On Nov. 5, the "Hillary LGBTQ Bus Trip to Iowa" took place, with approximately 90 volunteers making the trip to the swing state, according to co-organizer Charlie Rice-Minoso.
Illinois state Rep. Sara Feigenholtz presented the event. Co-hosts included Kevin Hauswirth, Dalila Fridi, Anthony Alfano, Jamie Citron, Rob Fojtik and Rice-Minoso.
"We coordinated with Hillary [Clinton's] field office and Sara Feigenholtz happened to be there," Rice-Minoso told Windy City Times. "She thought it was such a great idea, so she sponsored our primary bus. As we started to sign up more people, we needed a second bus, and the campaign was able to cover that. People on the host committee were able to contribute funds for snacks, water and suppliesand extra supplies were donated back to the campaign to other volunteers who do phone banking or other things for Hillary. Sidetrack even [loaned] entertainment like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Will & Grace for the ride back and forth.
"It was a really good experience. We had good representation as far as gender, ethnicityit was really wonderful. We had a lot of first-time canvassers as well as experienced ones. The energy was great."
Volunteers, who met at Center on Halsted before traveling to Davenport, knocked on more than 2,000 doors, Rice-Minoso said. "We were told that the county we were in is one of the most influential in the state, and could actually flip the state. We really hoped we made a difference, but it was also a lot of fun."
Rice-Minoso said the campaign is accepting volunteers up until Election Day, Nov. 8. See www.hillaryclinton.com/events/ .
Andrew Davis