Chosen Family, Chosen Rides: LGBTQ+ Ride2Vote
Despite increasing levels of acceptance for the queer community after the Obergefell v. Hodges case that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, it seems that the United States has experienced backslide in 2023, as a record-breaking number of oppressive bills have been pushed through state legislatures to target the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition to attacks of government ranging from municipal to federal, queer individuals experience hidden costs to safe travel, including compromises of their LGBTQ+ visibility, gender misrepresentation, and heightened levels of fear while on transport. Our staff at Rideshare2Vote AWARE has made it our mission to increase safety in the political process for queer voters, offering a free, reliable, round-trip Ride2Vote program designed specifically for the LGBTQ+ community.
This program, entitled Lavender Ride2Vote, offers both single-rider and carpooling options to allow voters to choose what setting makes them feel most comfortable. Furthermore, although all our drivers will be trained in queer allyship, our rides are designed to be physically discrete–unfortunately, no rainbows will be present–to protect the identities of our riders. This program is fully designed by queer people, for queer people.
However, our Lavender Rides program is not where our support of the LGBTQ+ community stops. We also assist our riders in ensuring they have not been dropped from the voter rolls, as is a customary voter suppression tactic, as well as target outreach programs to support individuals in queer gathering spaces. Finally, we believe that speaking out against oppressive legislation being introduced at every level of government is essential to protecting our queer family, friends, and coworkers.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: The Lavender Rides program does not serve only to be discrete but also to pay homage to the often hidden history and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States. The color lavender has roots in the queer movement dating back to the poet Sappho of ancient Greece, but gained national prominence during the Eisenhower administration when he penned an oppressive executive order that sent widespread fear of “outing” through the queer community. This period, entitled the “Lavender Scare,” demonstrated that despite hateful rhetoric from a homophobic majority, the LGBTQ+ community is able to persevere and thrive in their own right.
by Kennedy Jester
