Your first job as a leader, your top priority, is to find and train your replacement. And you get bonus points if you find and train two.
That top priority is something I was taught by the President of my first union. And it’s the lead of my first message to the Caucus membership.
Hi – my name is Kristen Browde. I’m an out transgender woman, an attorney living in Miami. You may have heard that Nathan Bruemmer has resigned as Caucus President as he launches his campaign for State Representative. Per Caucus Bylaws, as Vice President, I’ve become the new President of the Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus.
I don’t have to tell you that we’re in a battle for our lives. But what you may not know is what I heard in a briefing from the data team at Out for Harris.
Data shows that LGBTQ+ voters are the single strongest, most reliable block of Democratic voters in every state of the nation. I see our job in this campaign season as not just energizing and activating those members of our community, but reaching out to the farthest reaches of our community.
We need to reach the vibrant and energetic BIPOC community. We need to reach the various Hispanic LGBTQ+ communities. We need to reach out to the younger LGBTQ+ communities and make sure they’re registered and voting. And we need to see how many of the wealthier and older gay voters who say they’re OK with Trump we can convince to give up the delusion that they’ll be safe if Project 2025 is imposed by the Trumpists.
I know there’s disagreement among us on certain issues. We’re Democrats. We disagree about things all the time – we are the true “big tent” party with diverse opinions. But what we all know is that on any issue, a return to Trump would be a disaster.
So I urge you as members of the LGBTQ+ Caucus to do far more than just show your Pride. Reach out. Bring in new members of your communities. Ask them to join us at lgbtqdems.org.
But most of all, get them to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and to vote all the way down the ticket. To vote in every state and local race. To oust every judge appointed by Pudding Fingers Ron and Fifth Amendment Rick Scott. And then to turn over the ballot and vote #YesOn4 – and against ballot initiatives 1, 2, 5 and 6.
This year, in Florida, we’re fielding a record number of LGBTQ+ candidates. If we elect them, if we break the right wing stranglehold on our legislature and Take Back Florida, we can bring vital change.
Please join us, and if you need help or have a specific outreach problem, let me know how the Caucus and our team of Democratic and LGBTQ+ activists can assist. We want to help you succeed, and will do what everything can for that to happen.
With Pride,
Kristen Browde
President, Florida Democratic Party LGBTQ+ Caucus