Biden’s official at the DNC explains how Democrats secretly fight for equality
As the Democratic National Convention (DNC), enters its final evening, buzz is growing. Two former presidents, as well as LGBTQ+ members of Congress have delivered powerful and inspiring speeches in the last few nights. They have clearly outlined what this election is all about. The Biden administration’s efforts to advance LGBTQ+ rights after four years of Trump. Considering the surprise appearances by Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, and Lil Jon, it feels like anything could happen.
LGBTQ Nation spoke to Matt Hill, a gay man who is the DNC’s Senior Director of Communications, about the legacy of the Biden administration, Tim Walz as an formidable LGBTQ+ ally, the party’s identity, and the future of the Equality Act.
Related:
How the Biden administration pushed LGBTQ+ rights forward after four years of Trump
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When Hill began serving as senior associate communications director for President Biden, Trump had spent the last four years rolling back LGBTQ+ student protections, threatening to defund schools with transgender-inclusive policies, and legalizing religious queerphobia in everything from adoption rights to public accommodations.
“A big part of coming into the White House was reversing a lot of the backward-looking policies that Donald Trump had implemented: from
trans people from serving in our military and the hate-filled remarks that he had for many communities,” Hill said. The Biden-Harris agenda in the first two year was largely aimed at reversing Trump’s harmful policies. “But it was also about making sure the rights and liberties of the LGBTQ community are protected,” Hill added. Hill continued, “The biggest honor that I had while working at the White House on this portfolio was to meet some of the LGBTQ youth that would come to Pride and other events and see how they would feel knowing that Donald Trump and his MAGA extremists were going to take us backwards, and roll back the liberties and rights of LGBTQ Americans.” The Democratic Party this election cycle feels very different. The Harris-Walz campaigns have referred to Trumps’ press conferences as “self obsessed” “public melting downs” in which he “lies” or “rambles uncoherently.” DNC speakers repeatedly hit Republicans with Project 2025, the Christian Nationalist blueprint that Trump will use to erode federal government protections and civil rights. Even Michelle Obama–who once famously said, “When they go low, we go high”–delivered a speech explicitly calling out Trump’s racism and misogyny.[banning]”
Democrats are being very forward-leaning about how much we care about freedom,” Hill said. Hill said that Democrats are being very forward-leaning about how much we care about freedom. The reality is, this is not your Grand Old Party. It’s not your grandfather’s old party. It has been completely taken over by extremists who bow down to no one except Donald Trump, and don’t have the same vision and values for the LGBTQ community that we as Democrats do.” Why Walz is so successful at branding Trump and Vance “weird”. Walz has been able to successfully brand Trump and Vance as “weird” for trying to insert the government into families’ medical and reproductive decisions. The attacks on Walz have not stuck, mostly because of his history as a high school teacher, coach, military member, and progressive governor who helped working class citizens. He’s too “normal” – in the stereotypically American way – to be considered “weird.” They are people with very similar upbringings as other Americans in this country. Donald Trump inherited his wealth, fame, and money. He only ever works to do anything in benefit and service of himself.”
“Tim Walz,
has given himself to his communities and to our collective community,” Hill continued. “He was a Minnesota teacher who served the community. He served his country overseas as a veteran. He served as a representative in the House for his constituents and now, he serves the state of Minnesota. They want to take this country backwards, and so all he’s doing is telling the truth.” Drag PAC held a “Voter Registration Kiki” during the DNC where they teamed up with local queens to perform show-stopping drag numbers and register voters in order to mobilize them for a Harris victory in November. During the DNC, Drag PAC held a “Voter Registration Kiki” where they teamed up with local queens to perform show-stopping drag numbers and register voters to mobilize them in favor of a Harris victory in November.
“The convention and our partners on the campaign want to use every tool available to get out the vote and reach people, whoever they are, wherever they are, whether they’re a drag queen, whether they’re a former Republican or MAGA voter, or whether they’re someone from rural America,” Hill said. “What we are doing here at the convention is showcasing to the world and the country that we’re building the broadest and most diverse coalition in history that will take on and defeat Donald Trump a second time.”
“Whether it’s drag queens voting for our freedoms and our future, whether it’s Republicans who are supporting our ticket to vote for our freedoms and our future, or whether it’s a teacher or firefighter who think there’s nothing more than just getting to work and coming home to their family and putting putting food on the table, what we all have in common is we believe that America needs to move forward, and we need to protect our freedoms and our rights, and to have someone like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House fighting for us, fighting for our family.”
How Harris can pass the Equality Act[These days,]The biggest LGBTQ+ agenda item in the 2024 Democratic National Platform is the Equality Act, legislation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to pre-existing federal anti-discrimination laws. The Equality Act was introduced by the Obama Administration in 2015. It passed the House in both 2019 and 2021 with bipartisan support, but failed in the Senate because it did not receive enough Republican votes to overcome the filibuster. In order to pass this time, it’ll still need Republican support.
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and also President Biden, have been strong supporters of the Equality Act,” Hill said. Hill said that “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, as well as President Biden, have been strong supporters of the Equality Act.”
