In June 2024, LGBTQ Nation met with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The energy was cautiously optimistic. First Lady Jill Biden would host a Pride event on the South Lawn the following afternoon where Deborah Cox sang and the smell of hot dogs and popcorn wafted among the revelers basking in D.C.s scorching sun. The following night, President Biden debated Donald Trump, and we quickly felt a different kind of heat: panic. We all know what happened next as Vice President Kamala Harris stepped into the spotlight, eventually with Governor Tim Walz in tow as her running mate. According to Forbes, the campaign has raised nearly a billion dollars between January 2023 and October 16, 2024, with much of it being poured into a handful of swing states that will determine the future of democracy. Related Donald Trump is a unique threat to LGBTQ+ Americans. Were endorsing Kamala Harris. Trump will wield the power of the state to oppress transgender people. Harris represents the promise of American multicultural democracy. Through what has proven to be one of the most chaotic and heart-palpitating election cycles in history, HRC has stayed the course in its commitment to leveraging the equality vote the 75+ million Americans (LGBTQ+ voters and allies) who prioritize inclusive policies when making decisions at the ballot box. The organization invested $15 million throughout the campaign to reach voters in six key swing states. Your LGBTQ+ guide to Election 2024 Stay ahead of the 2024 Election with our newsletter that covers candidates, issues, and perspectives that matter. Subscribe to our Newsletter today LGBTQ Nation dispatched some of the most recognized and informed queer journalists across the country to explore whats at stake in each state and how LGBTQ+ perspectives and concerns overlap with economic and environmental issues. Just like America at large, the queer community is not a monolith. These stories of hope and resilience detail the lived experiences of queer folks from coast to coast and how much we have to gain or lose as the most important election of our lifetime is upon us. Independents may reshape Arizonas future. LGBTQ+ voters arent convinced.A shift to a blue Arizona is a polarizing conversation in some LGBTQ+ circles not among political divides but among those skeptical that anything will change for the better once it happens.On one hand, the rise in Democratic leadership has meant a possibility for safety, such as a statewide anti-discrimination law thatlawmakers have failed to passfor five years. But on the other hand, being a purple state hasnt translated as a shift to blue not by far.But its not just LGBTQ+ issues on queer voters minds. Residents have long had concerns regarding water and education funding, both priority issues that a majority of Arizonans believe need to be addressed in state politics,according to a 2024 surveyby the Center for the Future of Arizona.Arizona is now very young, and theres a generation of youth that have just started voting that want to stay here and continue to change this place, Bridget Sharpe, state director for the Human Rights Campaign of Arizona tells LGBTQ Nation. But will they vote? Read more about Arizona here. Georgia could swing away from a GOP trifecta. These LGBTQ+ people are making that happen.In a state like Georgia that has a Republican trifecta a Republican governor and a party majority in both chambers of the state legislature queer community leaders and political strategists are working diligently to prove Atlanta isnt the states only allegedly progressive community.Organizations likeGeorgia Equality, the states largest and oldest LGBTQ+-centered advocacy organization, are actively working to engage, educate, and advocate. This past year, it played an integral role in helping defeat the nearly 20 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the state legislature by appearing regularly at the state Capitol for hearings, votes, and meetings alongside other pro-LGBTQ+ groups.We agree that housing should be affordable. We agree that we should have health care and that Medicare and Medicaid should be expanded. The economy. Housing. As well as the rise of transgender hate ideology and reproductive rights. They are all important issues to voters in Georgia, Omarion Smart, a senior at Georgia State University, tells LGBTQ Nation. No one issue has priority over the other. Yet we have those in the legislature that do not reflect the population of our state, and its time that we change that. Read more about Georgia here. Michigans pro-equality progress hangs in the balance. Will voters preserve the wins or turn back the clock?Just last year, the modern fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Michigan culminated in the passage of an amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to include LGBTQ+ residents. While that requiredmore than 40 years of activism and advocacyby pro-equality legislators and the community, the fight accelerated around 2014. Before that, with the passage of Michigans so-calledMarriage Amendment(an effort to ban same-sex marriage) in 2004, the queer community fought hard but made few gains.Its been a long journey of pushing for LGBTQ rights and watching this virulent opposition to LGBTQ rights form, State Senator Jeremy Moss tells LGBTQ Nation. I just think the population in Michigan couldnt sustain one more election cycle where the Republican Party was neglecting real issues, economic issues, democracy issues, issues of freedom and autonomy.At present, some legislators and stakeholders are looking at ways tostrengthen Michigans hate crimes statuteand consider whether Michigan could be thenext trans refuge state, among other initiatives. This is a state thats gone through a lot of fights and trauma over the last several years, says Moss. In Michigan, it really does feel like democracy is on the line. So we are on guard every day to protect our progress. Read more about Michigan here. LGBTQ+ Latino voters could help Nevada go blue. Heres what theyre doing to get out the vote.Nevadans have an unpredictable history at the polls. Out of the last 12 national elections, the state split six to six voting for a Democratic or Republican presidential candidate, while the margin for Democrats has narrowed in every election since Obama won in 2008. Adding to the voter volatility: an electorate where unaffiliated voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans in the state.Younger voters and people of color really feel alienated by this two-party system, and they really connect with candidates that meet voters on a more personal level, State Representative Cecelia Gonzlez tells LGBTQ Nation. The shift reflects a growing frustration with traditional party politics and a desire for candidates who speak to the real issues and not just these partisan talking points, Gonzlez continues. Young people, Latinos, and Asian communities are really whats going to get the vice president and Walz across the finish line. Read more about Nevada here. Pennsylvania could decide the next president as it struggles with LGBTQ+ rights and immigration liesFor LGBTQ+ people living in the purple state of Pennsylvania, anti-LGBTQ+ bias and discrimination add a layer of concern to the issues already facing most Americans. Like everywhere, voters are worried about issues like the economy that impact their daily lives. But LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians have additional anxieties and obstacles to contend with.For one, bigotry is still legal in 70% of Pennsylvania.Pennsylvania is unique in the Northeast as the only state without a statewide non-discrimination law protecting LGBTQ+ people. Approximately one-third of the states LGBTQ+ residents are protected by local ordinances. Other protections flow down from the federal administrative actions a patchwork quilt of stop-gap measures that sows confusion and uncertainty.But its not just the presidency on the line. In Pennsylvania, downticket races like auditor general, who has the authority to assess state and federal contracts in more than 500 school districts in Pennsylvania, puts out candidates like Malcolm Kenyattaon the frontline of everything fromTitle IXcompliance to book bans and statewide athletics rules.Read more about Pennsylvania here. Wisconsin is the swing state needed to win the presidency. Can Democrats do it?More than 67% of Wisconsinites say theyre very enthusiastic about voting and every ballot will be critical in what many considertheswing state of the 2024 election.Earlier this year, Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed fair maps into law. These redrawn maps resulted from a 2023 lawsuit filed by theCampaign Legal Center (CLC)and others that blocked further gerrymandering.Candidates like District 18sKristen Alfheim, running for state senate, now have the opportunity to flip longtime Republican-led districtsTammy Baldwin, the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in Congress and the first out senator in U.S. history, knows whats at stake, telling LGBTQ Nation, We cannot mistake progress for triumph in the fight for fairness, freedom, and full equality while LGBTQ+ discrimination persists.This November, the stakes could not be higher, says Baldwin. Once again, Wisconsin is the key battleground state to watch and Wisconsin voters will have the power to decide who controls the Senate, the White House, and ultimately the future of our nation. Read more about Wisconsin here. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.