Jeremy Rodriguez
Pennsylvania’s delegation to this year’s Democratic National Convention will include 27 members of the LGBTQ community, including several from Philadelphia.
Brendan Welch, communications director for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, called the LGBTQ community a “cornerstone of the Democratic Party.”
“We must actively elevate LGBTQ+ voices if we are to achieve the America Democrats stand for: justice, equality, and opportunity for all people, regardless of race, gender identity, or who you love,” Welch wrote in an email to PGN. “We welcome all of our LGBTQ+ delegates with open arms and look forward to electing Democrats who will fight for you – both in our nation’s capital and in our state.”
Sherrie Cohen, a social justice activist and former City Council candidate, said it was an “honor” to represent her community as one of the delegates. She noted that higher rates of homelessness among LGBTQ people, murders of Black transgender women and high rates of HIV/AIDS are among the unique challenges facing this marginalized population.
“Our community is disproportionately affected by every measure of well-being – whether it’s access to health care, housing or employment discrimination,” Cohen said. “We are disproportionately underrepresented in all aspects of the economy and society [issue] because of the historical bigotry that our community has faced and continues to face. We need representation in the Democratic Party so we can fight for a platform that will uplift our community and fight for candidates who want to be champions for our community.”
Deja Lynn Alvarez, a transgender activist who campaigned for Philadelphia City Council last year, said she was “extremely honored” to be one of the delegates, but noted she felt an added responsibility to not only fulfill ” checkbox.”
“I have never been a person who wanted to be assigned to something or join something just to be there,” she said. “I’m there to represent our different communities and I’m trying to do that.”
Alvarez also said many people in the LGBTQ community don’t feel like the Democratic Party truly represents them. She said that to facilitate them feel more supported, she plans to exploit her platform to ask Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden questions about how he can facilitate the community. She said statements such as “Biden is better than [President Donald] Trump” or “Democrats are better than Republicans” are not helpful to this narrative.
“It’s not enough,” Alvarez said. “We can’t stop there. Otherwise, we just let everything go back to the way it was before. Where they were is not where they need to be in 2020.
Sergio Cea, a committed PLEO delegate (party leader and elected officials), echoed Alvarez’s statements. Cea, who works as a 46th District Democratic Committee member and community organizer, supported Bernie Sanders’ campaign with the candidate’s platform devoted to issues such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Cea said he plans to press the Democratic Party on these issues.
“There are many issues that we could bring to the attention of the Party at a time like this – when the pandemic appeared [the status quo] it’s not working for us — it’s the right time to move left,” he said.
Additionally, Cea will come to the DNC with an intersectional approach. As a Latino and the son of Chilean immigrants, Cea said he is “blessed to have many intersecting identities that bring many different viewpoints and perspectives to these issues.”
Cea recalls the time he visited his family in Chile earlier this year. He was making ice cream in the park when a police tank drove down the street and shot at citizens with water cannons.
The situation in Chile was very similar to his experience in West Philadelphia a few months later on May 31. That day, police tanks rolled through 52nd St. and threw tear gas and rubber bullets into the community.
“When I saw those tanks coming into my neighborhood, it really made me think about Chile’s fascism and militarism, which the United States has directly played a role in,” Cea said.
Malcolm Kenyatta, Pennsylvania’s first Black state representative, will also bring his intersectional perspective to the DNC as a delegate.
“Being a young person, a black person and a queer person – all of these different intersections bring a certain perspective and I think that’s important because this president has tried very hard to divide people based on race, class, gender and economic status,” Kenyatta said. “He is actively working to make life harder for the people he is sworn to serve. So all the intersections that embody us are people that Trump preyed on.”
Kenyatta also said he looks forward to Biden winning the November election, and if Biden wins the November election, she will become the first female vice president.
“I think it will be a huge historic moment in every way, and I’m excited to be a part of it,” he said.
Micah Mahjoubian, policy director and top adviser to Pennsylvania Sen. Sharif Street, said he was proud to be one of the DNC delegates and praised Biden for his work thus far.
“He has the experience, relationships and empathy that we need right now,” Mahjoubian said. “I’m proud to support him.”
Jeremy Rodriguez is a reporter for Philadelphia Gay News, where this story first appeared.
