Powerful new ‘Not Going Back’ advert shows timeline of Kamala Harris’ fight for LGBTQ+ rights
Human Rights Campaign launches major ad push to mobilise LGBTQ+ voters in key battleground states (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has launched a major ad campaign aimed at mobilising queer voters in key battleground states ahead of the US presidential election.
HRC’s campaign, which officially begins on Friday (11 October) to mark National Coming Out Day, will reportedly encourage LGBTQ+ voters to “phone bank, canvas, rally, and fundraise” for each day of its “10 days of action”.
Alongside the campaign, HRC has released $2 million worth of political ads in support of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, with the campaign reportedly aiming to reach more than 1.5 million voters in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Wisconsin.
One of its ads, titled “Not Going Back“, shows a timeline of Harris’ fight for LGBTQ+ rights, while another ad, titled “Shadows“, accuses Trump of inviting “hate out of the shadows and into our communities”.
Both adverts warn of the dangers of Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the next Republican administration that aims to chip away at abortion rights and trans rights.
While Donald Trump has claimed he has nothing to do with Project 2025, fact-checkers have explained that former Trump administration officials had contributed to the project, and that several of its proposals matched Trump’s past policies and campaign promises.
HRC explained that it is targeting “equality voters” as part of the campaign, which it defines as “those who prioritise equality when deciding who to vote for”. It claimed that in 2022, “equality voters” made up 38 per cent of the US electorate, which “delivered wins” for pro-equality candidates.
“With Election Day around the corner, the stakes are as high as ever for LGBTQ+ Americans,” HRC president Kelley Robinson said.
“The American people know that we deserve leaders with a vision to ensure we don’t just get by, but have the chance to get ahead. We know we deserve leaders who believe in the promise of this country and the value of our communities. Those leaders are Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz.
“Our job is to show up for them in the same way that they have shown up for our community for decades. Over the next 10 days, we will knock doors, make calls, and rally communities across this country to send the clear message that when we show up, equality wins.”
Harris for President Campaign’s national LGBTQ engagement director Sam Alleman added that it is “not taking a single vote for granted”.
“With our 10 Days of Action, we’re bringing this vital message directly to the voters who will decide this election, and showing them that when we fight, we win,” Alleman said.
Campaigners have warned that if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election in November, it could have a severe impact on trans and LGBTQ+ rights in the country.
The former president’s re-election website features a section called Agenda 47, which outlines his policies if he returns to office. In one, titled “President Trump’s Plan to Protect Children From Left-Wing Gender Insanity”, he explains he would revoke President Joe Biden’s policies on gender-affirming care, and pass a law essentially banning gender-affirming care in all 50 states.
Trump also pledged to sign a new executive order to end all programmes that “promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age” in every federal agency. And any hospital or healthcare provider delivering gender-affirming care to trans youth will be deemed to no longer meet the federal health and safety standards for health insurance Medicaid and Medicare.
Finally, if Trump wins the election, he has stated he will ask congress to pass three bills regarding gender identity.
One will state that the only genders recognised by the US government are male and female, “which are assigned at birth”. Another will effectively ban trans women from sport, and a third will mandate that parents must give consent before their child can change their gender identity.
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