Victory comes From the Courage to step up – and out.
I’ve just completed a year long campaign to serve my city of Nashville TN as a Metro Council representative. It was the first time an openly gay women has run for this office. My partner Joan and I live in was was once considered are strongly conservative area of town. When redistricting occurred in the middle of our campaign and had us suddenly facing an incumbent when before it was an open seat. We continued on and gathered the support of hundreds of fellow Nashvillians and from dozens and dozens of new friends and supporters through The Victory Fund.
In 2003 the city of Nashville tried to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance for its employees. It was a dramatic time. Some of the council members that supported it received threats. It did not pass because of a tie-breaking vote. We were disappointed and waited for change once again, because of the promise that “It Does Get Better”.
In 2008 I made the commitment to never work for a client or an employer that does not have a fully inclusive nondiscrimination policy. In 2009, friends and colleagues began asking me if I had any interest in running for office.
I knew that I would only run if the new nondiscrimination ordinance offered that year, passed. -It did. “It Does Get Better”.
It takes courage to step up fearlessly. It takes time to gather that courage and to find and build the support system that will keep you from harm. It Gets Better because of all of these things.
Let me say again, I would have never run for office in 2011 if the 2009 Metro Nondiscrimination Ordinance had not passed. I received 44% of the vote. I am now looking toward taking what I learned about my community and serving it in other ways.
It gets better when you step out. It gets better when you step up.
It gets better.
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