Last year, over 500 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills were introduced in state legislatures across the country. This was nearly three times the number of bills introduced in 2022, and, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, set a new record for anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced in state legislatures. 

This year, at least 177 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills have already been introduced in state legislatures. As 2024 progresses, the amount of proposed anti-LGBTQIA+ bills will continue to increase. It is important now more than ever to be an active participant in your local elections, starting with school board elections all the way up to the gubernatorial elections. 

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As queer college students living in one of the most LGBTQIA+-friendly states in the country, it is important not to get complacent in our privilege and forget about local and state elections. Your participation in your local elections, whether that be California’s elections or your home state of Florida’s elections, could have a great impact on LGBTQIA+ people in your community. 

School board elections often get overlooked, but have huge impacts on LGBTQIA+ youth. Planning, executing and reviewing the effectiveness of policies is the main function of school boards. School boards also provide general oversight and guidance for the professionals who run the day-to-day operations of the schools. 

School board decisions have a direct and immediate impact on the youth that the board oversees. In 2023, two California school districts banned pride flags on school grounds. Decisions like this create hostile environments for the LGBTQIA+ students within the affected schools. The banning of pride flags shows a lack of support for marginalized identities within  schools, and studies show this lack of support within schools leads to worsened mental health among LGBTQIA+ youth. 

One of the ways you can sway your local school district’s policies is by researching and electing school board members who support LGBTQIA+ rights.

The average school board election only has a 5-to-10% turnout of eligible voters. This means school board elections are an untapped opportunity to secure LGBTQIA+ rights in your neighborhood. 

By voting in your local school board elections, you can help influence policies within your local school district that can help greatly improve the safety and wellness of LGBTQIA+ students within your school board’s jurisdiction. 

Municipality elections are also frequently overlooked, and these include mayoral, city council and sheriff elections. The average voter turnout for these elections is less than 15%, which means that only three out of every 20 eligible voters will cast their vote in the election.

Municipal elections can have a bigger impact on your daily life than you may realize. In 2023, the Bartlesville City Council voted in a 4-1 decision to ban drag events from public venues. These decisions came after months of debate surrounding a drag show that was hosted in the city on Sept. 10, 2022. 

Drag bans such as this unfairly target members of the LGBTQIA+ community and LGBTQIA+ culture. These drag bans often pass on the assumption that drag is inherently sexual and therefore dangerous for children and the public to interact with, which furthers unfounded and harmful stereotypes about LGBTQIA+ individuals. But by voting in city council elections, voters may be able to prevent anti-LGBTQIA+ policies in  their communities. 

Given the uncertainty regarding the continuation of federal LGBTQIA+ protections this election cycle, one of the best ways to ensure your rights in your own state is to vote for state congressional representatives and governors with whom you agree on critical policies.

In the past, when LGBTQIA+ rights were on the chopping block, state laws have allowed for LGBTQIA+ individuals to gain more civil rights than they had on the federal level. Some of the most notable examples of LGBTQIA+ state protections prior to the passing of federal protections include Illinois decriminalizing sodomy in 1961, Massachusetts legalizing gay marriage in 2003 and California adding nonbinary as a gender identity option on birth certificates in 2017. 

To ensure LGBTQIA+ rights are protected this election cycle, I urge you to pay attention to, vote in and encourage others to vote in state and local elections at every level, from school board to governor elections. This may be one of the best ways to ensure the safety and well-being of your fellow LGBTQIA+ citizens and a brighter future for LGBTQIA+ youth. 

Peyton Dacy is a sophomore writing about the struggles queer people face on college campuses and beyond. His column, “Lavender Letters,” runs every other Tuesday.