My last 2 weeks were split between D.C. (at the annual Creating Change conference), and Tallahassee (for Equality Florida’s advocacy event, Pride at the Capitol) leading groups through meetings with legislators. The groups were democrats, republicans, Jews, Mormons, atheists, people with no party affiliation who have never voted before, queer people, moms to gay sons, teachers, nurses, lawyers, doctors, students, and every other kind of person. Maybe the only thing we all had in common was an understanding of the way the legislation happening now is and will impact ALL of our lives regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

While so many people are actively trying to divide us and create more hate, the last two weeks were a beautiful reminder of different people coming together for a better future.

I am thinking particularly about two women I met who proved it’s never too late to change your mind or take action. One, a lifelong Mormon, Republican, and mother to a gay son. She was a Reagan appointee and as of September 2025 decided enough was enough and she needed “her party” to hear her say they had crossed her line. The other, a retired Raytheon executive, a trans woman who transitioned in her late 50s in 2014, “before things got bad publicly for trans people.” She talked about being supported and welcomed by her coworkers and how sad she is to know that wouldn’t be the case if she tried to come out working there today.

Every story I heard about why people showed up reinforced that the idea of republicans versus democrats is a dangerous and damaging game for all of us. I saw for myself how amazing it feels to come together from different places and for different reasons to fight for a better world for everyone.