As Night One of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) winded down Aug. 19, Equality PAC hosted a late night party in honor of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus ahead of November’s key elections.
The event, hosted at Sidetrack, 3349 N Halsted St., brought together local Democrats alongside donors and allies in support of voting in Congress’ most queer class yet–amid an increasingly hostile onslaught of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and dog whistles from the Republican party. The party lasted until the early hours of Tuesday morning, accompanied by performances from local drag queens Silky Nutmeg Ganache and Naomi Smalls (of RuPaul’s Drag Race), as well as Jackie Cox.
Washington State Sen. Emily Randall took the stage first, touting the organization’s help securing her the Democratic nomination for Washington’s 6th Congressional District. That is a safe Democratic seat–all but ensuring her victory–which has voted for previous Democratic candidates with margins in the double digits.
If elected, Randall will not only be the first LGBTQ+ person to represent the district, but the first Latina—and even the first woman.
“We are breaking a lot of glass ceilings together,” Randall said to a hyped audience. “Because Equality PAC got behind me, because LGBTQ folks across the country lined up in support, we won.”
Ganache took the stage to lip-synch to the Star Spangled Banner, while Cox sang a campy rendition of “I2I” from The Goofy Movie, along with a get-out-the-vote lyrical remix of Rent’s “Out Tonight,” hyping up the audience between speakers.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), the first LGBTQ+ member of Congress of Asian descent, spoke of her endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris. If Harris wins in November, she will be the first woman president of the United States, as well as the first of Asian descent.
Equality PAC has endorsed 15 candidates in November’s general election, including transgender Delaware State Sen. Sarah McBride, who ran unopposed in the state’s primary after being endorsed by the group. She would become the first elected transgender member of congress upon winning Delaware’s at-large district.
The fundraising group helped elect the “gayest” congress in history in 2022, preserving crucial seats of incumbents in competitive seats such as Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN), while locally, Rep. Eric Sorensen became Illinois’ first-ever openly queer congressman, winning a seat in the 17th district swing seat.
If Equality PAC’s efforts prove fruitful this fall, that will only be the beginning.
“On November 5, at the end of the night, I’m going to announce: We just elected the gayest congress in history,” Takano proclaimed.
