Will the Biden campaign get more LGBTQ voters now that it has an LGBTQ liaison?
When hearing that Joe Biden and his campaign team now have an LGBTQ liaison, we have two initial thoughts. First, that’s great! Second, why’d it take this long to get one? Truly, having minority/sectionality liaisons is an important factor of any presidential campaign. Having campaign members who can get candidates in touch with the needs of certain groups also helps them gain voters within that group. And let’s be honest, that’s what politicians actually care about. So again, it’s a surprise that Biden’s campaign only just now named an LGTBQ liaison. Keep in mind, however, that Bernie Sanders, Biden’s competitor in the Democratic nomination, does not yet have an LGBTQ liaison.
But who is the man behind the title? That would be Reggie Greer. Greer is the former director of constituent engagement for the LGBTQ Victory Institute. As such, he’s a great fit for the role of LGBTQ liaison. Greer has past experience serving as a point person for the nation’s more than 850 openly LGBTQ public officials. It also doesn’t hurt that Greer can help the campaign connect with queer people of color and Black voters.
On top of that, Greer worked on the Obama administration as a special assistant to former Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and then later as the deputy director of public engagement at the Department of Transportation. This means that Greer already has a working relationship with Biden doing exactly what’d he’d be doing for the campaign.
Thanks so much! Looking forward to working with you!
— Reggie Greer (@rwgreer) March 23, 2020
After the Biden Campaign announced the hiring of Reggie Greer for this position, Greer himself released a statement. In this statement, he wrote:
“It’s an honor of a lifetime to join this campaign as LGBTQ+ vote director and serve America on behalf of Vice President Biden. As a young, black appointee in the Obama-Biden administration, I had the opportunity to see and learn firsthand from Vice President Biden’s dedication to LGBTQ+ advocacy, his willingness to ensure LGBTQ+ voices were at important decision-making tables and his lifelong commitment to elevating the most marginalized across various communities. America desperately needs those qualities in our president again. A president who is compassionate, can govern effectively, be a calming presence in times of crisis, and who can bring us together. I believe that person is Vice President Biden, and I am beyond humbled to serve the LGBTQ+ community in this capacity.”
Greer then added:
“Over the past three and a half years, LGBTQ+ Americans have watched with horror as the Trump administration has weaponized government against us, dismantled years of pro-LGBTQ+ policies, and targeted the most marginalized among us,” Greer added. “It’s time to turn the page. In a Biden presidency, the Equality Act will be signed into law, transgender servicemembers will be reinstated, LGBTQ+ Dreamers and asylum seekers will be heard, and the federal government will once again fight to protect LGBTQ+ youth from housing instability and discrimination. Given our nation’s rich diversity, the next governing coalition in America must be comprised of people from different races, ages, sexual orientations, cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, ideologies, abilities, faiths, and non-faiths to ensure the most fair, equitable, and forward-thinking policies are enacted into law. Americans are coming together to form that governing coalition and are choosing Vice President Biden to lead the next fight. In these uncertain times, but with a lot of hope in our collective future, I am excited to join the Biden team and work to ensure even more voices are heard.”
We’ll see how the Biden campaign changes its engagement with LGBTQ people now that Reggie Greer is running that side of things.
As Erin Wilson, national political director for Biden for President, told the Washington Blade after Greer’s appointment, she is “honored and excited to have Reggie join our campaign.”
“Reggie understands the consequence of this moment in history and the impact this election will have on the lives of LGBTQ+ in America and around the world for generations to come,” Wilson added. “His invaluable expertise and deep relationships in the community are going to be an invaluable asset as we work to build on Vice President Biden’s unmatched record of progress for LGBTQ+ people, fight to maintain the House, win back the Senate, and defeat Donald Trump this November.”
Sources: The Washington Blade
