Human Rights Campaign launches $15 million swing state strategy for Biden

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the largest LGBTQ+ rights groups in the country, has pledged tI spend $15 million in swing states to re-elect President Joe Biden.

The push to get the vote out will be targeting 75 million “equality voters,” those focused on LGBTQ+ rights as their primary issue in this election. But HRC notes that about one-third of these voters may not vote at all. An additional grouping of voters are likely to instead support a third party candidate, something the HRC hopes to prevent.

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“This group of voters, when you break them down by state, can actually make the difference,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in an interview with NBC News. “In a state like Arizona, where President Biden won it by about 10,000 votes, you got 1.4 million equality voters.”

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“This is a powerful constituency, a powerful community,” Robinson added. “It’s our job to make sure that they have the tools that they need to show out on the polls. So we’re going to be knocking on doors, making phone calls, engaging every member that we’ve got to make sure that our people turn out.”

The so-called “spending blitz” will target Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, all notable swing states that have previously been deciding factors for the victor of presidential elections.

The money will be spent on things like advertisements, field campaigns, events, and the hiring of more staff to better handle challenges as they emerge.

Many equality voters are currently not satisfied with Biden’s record on LGBTQ+ issues, with some arguing that he doesn’t go far enough in his push for LGBTQ+ rights, and is instead neglecting to focus on many of the pressing issues, especially those regarding transgender rights. This has led many to question whether they’re going to vote for him.

“Biden has continued to claim that he has the backs of transgender people, but he hasn’t really had much of a backbone on issues that affect transgender individuals,” Allison Chapman, legislative researcher and activist, told LGBTQ Nation in April.

“While he has done some good things, especially in the past few months with the defeat of the anti-LGBTQ+ riders and his unwavering support during Transgender Day of Visibility, it still remains lacking,” Chapman added.

“His support tends to lean more towards the performative and the easy small wins for his campaign and not pushing for any real major change,” Chapman continued. “With the constant attacks on LGBTQ+ rights across the country, it has left me and other LGBTQ+ questioning if he really has our backs or just wants our votes.”

Some argue that HRC’s efforts make them more likely to vote for Biden in the election.

Eden, an eligible voter in Georgia, told LGBTQ Nation, “I think I am more inclined to vote for Biden considering that equality focused groups are supporting him as opposed to Trump being backed by more right-wing, bigoted groups.”

Others say that they’re going to vote for Biden, but they’re skeptical about whether this approach will be as effective as HRC would like.

Jeffrey, an eligible voter from Pennsylvania, told LGBTQ Nation, “You can count on me to vote for Biden. But I dont think $15 mil is enough to convince those on the fence. Especially with the way the economy is. I’m almost certain most of them are just gonna vote for Trump.”

Currently, LGBTQ+ issues are in the midst of a heated national debate, with many conservatives, such as former President Donald Trump, promising to roll back many major decisions for LGBTQ+ rights, such as executive orders issued by President Biden. Other outcomes we can expect include conservative judicial appointees and policies that will infringe on the rights of trans individuals.

Much of the base that Biden is failing to reach include young people and people of color, who often feel alienated by his record on issues like institutional racism or Palestine, polling has shown.

Robinson said, “[Trump] is not someone that stands for any of our communities, and we are very clear about the threat that he presents, not only to equality but to democracy overall.”

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