Newsletter for week of October 27, 2024

ALMOST THERE!!

Self Care Leading Up to the Election 

Y’all. This election has felt brutal. There are so many amazing candidates and so much work to do and the stakes are high. According to a recent study from the American Psychiatric Association, 73% of Americans feel anxious about the upcoming election. This article has some good suggestions for steps we can take to manage our election stress, but the short version is this: Put boundaries on your exposure to political news, find ways to take positive action, use coping techniques to stop the anxiety spiral, and look for things to be hopeful about. If you find that you or your loved ones need mental health support, there are many crisis resources listed here. 

Omaha For Us is offering a day of community care in a politics free zone on election day. See their social media and/or website, or email bestlife@omahaforus.org with questions. If any readers know of other similar events on or leading up to election day, please email us and we will publicize them in next week’s newsletter and/or Rainbow Parents’ social media.

Make your Plan to Vote

Whether you requested an early mail in ballot, will vote early in person, or will vote on election day, please start now to make your plan to vote. Include family and friends in your plan, and make sure everyone has a ride to their polling place and an acceptable form of ID. Also, please remember to not wear campaign t-shirts or buttons when you vote in person. 

This page from the Nebraska Secretary of State’s office has links to information about  in person early voting, which we can do now at our county election commission office. The last day for in person early voting is Monday, November 4th. There is also info on where to find secure drop boxes for your mail in ballots, which must be dropped off by 8pm Central/7pm Mountain on Tuesday, November 5th (same as the deadline to vote in person on election day). If you plan to use the USPS to mail your ballot, it is recommended that you mail that no later than Tuesday, October 29th. 

Last Push Campaign and GOTV Work 

OutNebraska has statewide phone and text banking opportunities for GOTV (Get Out The Vote) and also in person and virtual volunteer opportunities statewide on the ballot initiatives. 

Candidates still have work for us to do. Check out individual candidate social media or websites, or the Nebrsaka Democratic Party mobilize page for activities all over the state, including Hastings, Hickman, Lancaster County, Sarpy County, and more. 

Action Steps

1. Take care of yourself!!

2. Make a voting plan

3. Engage in positive action for a candidate who supports Queer kids! Have you done your 10 actions by election day? If not, no worries. We’re all doing the best we can. If you have the capacity, can you do 1-2 things between now and election day? 

   
   
   
   

Queer Joy

This article emphasizes how all over the country, and across the political spectrum, rainbow parents like us are banding together to do the work of supporting our Queer kids. Love and inclusion will win, y’all. 

Get out your hankies for Not Losing You, a heartwarming short video/PSA highlighting the importance of parents supporting their Queer kids. 

The cast of Hamilton recorded this video, urging us all to vote. It’s definitely joyful. And it is musical theater, so it’s at least Queer adjacent, right?