The Chicago mayoral contest has been on my mind quite a bit lately.
Three hours away in Champaign, most of my neighbors couldn't give two John Deeres and a New Holland who Chicagoans pick to be their next neighbor, so I'm not exactly the first person most would think of as the likely suspect for a candidate interview. The U.S. Senate race, sure. That affects us down here. I've got a state-wide constituency for my column in Out & About Illinois Magazine, and a national constituency over at Bilerico.com, FeastofFun.com and my talk show, SameSexSunday.
The race is very significant for me, however.
Since the Rev. James Meeks dropped out of the running, this contest has suddenly become a curious anomaly in America. For the first time in my memory all of the major candidates for the vacant mayor's job in a major American city are supporters of marriage equality, have strong LGBT campaign platforms and have reached out to the LGBT community to prove their legitimacy as staunch LGBT allies.
Emanuel, Moseley Braun and Chico all support LGBT equality strongly in their campaigns. This is the choice I've dreamed of for over a decade of activism—there is no choice between anti-gay and pro-gay, they're all pro-gay! Finally, I can focus on other issues!
Chicago, I'm jealous that you have the opportunity to pull a lever in this election. I know there are those of you who don't plan to vote, and I wish it was legal for me to fill in for you. Its not. It would bring me so much joy to finally be able to make a choice in a contest where my primary concern isn't "which one wants to take my rights away more."
Being invited to interview Sen. Moseley Braun was a complete surprise for me. I live hours away from her Hyde Park neighborhood. I am a writer, but generally not for Chicago publications exclusively. I didn't spend very much time, however, pondering why I was chosen. I just knew I had time to be glad.
The year 2004 was to be the first presidential year I was old enough to vote in the primaries. In 2000 I turned 18 in September—which means I was old enough to vote in the election, but not old enough to vote during primary time in Michigan. This needed to count. I began following the Democratic field very early. One candidate that caught my attention was Carol Moseley Braun—the first and (to date) only African American woman to hold a seat in the U.S. Senate.
I was in awe of her audacity and determination to change the conversation in this contest. The former ambassador's bravery was subversive and incredible. I was very sad to see her drop out before the primary made it to Michigan, because I was certainly impressed.
Seven years later, I found myself listening to TomTom guide me to the Senator's house. Life has an interesting way, sometimes.
I've long been awed at Moseley Braun's ahead of the curve thinking on LGBT issues—in 1993 she voted against the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" compromise bill, and in 1996 she gave a moving and eloquent floor speech urging her colleagues in the Senate to be on the right side of the "arc of history" and vote against the so-called "Defense of Marriage Act." I asked her about both of these historic disappointments that she was present for, and specifically how she felt the day she learned DADT was repealed. Her answer was moving, and you can hear it on my podcast SameSexSunday on iTunes.
She really got to the heart of our the work of our movement when she answered my question on the "when" of DOMA repeal:
"And as the LGBT community organizes and is organized as it speaks to these issues, not just where they live but as they speak to these issues with family, friends and religious institutions and in social settings as the climate of opinion moves in regards to this issues so will the politicians in regards to this issue."
I agree with Carol. We must push forward in this movement not only to change the hearts and minds of lawmakers, but the hearts and minds of all Americans. Luckily, we have allies like the senator to help make that happen.
You can read the transcript of our entire conversation at Bilerico.com by going to my contributor page, located at www.bilerico.com/contributors/phil_reese/ . You can also listen to my questions about DOMA, DADT, why the Chicago race is important and what the Senator thinks about the current tone of political discourse in America by downloading or streaming the SameSexSunday podcast at samesexsunday.podbean.com .
