TAMPA, Fla. — For the members of the Hillsborough County LGBTQ Democratic Caucus, the fight for equality and acceptance is not limited to Pride month; it is a year-round endeavor.
The group holds monthly meetings and is also actively engaged in the community through weekly events.
WATCH full report by Michael Paluska
"There are a lot of people behind the scenes that do a lot of work," Nick Biscardi, Political Action Chair for the Hillsborough County LGBTQ+ Caucus, said. "We volunteer at Youth Outreach at one of the local clubs here in Ybor every month. And we're out there not just to register people to vote or sign petitions. But we're also there to distribute healthcare products and resources that people need. We want to make sure that our community is safe. So we do a lot of that. We also go around telling everybody the importance of voting and why they should vote."
With recent rollbacks on LGBTQ initiatives and the politicization of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the caucus is working harder than ever.
"Right now, the federal government is pounding down on the LGBTQ+ community, and that's not a good place to be," said Luis Salazar, president of the local organization. "We want to be able to walk down the street in America and not feel that we are in danger, that anybody can be put in those shoes. Those are LGBTQ values as well. Because the thing about equality is we're never going to achieve it. I know we're never going to achieve it. But there will always be people that will be fighting for it and protecting those little strides that we do get right. And it's important for us to admit that we have to have guardians watching [full equality], making sure that it is taken care of and nurtured."
At their June meeting, the group was joined by a special guest via Zoom: Mallory Lewis, the daughter of Shari Lewis, who created the beloved PBS children's show "Lamb Chop's Play-Along."
"But the reason pride matters to me is because inclusivity has always mattered in mom. When we did 'Lamb Chop's Play Along,' we had children of every color, and this was before anyone put the letters D, E, and I together," Lewis told Paluska. "Mom felt that unless you could see yourself on camera, see yourself achieving things, you would not assume that you could see or achieve them. We should be valued by our actions, not by the color of our skin. My message to kids has always been, 'Make good choices, be nice.' And I feel that the world, as we were so close to feeling like the world is turning in a better direction, it's clearly not."
The caucus has allies and friends across the Tampa Bay region, the State of Florida, and beyond. They tell Paluska that the work behind the scenes will never stop.
"We won't go back in the closet. That's something that we refuse to do. We need to be out there, which is what we do here at the caucus. We're out there doing our dedicated events every month. We need to be seen in the community," Biscardi said.
