Jared Polis has a simple message for making America inclusive for everyone: Go vote

In 2008, after a heated, history-making primary battle against Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama secured the Democratic nominee for president. But in Colorado, congressional candidate Jared Polis also became a game-changer. 

Both Obama and Polis won, with the latter securing over 62% of the vote and becoming the first out gay man to win election to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Coming off the Bush years, the political landscape changed dramatically. Instead of constantly playing defense against Republican attacks and insults, LGBTQ+ rights advanced quickly during the Obama presidency. 

Under former President Donald Trump, those rights diminished, and GOP attacks on the queer community intensified. The ongoing crusade against the queer community has reached a new heights under President Joe Biden, with the administration and activists forced back into a defensive position once again. Even so, Polis, governor of Colorado since 2019, California’s Gavin Newsom (D), and Massachusetts’ Maura Healey (D) have held the line or advanced LGBTQ+ rights since stepping into their respective offices. Healey is the nation’s first openly lesbian governor.

Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024

Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

Polis, who has been in public service for nearly 25 years since his first elected position to the Colorado State Board of Education, recognizes both the strides and the setbacks.

“When I first ran for Congress in 2008, gay people couldn’t get married. We could not serve in the military. Now, we take those freedoms for granted. There are gay and lesbian members in the military of all different ranks, including enlisted, and, of course, marriage in all 50 states. So, we’ve come a long way. And, of course, continuing to make progress. Even recently, the FDA finally ruled that gay men could donate blood, which is long overdue,” Polis told LGBTQ Nation.

Greater awareness of the different facets of LGBTQ+ identity has also brought its share of attacks, with the GOP targeting the transgender community through state bills and legal action across more than 20 states, forcing many “gender refugees” to seek health care in sanctuary states.

Colorado has become such a place for people seeking gender-affirming care. A recently passed law ensures health care like abortions and gender-affirming care in Colorado without getting prosecuted in their home states, shielding health care providers and patients from interstate investigations. A bill under consideration would require schools to use a student’s preferred name.

Polis recognizes the tension between progress and pushback yet remains optimistic.

“Issues affecting transgender Americans are a lot more visible than they were ten years ago. There are always going to be people who exercise their free speech to disapprove of the way that others live their lives. But I’m sure many transgender Americans also disapprove of the way many of those protesters live their lives. So as long as we can all get along, and we respect the freedom and the ability to free speech, it’s all part of public discourse,” he added. “But I think we’ve come a long way in really making sure that transgender Americans have resources, whereas it might have only been in big cities before, across the country, and in virtual communities.”

When Polis ran for Congress, there were only two major queer blogs that explicitly included trans issues as part of their coverage. Now, news stories about the community proliferate in queer media. While big cities had a few support groups, now organizations can be found nationwide, and even school groups are inclusive of trans students.

“But like anything, when you make progress, there’s always an opposite reaction. And I think that’s what’s being experienced. It’s sad to see in some states that they are deliberately trying to move backward and remove protections. And then there are other states like Colorado and in California and many others that are looking to expand protections beyond the baseline of federal protections that LGBTQ+ Americans have.”

What’s good for queer people benefits everyone

In 2018, Polis left the House of Representatives to run for Colorado state office, becoming the first out gay man elected governor. The move gave Polis a unique glimpse into American life — both macro and micro. 

While he pushed for LGBTQ+ rights in the House of Representatives, he’s also accomplished quite a bit as governor. But often, the issues important to LGBTQ+ people aren’t explicitly queer. 

Polis, whose profitable business career began with founding an internet access provider while still in college, has always been forward-thinking and attention-detailed, whether leading the fight to legalize marijuana or helping to craft legislation to ensure LGBTQ+ Americans’ civil rights. As governor, he’s focused on transportation, education, and affordable housing. Solutions for those issues require out-of-the-box thinking and a focus on minute details.

“It’s really an access issue, making sure people from all communities — and particularly marginalized communities — have access to the health care that they need to thrive.”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis

“In Colorado, we’ve seen a significant increase in housing prices because it’s a great place to live. But the secret has gotten out. And we’re looking to be able to build more housing close to job centers along transit corridors so people can afford to live here,” he said. 

