HELLO HOMO! Election Interview with Rep. Leslie Herod
Hello Homo,
I’m so burnt out from politics. I want to care, but it’s all just so overwhelming and has been too much for years now. I know right now is the most important, but I just don’t have any fucks left to give.
-Anonymous OFM reader
Dear OFM reader, you are not alone. Your sentiment has been shared by almost all of the OFM readers who submitted election-related questions, with some level of despair. In the previous week’s interviews with Brian Sims and The Girl with a Microphone, we discussed methods of finding engagement and empathy with the election.
Today, I am honored to speak with Leslie Herod, the first Black, out lesbian woman elected Colorado State Representative. Whenever Leslie speaks publicly or in the media, and the handful of times I have been lucky enough to share space with her, I am always inspired by her passion, insight, and humor. When I asked Leslie if she would answer this question, she happily said, “Bring it on!”
What do you think about this question, Leslie?
I mean, listen, I get it. As someone who is in politics who was an elected official, I really get it. People are so burnt out by what’s happening and what has been going on. It feels like nothing really matters, right? Or they feel that nothing will make an impact …
Quite frankly, people are more concerned about taking care of themselves and their own mental health (understandably). They’re so burnt out with day-to-day life that they don’t know why they should engage in politics, but there are huge reasons to engage!
First, because it really does make a difference. I know firsthand what it’s like to hear politicians talk about the evilness of trans youth or LGBTQ+ people or how they speak about our “LGBTQ+ agenda,” whatever that is …
Second, I worry about our (LGBTQ+) young people, in particular, those who are coming out. Young trans people and LGBTQ+ folks who are being bullied at school. Or young people who are even being bullied by adults at home and in public. And there’s no one there or no policies there to protect them.
When we think about the election season right now, we know we have folks who are running for office who believe that people send their kids to school, and they come back (from school) with a “sex change operation.” (outdated language used by Trump for gender-affirming surgery). That is something that absolutely does not happen, and we know this! Yet, they are saying it happens. If we don’t show up at the polls and vote for people who will protect our young people, those people will make it into office.
Third, we also have candidates on the other side, and I’m not just talking about the top of the ticket. I’m also talking about your local elected officials who say, “Absolutely not.” We say, “We should all be protected so that we can thrive.” We say, “We will not bully these young people,” and we say, “We can live our lives as fully as we want to.”
That’s what we’re voting for in this election. We’re voting for a ticket that will embrace us for our full selves and not ask us to put aside who we are. That’s why it’s time to give a fuck!
Where do you find inspiration with this election? Thinking in terms of national politics but also on the state level, city politics, and the community work you do, what inspires you?
Yeah, I honestly find inspiration in those young people. The young people who say, “Despite everything that’s coming at me, I’m gonna be my full self.”
Specifically, I think about some of the young people in Denver’s queer culture. Like the kids who participate in YouthSeen and Dragutant, who have faced bullying, have been the targets of Libs of TikTok, who have even been doxed, and it has made them decide who they are.
Unfortunately, they are confronted with adversity early in their lives, but it’s also made them say, “You know what? I’m going to stand in the face of this, even if my peers can’t, and say that I’m proud of me! You know, I am living my authentic self, and I am excited for it,” and seeing them do that every single day inspires me to get to work!
Beautiful. Can you tell OFM readers what you’re working on and how you’re involved with the election?
Yeah. Well, I am excited to be involved in the Harris campaign. I was her Colorado co-chair in 2020 and have greatly respected and admired Kamala Harris. She has supported us right here in Colorado by offering her mentorship and guidance to me directly.
My top passion project has been and will continue to be Caring for Denver. Caring for Denver is a local ballot measure where every time you spend one hundred dollars, 25 cents goes to support mental health and substance misuse help right here in Denver.
Caring for Denver is amazing! Through this measure and funding, we’ve been able to fund so many amazing organizations that look different. Caring for Denver says: Therapy does not have to be in a room with just four walls and a couch, talking to someone who doesn’t look like you or doesn’t share your lived experiences and having them tell you how you should be, or how you should cope with the realities of today.
Instead, we fund folks (therapists, social workers, counselors, and community supports) who look like us, who have shared backgrounds, who can offer a perspective that is relatable, People who have experience in shared situations, experience and can meet people needing support in a different way. That is what I’m so proud to do right now.
We are in our fifth year as an organization, and we’ve given almost 200 million dollars to over 200 organizations in the city and county of Denver doing things differently. I’m so excited about that work!
That is really exciting! Where is the best way for OFM readers to find Caring for Denver and to find you?
Caring for Denver can be found on our website. If you are looking for support, go to the website. You will find links to our grantees, who are direct support resources for Denver. You might find one that works just right for you.
You can also find me on Instagram and sometimes Facebook; I’m not as active there, but I am also available on Twitter. If any OFM readers want to help me figure out TikTok, I am very open to that! (laughs)
So, Caring for Denver it is! Thank you, Leslie. You always have an engaging perspective, and Caring for Denver is inspiring!
Reader, I hope Leslie Herod’s perspective helped you see this election on a larger scale for LGBTQ+ rights across the U.S. and think locally about how this election can impact your day-to-day experience as a Coloradan. The election is next week, and we will finally see what awaits us on the other side. I want to thank all the OFM readers who submitted these great election-based questions. I also want to thank Brain, Kate, and Leslie for answering your questions!
Follow me on Instagram @holistic.homosexual for updates on my column!
I look forward to sharing the next HELLO HOMO next Friday!
Have a question you would like answered? Submit your questions directly to me at hellohomo@ofm.media
Disclaimer: Hello Homo is for informational and educational purposes and is not a substitute for mental health treatment. Hello Homo (Jesse Proia) is not providing mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment to readers. If you are someone you know is experience a mental health crisis or emergency, please contact 911, 988 or go to the nearest emergency room.
