband Mark and I were personally a part of for almost 15 years. We won it by the slimmest of margins – a 5-4 vote at the US Supreme Court.
We know that the next president will immediately have one vacancy to fill, but it’s likely that as many as four seats will need to be filled during the next president’s first term. While filling the current vacancy with a conservative would return the court to the status quo, one more would tip it fully to the conservative side. And from there it’s a short trip to the end of marriage equality in this country.
I know some people say that Trump doesn’t hate the LGBT community. I don’t think he does either. I think we’re basically irrelevant to him. But he has pledged to put more judges the likes of Scalia on the Court, and that act alone threatens me, my husband, and all we hold dear.
So I am stepping out of my writerly persona on this one and asking you to come out to vote against Trump.
There are many reasons I feel this way, but only one that’s truly relevant to this discussion. The man represents a direct danger to my family.
If you love me and people like me, we need you to show up this year and say “No”.