As the population has soared, so have costs and traffic congestion. Polis’s plans would help to lessen both issues. In his “Roadmap to Colorado’s Future: 2026,” the administration outlines zoning reform, increased transit options, and public spaces to improve quality of life. Education is also on his radar.

“I’ve long focused on education. We added free full-day kindergarten for every Coloradan, and this is our first year of universal free preschool, which are two reasons I ran for governor. And I’m proud to say we got them done. And, you know, again, when you look at roads, affordable housing, and better schools, it affects every Coloradan, whether they’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or not. So we all drive the same roads, and our kids go to the same schools, and it’s important that we are able to achieve success in all those efforts.”

Polis’s all-encompassing approach to solving daily life problems for everyone isn’t just a Band-Aid. He’s well aware that the solutions also lower barriers for LGBTQ+ people. Frequently, what’s good for queer people benefits everyone.

Polis said, “Making sure that people have access to supportive health care, and that they don’t have a fear of confiding in their doctors and nurses, whether they’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or not” is a priority. “For instance, we made PrEP over the counter in Colorado. It’s really an access issue, making sure people from all communities — and particularly marginalized communities — have access to the health care that they need to thrive.”

Governor Jared Polis on Colorado: “Everybody has a place here”

Continuing the forward momentum hasn’t been easy. From religious hate groups to transphobic politicians like Rep. Lauren Boebert, the state has been the home base for anti-LGBTQ+ activists for decades. Polis has deftly navigated the potential pitfalls by undermining and downplaying the right’s fear and hate tactics without amplifying them. But how has he done it?

“Colorado is a diverse state. So we all focus on getting along together. That doesn’t mean anybody has to compromise their values. People can live their values here, whether they’re members of the LGBTQ+ community or whether they’re active in a religious church that does not affirm LGBTQ+ identity. But it’s also important that they don’t interfere with their neighbors. I mean, it’s your freedom to live your life the way you want and support the freedom of other people to live the life they want,” he said. 

Related:

Could queer-owned businesses be key to unseating Lauren Boebert?

Given LGBTQ+ business owners’ increased prominence, it is not hard to see the culture — and political power — shifting within the Western Slope.

“And so that’s what we tried to do. Everybody has a place here, no matter who you are, who you love, where you’re from, no matter whether your family has been here for generations or you’re a new arrival, and that’s the ethos that we try to keep in our state.”

With Election Day on the horizon, it’s more important than ever for the queer community to turn out to the polls, he points out. If we want to continue advancing LGBTQ+ rights, more progressive politicians need to hold office, and not just on the federal level.

“It’s important that voters ask candidates from school board, to city council, to the state legislature, to Congress how they would support the LGBTQ+ community and make sure that we elect and vote for people that support the rights of all Americans,” he said.

“It’s abosolutely critical to vote. The LGBTQ+ community, and particularly the trans community, is being attacked and vilified. And it’s important to show that that doesn’t work in today’s and tomorrow’s America. ”

Colorado Governor Jared Polis

From local libraries and school boards to the halls of Congress, far-right organizations like Moms for Liberty continue to recruit anti-LGBTQ+ activists to run for office. 

But the group’s influence is waning, and in the 2023 midterm elections, would-be politicians they endorsed lost their races. LGBTQ+ people and allies pushed back with a simple tool: the ballot box. Pushing conservative activists out of office took away their power and gave it to those who would support and defend the community.

“It’s absolutely critical to vote,” Polis said. “The LGBTQ+ community, and particularly the trans community, is being attacked and vilified. And demagogued for political gain by politicians on the far right. And it’s important to show that that doesn’t work in today’s and tomorrow’s America. And the best way that you can prove that is by voting.”

“There’s always some front of the culture war. And there’s always those politicians who like to demagogue and attack certain Americans,” Polis said. “But I think the vast majority of Americans want to elect politicians that want to unify and support all Americans. And that’s certainly what our values are in Colorado. I think it’s a basic American value. And I know that it’ll win out at the end of the day.”