The last time I wrote a blog was towards the end of June. At that time, I shared the joy and excitement over flying the Pride flag in my town, Waldwick. I also shared that I was running again for Waldwick Town Council, along with my running mate, Amy Weiner. It really was an amazing experience having the Pride flag raised. This may not seem monumental, but it is to many. It is important for young adults to feel welcomed, included, and have a sense of belonging in their community.
Life, for the most part has just been plain, C-R-A-Z-Y. In June, Vinny & I decided to adopt a dog. We’ve been discussing the idea for well over a year and made the unexpectant move by adopting a Black Mouth Cur…a what? Yes, a Black Mouth Cur. We also never heard of the breed, but it does exist. It has been a lot of work and patience, but our Buster has become a part of our family. We also have a 9-year-old puggle, Lizzie, who has not decided, at least yet, if she likes Buster. I guess time will tell.
Again, I am running for town council which takes up a lot of time and perseverance, but nothing beats meeting folks in town. One of the many reasons I am running again for town council is to increase LGBTQ+ representation. LGBTQ+ representation in the United States needs to be addressed and supported. LGBTQ Victory Institute’s Out for America report is an annual snapshot of the number of known out LGBTQ elected officials in the United States. The Out for America 2021 report — released in July 2021 — reviews LGBTQ elected representation as of June 2021 https://victoryinstitute.org/out-for-america-2021/
986
known out LGBTQ elected officials in the U.S.
0.19%
of U.S. elected officials are LGBTQ
5.6%
of U.S. population is LGBTQ
28,116
more LGBTQ people must be elected to achieve equitable representation
My hope is that I am helping others in the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to being on a host of boards and committees, I along with my colleagues are revamping the Bergen County LGBTQ Democratic Caucus, where I am the Interim President.
Also, the Victory Fund endorsed me for Waldwick Town Council. Victory Fund endorses candidates who will be strong voices for equality and who are building campaigns that are on-track to win. I’m honored to receive their endorsement.
Today on Labor Day, I find it fitting to mention a recent post on LinkedIn by my friend and colleague, Danielle Martinez. Danielle is the Human Resources Director at Solidia Technologies and a recent addition to the Garden State Council – SHRM, as the D&I Co-Director. “Many of us don't acknowledge the true meaning behind Labor Day. We think it's a 3-day weekend, the last weekend to wear white pants or the end of Summer. It's so much more than that. Labor Day is for us to honor the struggle of generations before and the fight they endured so we can have things like Fair Labor Laws (i.e., equal pay) and so much more! So ,before you go out and have fun take a moment to reflect on those who marched, struck, screamed, and hollered for our rights as workers!” #HappyLaborDay #laborday2021.
Thank you for reading and most important, always be your authentic self.