This year has asked a lot of us.

It has asked us to stay steady when the ground felt like it was shifting beneath our feet. To keep showing up when the noise grew louder, the attacks more relentless, and the stakes unmistakably clear. And it has reminded us — sometimes painfully — that progress is never guaranteed. It must be protected, nurtured and fought for, again and again.

My wife Becky and I are raising our children in a moment when the world is watching closely — when the choices we make as a country will shape the lives they grow into. Like so many parents, we want our kids to feel safe. To feel valued. To grow up knowing that they belong. And that hope — that responsibility — is what guides me every single day.

This year, the attacks on LGBTQ+ people were specific and targeted. And they were meant to intimidate. We saw efforts to erase our stories, undermine our families, and turn fear into policy. But what I witnessed — in community after community — was not retreat.

It was resolve.

I saw parents refusing to let anyone define their children’s worth. Educators choosing courage over convenience. Faith leaders opening their doors wider. Young people standing taller. And allies showing up — not just in moments of celebration, but in moments of consequence.

That spirit carried us across the country on the American Dreams Tour. We went not to lecture, but to listen. To sit at kitchen tables and in sanctuaries. On campuses and in community centers. What we found was a deep hunger for connection and an even deeper belief that our stories still have the power to change hearts, minds and futures.

Those stories became our strength.

They fueled organizing. They shaped strategy. And they reminded us that equality is not an idea reserved for courtrooms or campaigns, it is something people live and defend every day. This year, LGBTQ+ voters and our allies once again showed that when we organize with clarity and courage, we win. Across the country, voters rejected fear and chose fairness. 

In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger refused to let anti-LGBTQ attacks distract from the real issues families care about — healthcare, safety and dignity — and voters rewarded her courage by electing her the commonwealth’s first woman governor. 

In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill stood firm for equality and opportunity and earned the trust of voters who wanted leaders focused on solving problems, not stoking division. 

And in California, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, protecting democracy itself by pushing back against partisan gerrymandering and preserving a fair shot at representation for equality-minded communities nationwide.

These victories were not accidents. They were proof — once again — that fighting for LGBTQ+ people is not a liability, it is a strength. When candidates lead with values instead of vitriol, when they refuse to scapegoat and instead speak honestly to people’s lived realities, voters respond. This year confirmed what our movement has long known: embracing equality doesn’t just reflect our morals, it wins elections.

But make no mistake: I am not naïve about what lies ahead. The opposition is loud. The challenges are real. But I am also clear-eyed about something else: The tide is shifting.

Our movement is stronger. Our coalition is broader. Our storytelling is sharper. And our sense of purpose deeper.

As we look toward the future, we are focused on building the tools our communities need — to tell their stories, to counter misinformation and to engage in the kind of conversations that move people toward justice rather than fear. Because change doesn’t begin in Washington alone. It begins in living rooms. At dinner tables. In classrooms and pews. In the quiet moments when people decide who they want to be for one another.

And if there is one thing I know for sure, it’s this: We were made for this moment. Not because it is easy. But because we understand what is at stake. For our families. For our communities. And for the generations watching us now.

Together, we are not just weathering this chapter — we are shaping what comes next.

With gratitude and determination,