Anti-LGBTQ laws inspire many LGBTQ people to seek public office

Anti-LGBTQ laws inspire many LGBTQ people to seek public office

Transcript¹

The avalanche² of anti-LGBTQ laws before state legislatures this year is inspiring LGBTQ candidates to seek office. This is even happening in smaller cities and rural parts of the U.S.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

Some statehouses across the country are trying to limit conversations about sexuality and gender³ identity in schools or block gender-affirming care for trans children. But as the Mountain West News Bureau's Bert Johnson reports, they're inspiring some LGBTQ citizens to push back by seeking public office.

(SOUNDBITE OF FOOTSTEPS)

BERT JOHNSON, BYLINE⁴: On a recent Sunday in Sparks, Nev., Nnedi Stephens was walking down a quiet tree-lined street, wearing bright-purple braids and a mask with their name printed on it. Spring was in full bloom, but Stephens didn't have time to savor⁵ it.

(SOUNDBITE OF KNOCKING ON DOOR)

NNEDI STEPHENS: Hi. My name's Nnedi Stephens. I'm a Democratic candidate running to be the next state senator for District 13.

JOHNSON: With Nevada's primary election coming up in June, they're trying to connect with as many voters as possible.

STEPHENS: It's incumbent⁶ upon us to be very conscientious⁷ about who is in the room, who is sitting at the table and whose perspectives are being value in this conversation.

JOHNSON: Stephens, who's nonbinary, says they're running for office to bring more representation to the Statehouse, especially for the young folks whose classrooms are on the front lines of the culture war.

STEPHENS: Being able to see themselves represented in this space is something that I want to be able to give today's students because they deserve it.

JOHNSON: More than 600 LGBTQ candidates are on ballots⁸ this year. That's according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, a nonpartisan political action committee that supports candidates running for office. Annise Parker is the fund's president and CEO. She expects that number to grow.

ANNISE PARKER: Each two years, we're still seeing a large surge of folks from marginalized communities stepping up.

JOHNSON: And Parker says, despite stereotypes⁹ about smaller communities, running for office in a place like Sparks allows the right candidate to really connect with their neighbors.

PARKER: It is more important for a voter to know that you understand their daily life than who you go home with and may share a bed with.

JOHNSON: That's been Jacob Torgerson's experience. He's a gay man running for Montana's House of Representatives.

JACOB TORGERSON: I'm running because they passed some of the most discriminatory bills we've had, you know, ever in the state of Montana.

JOHNSON: Last year, Montana's Republican-led legislature passed a trio of anti-LGBTQ bills. Torgerson estimates he's knocked on almost 3,000 doors in his district. And he says most Montanans are really concerned about things like the high cost of housing and child care.

TORGERSON: In the session, these folks knew that these bills weren't popular, and they knew that Montanans didn't want these bills passed. And they still passed them.

JOHNSON: According to a February survey by the left-leaning firm Data for Progress, 63% of all voters they polled said the government should stay out of decisions about gender-affirming care. Back in Nevada, Kimi Cole is running to be lieutenant¹⁰ governor. If successful, she'd be the first trans person elected to statewide office here. Cole began her gender transition when she was 54. She says facing discrimination during that process was an eye-opening experience.

KIMI COLE: And I said, I've got a few chapters left in me; I got to do something about this. So that was what prompted me to get politically active.

JOHNSON: Cole lives in rural Carson City and says, thanks to her transition, she's able to be more authentic¹¹ as a person.

COLE: It makes it very easy for me to - generally speaking - to connect with and talk with people from various different backgrounds.

JOHNSON: And connecting with different people is what she says makes her the best candidate to represent others, whether they're LGBTQ or not.

For NPR News, I'm Bert Johnson in Reno, Nev.

(SOUNDBITE OF ENDLESS DIVE'S "BLURRED")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

6 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

7 conscientious   

adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的

参考例句：

• He is a conscientious man and knows his job.他很认真负责，也很懂行。
• He is very conscientious in the performance of his duties.他非常认真地履行职责。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

11 authentic   

a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的

参考例句：

• This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
• Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。