Local Politics, Big Waves with Amy Quinn bölümünün tam dökümü

place a few blocks from the beach that wouldn't break your bank in the early 2000s, because it also has a history of civil unrest, and Asbury has a long and interesting history. 00:03:36 Speaker 1: Wow. And you have been such a... Your life, you've really dedicated... to service in a lot of ways. And, you know, you were an attorney and you dedicated a lot to helping people who needed it most. And I think that tells us a lot about who you are and the way you choose to show up. Can you tell me like how that started originally? And now has that just really, like when did politics gravitate kind of from your first job and from what you were doing at the beginning, I imagine the injustice that you dealt and saw every single day. You were like, I can really help and fix this, but I don't know the story. So I would love for you to tell us how you connected the dots. 00:04:29 Speaker 2: Sure. So that's like a story. I was not involved in politics. That was never a goal of mine, really, other than I had been involved in some of the movement of marriage equality in Trenton and New Jersey trying to get, you know, the marriage. It failed during the time that I was involved in it. But that would probably be the only political sort of aspect of it. And then this is the part of the story that kickstarted me into politics. I'm a runner. 00:04:56 Speaker 1: So I run. 00:04:57 Speaker 2: Yes. I, Asbury Park is probably one of the most unique towns in that it has three lakes that surround it. I run around one of these lakes and there is a truck there that is gassing geese. They are putting geese into a truck and they gas it. And so, well, I don't know that at the time. So I always see geese going in a truck. I finished doing my, you know, three mile run, whatever I'm doing. And the next day in the papers is how this town next to me, not Asbury Park, thank God, had gassed all of their geese. That is how they dealt with their geese population, which was horrifying to me. And so I, you know, went bananas and threatened to sue the town and DEP and Fish and Wildlife and all these people. And the The head of the Asbury Park Environment and Shade Tree Commission is a man named Tom Pawinski. He reached out. He had seen these sort of letters to the editor and me threatening to sue these agencies. 00:05:55 Speaker 1: I love it. 00:05:56 Speaker 2: And he was like, hey, nutter, basically, why don't you come over to work on the Asbury Park issue with the geese? Because we have people here who also want to get rid of them in an inhumane way. I joined the Environment and Shade Tree Commission. We took a class on how to deal with geese in a humane way, which is still also complicated, but it's better than gassing them. And then full story, Tom Pawinski is the person who marries me on the boardwalk when New Jersey gets marriage equality in 2015. So it's sort of funny. 00:06:30 Speaker 1: Oh, my gosh. 00:06:31 Speaker 2: Yeah. So this geese thing, which I know is... strange to people. So as a result of being on the Environment and Shade Tree Commission, I would go to these council meetings and these whatever meetings, and. 00:06:46 Speaker 1: I don't know. 00:06:46 Speaker 2: I thought I had something to sort of add to that mix. So I ran for office. 00:06:54 Speaker 1: And you've said something, I just can't stop thinking about it, because you said it's actually... women in politics has been more difficult than being a lesbian in politics. And I really want you to talk to me about that. 00:07:07 Speaker 2: So I'm sure you've experienced it. I'm sure you're in similar rooms that I'm in, which are rooms mainly dominated by men. And in a lot of ways, being a woman has been far more difficult than being a lesbian. That was just sort of an add-on. In the sense of I'm usually talked over, in the sense of it's harder for me to raise money, in the sense of there are other obligations in my life that I have to get my kid to school, and so I may not be at every drink after the council meeting, things like that. So when I first started, it was hard to get a word in, and I don't think that had anything to do with me being a lesbian. I think that had to do with me being the only woman in the room. And quite frankly, I've seen some changes. I was a big Mikey Sherrill supporter, so we're seeing a little bit of changes right now, but. 00:08:00 Speaker 2: Being a woman in politics, from the commenting to your looks to saying something and then it's the other person who's next to you, it's suddenly their idea, that has been probably one of the biggest struggles. And I'm not like a wallflower, so I will come back out at it. But if you're a quieter person or a more thoughtful person before and you're not going to dominate that room, that room is not going to let you speak. 00:08:29 Speaker 1: I love that. 00:08:30 Speaker 2: But I assume you experience that all the time. Yeah, I do. 00:08:34 Speaker 1: I think I'm very similar. I like to take people on twice my size. And if that's a man, woman, or anything in between, I'm totally fine when it comes to being on the right side of change and human rights and access to basic necessity. It's a non-negotiable for me. Everything I do is political. I am a queer woman who adopted two black and brown children. My life literally and the safety of my family depends on it. 00:09:10 Speaker 2: Right. 00:09:11 Speaker 1: But before we get into all that, I love what you said. And I want to talk about this Because do you think women in leadership are still expected to walk this impossible line between being strong enough to lead but not too strong that makes people feel uncomfortable or threatened? Because I do find that. I think a lot of the pushback from these toxic masculine traits that have been implemented since a lot of us were very, very young It's very threatening. I think a lot of men, when we speak up or we have opinions, it's the first thing is, you know, you're rude and you're a bitch or

