After an onslaught of right-wing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community over the last few years, incoming Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Kelley Robinson says she is hopeful that the tide will turn on Tuesday.
“I think that once we are able to really claim some victories on Tuesday, we’ll be able to actually get broader protections across the board,” Robinson said in a phone interview with the Advance Wednesday night.
Incoming Human Rights Campaign (HRC) president Kelley Robinson | HRC website
Robinson is spending her time before the election campaigning with top Democratic officials in Michigan and elsewhere. On Tuesday, she lifted up LGBTQ+ issues alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in metro Detroit. Nessel is the first openly gay top official elected in Michigan.
All three Democrats face challenges from GOP figures who have vocalized anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Republican gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon has made anti-LGBTQ+ policies in education her closing election message. GOP attorney general nominee Matt DePerno and GOP secretary of state nominee Kristina Karamo have frequently made anti-LGBTQ+ comments and have joined Dixon in calling for books bans, particularly for books with LGBTQ+ characters and/or themes.
Spokespersons for the Dixon, DePerno and Karamo campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In addition to campaigning with Whitmer, Benson and Nessel, Robinson on Tuesday also participated in a “hate won’t win” phone bank in Ferndale’s Affirmations Community Center alongside HRC Michigan State Director Amritha Venkataraman, and an LGBTQ+ meet and greet with Venkataraman at the ACLU of Michigan’s Detroit office.
Robinson, who spent the previous 12 years working in reproductive rights advocacy as executive director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund and has experience in community organizer before then, will be the first Black, queer woman to lead HRC.
Her first official day as HRC president will be Nov. 28.
“Our community is facing a crisis right now. And what we’re seeing from the opposition is them leaning in in the most cruel of ways and attacking kids, attacking our right to education, attacking our very lives,” Robinson said.
“ … There’s so much that you could vote against. I think in Michigan, there are real champions for us to vote for.”
Our community is facing a crisis right now. And what we’re seeing from the opposition is them leaning in in the most cruel of ways and attacking kids, attacking our right to education, attacking our very lives.
– Incoming Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson
The Advance spoke with Robinson on Democratic messaging around LGBTQ+ rights, the onslaught of attacks on the community from GOP leaders, what to expect in the next few years on issues like same-sex marriage, what victories at the polls may mean for vulnerable communities and more.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
: The election is just days away at this point. Democratic officials in Michigan — Gretchen Whitmer, Dana Nessel, Jocelyn Benson — are choosing to close on this pro-LGBTQ+, inclusive message. What do you think that says about the Michigan Democratic Party’s priorities right now?
Robinson: It says to me that they’re leading with their values. They know that these are issues that voters care about. The vast majority of Michiganders support same sex marriage, 70% of Michiganders support anti-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation and gender identity. They’re prioritizing these issues because they matter to the voters. And I’m excited about that.
This year, we know that there’s a lot of hate out there. There’s a lot of cruelty happening. There’s so much that you could vote against. I think in Michigan, there are real champions for us to vote for. And I see that in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, I see that in AG Nessel, I see that in Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
: This national GOP push against LGBTQ+ rights — the likes of this hasn’t been seen in quite a few years. Can you speak on that?
Robinson: Look, this level of hate and cruelty is unprecedented. Over the last several years, we have seen a dramatic increase all across the country on anti-LGBTQ+ pieces of legislation. On top of that, we also saw last year be the deadliest year on record for trans lives. Our community is facing a crisis right now.
And what we’re seeing from the opposition is them leaning in in the most cruel of ways and attacking kids, attacking our right to education, attacking our very lives. So this is a moment where we don’t just need supporters; we need champions. And that’s why on my trip to Michigan, we have the houses packed. We had a massive rally with the [Fems for Dems]. We had a community leaders meeting. We got to visit Affirmations, the local community center. Because our movement is about making sure that we put our community at the center of this, that we fight with and for real people.
Because this is not what Michiganders are going to stand for, not what they’re going to tolerate. And we’re seeing that happen now. And we’ll definitely see them demonstrate their power, our power, at the polls on Tuesday.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (left) Attorney General Dana Nessel (center) and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (right) | Andrew Roth photos
: Are you concerned about certain elected leaders who have been in office throughout these attacks and chosen not to condemn that?
Robinson: I’m focused on our champions. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is a proven champion. When she was in the state Senate, she was one of the leading folks with the Elliott-Larsen [Civil Rights Act] bill making sure that it be amended to protect folks regardless of sexual orientation and gender. And she did that from day one in the governor’s mansion.
In addition, Gov. Whitmer made sure that state funds couldn’t be used for conversion therapy. And on top of that, she flew the pride flag over the governor’s mansion. First time it’s ever happened in the state. Like, these are champions. And I think with the leadership like hers, the leadership like Dana Nessel’s, leadership like Secretary Benson, we’re looking at a different future for Michigan — one that really does prioritize equality in a way that our families deserve and our kids deserve.
: That segues into my next question, which is, what do you expect on this front in the next few years?
Robinson: Well, I think starting with Tuesday, I think we expect massive turnout. People are enthusiastic for showing up for reproductive freedom, which is also connected to our bodies and our lives in the LGBTQ+ community. And I’m excited about that. And I think that once we are able to really claim some victories on Tuesday, we’ll be able to actually get broader protections across the board.
Immediately after the election, we’re really pushing to make sure that federally, we get passed the Respect for Marriage Act [codifying same-sex marriage] and also build a pathway to passing the Equality Act. And we want to make sure that we are really not living in a country with a patchwork of protections for LGBTQ+ people depending on what state and what county you live in. This is our chance to really get to a place where we’ve got equality and freedom for every member of our community without exception, so I’m hopeful about how we can get there once we win this Tuesday.
This, I think, is a chance all across the country for folks to really decide and make it clear that we’re not going back. We are going forward. And we know exactly the candidates that will take us there.
: What are your thoughts on the future of same-sex marriage in Michigan and beyond?
Robinson: I am hopeful that people understand the crisis right now. I spent the last 12 years of my life working in reproductive rights before coming to the Human Rights Campaign. And this year made it clear that, in too many ways, we’re one Supreme Court decision away from losing so many of our hard-fought rights. That includes the right to marriage. Folks understand the urgency of this issue, and … I am really hopeful that this year we’ll be able to pass the Respect for Marriage Act.
… There are so many people to root for this year, that I think this is one of those moments [where] we’re not just against something — we’re really fighting for something powerful.
: Do you think that should be the closing message for Democrats as we go into Tuesday?
Robinson: Absolutely, and they’re showing that. They’re showing a hopeful vision for the future. And this, I think, is a chance all across the country for folks to really decide and make it clear that we’re not going back. We are going forward. And we know exactly the candidates that will take us there. So I’m excited about Democrats making that closing message, I’m excited about those quality candidates sending that closing message, and I’m most excited about the enthusiasm that we’re seeing from voters in every county and state across the country to show up and show out.
authored by Laina G. Stebbins
First published at https%3A%2F%2Fmichiganadvance.com%2F2022%2F11%2F04%2Fnew-human-rights-campaign-leader-were-not-going-back-on-lgbtq-rights%2F
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