I’ve been feeling worried about he upcoming election, as I’ve heard a few too many LGBTQ friends say that this election doesn’t matter to them, and they are more interested in Hillary in 2016. I’m looking forward to getting very excited about 2016, but before we get there we have to get focused on a huge progressive win at all levels of government in a few weeks.

At risk on the national level, is losing control of the U.S. Senate and everyone who supports Marriage Equality, as well as any other LGBTQ related issue ought to be scared to death of a GOP take over there. Those who don’t agree with me reply, “How much worse could government inaction get,” but that is really missing the point. The reason we need to hold the Senate is to protect and fight for any judicial nominees that may come before the Senate.

The current US Supreme Court is problematic for LGBTQ Rights in my opinion. Their decisions surrounding Citizens United and more close to our issues, Hobby Lobby, suggest that while we can hope the Court is supportive of Marriage Equality, it is also highly supportive of the right for businesses to discriminate. Marriage in and of itself, may not be the stumbling block to full equality. Rather, nondiscrimination protections will be the place where gay, lesbian, bi, trans, and queer persons remain treated as second class citizens. As long as employers can fire you, or you can be denied public accommodations, LGBTQ persons will penetrate a shame based mentality because of the culture within which we live.

Democrats must hold the Senate because any battle for a judicial nominee will need as much support as it can have. It won’t be an easy battle, but we cannot let more conservative judges be placed into the judicial system or we will be looking at year’s and years of continued second-class status.

We are at a place in the culture war which is most akin to a tug of war. Every little bit of energy that can be added will help keep momentum going in a progressive direction. There is no election that doesn’t matter.

LGBTQ persons must also care about the way big money is flowing into politics. While there are parts of the LGBTQ community which is better off, on the whole, the LGBTQ community is not able to compete in that big money arena. Our struggle relies upon Justice, and when money takes precedence over Justice in an election, we are likely to get screwed. So, our voice must be large, loud and active in every election.