you're this. It's impossible sometimes, I feel, when I'm in these rooms because when I do speak up, I'm speaking for so many people behind me and the people who have paved the way for me to even have a voice in that room. But sometimes it's like, oh, you're too strong. You're too rough around. You're too confrontational. It's always something. It's like, I can't win. 00:10:20 Speaker 2: No, I feel I feel very similar. And I think it's really ingrained in us. So I'll say in Asbury Park, the rooms of Asbury Park, because we are such a liberal, you know, I think 87 percent voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016. We're a very liberal town. But when I step outside of Asbury into the county or down in Trenton or I'm in other places, those are the places I struggle the most. Asbury has a very women's centric vibe. So it hasn't been brutal within Asbury. But I'll give you an example. I'm always trying to get women involved in boards and committees and commissions. So the planning board or the zoning board or the mayor's wellness or the recreation commission or public art, right? So those are things that I'm always trying to get people involved in. And then, you know, with a focus on women and what happens over and over again is super qualified women. I had, we had a resident who went to MIT, had like an architectural degree. And I was like, you should be on the planning board. And, one, they don't think that that isn't even a thought. And then when it is a thought, they're going to go to a couple of meetings, and then they want to think about it, and then they might join the board. And when I ask, I mean, just a general guy is like, yeah, I'll be on the planning board. None of the filters of what happens, and I've seen it happening when I've asked women to participate in a board, whether it's public art or the planning board, there is a lot of thought that goes into being on this board, there is a lot of doubt that they, I can see in them about being on this board. And it's just not something ingrained in men, you know, of course you're an architect, you should be on the planning board. There's no question about it. So, so we can have a dialogue about that and that would be great. But the resistance other than your schedule or, or something like that, there's, there should be no resistance from you to, in terms of qualifications, because you're more qualified than many people currently. Absolutely. 00:12:19 Speaker 1: Absolutely. 00:12:20 Speaker 2: So I see that a lot and I see that a lot and I don't, I don't know what to do with it, but I see it. Yeah. 00:12:27 Speaker 1: And I'm, I'm curious, you know, both of us have children and I can speak for myself. I know that when I started to become a mother and adopting my children, I just think I saw the world differently. Like, it really became hyper-fixated and focused on making sure they inherit a life better than you and I had when we were being raised. And in our lifetime, October 21st, 2013, legalized gay marriage and all of these things, we realize so many people have fought for this type of freedom Sometimes I worry we're a little too lax in it. And how has living what we've lived at our age now and gone through what we've gone through and been able to see in real time the advancements that people have helped make, people like yourself, does being a mother shape the way you lead now differently? Does it make you... decision-making a little bit different, hold space for people a little differently? 00:13:36 Speaker 2: Oh, that's interesting. I have to think about that a little bit. 00:13:41 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's okay. 00:13:43 Speaker 2: I think being a mother and being pregnant while I was already in office, so people sort of having that experience with me, and then seeing my son go from you know, zero months to he's turning 11 on Sunday, is one, I'll say it's made people kinder to me, make what you will of that. There's like a kindness that I get as a mother that I don't know that I got the same grace before I had a child. And in terms of governing, I think it certainly makes me think more long-term ways. policy-wise. So I want to ensure that when he walks on the boardwalk, he sees art, beautiful art by a wide range of artists. When he goes to walk, you know, throughout the town, the town is kind of full of arts, culture, and diversity. And so, you know, he can go sort of anywhere and feel comfortable because he's around so much arts, culture, and diversity here. And those kinds of things, it's probably... played a role in terms of long-term policy to ensure he appreciates women, he appreciates the arts, he appreciates politics in the sense of policy that will make his life easier, whether it's a new playground or eventually rent control, you know? 00:15:13 Speaker 1: Yeah. And you have really dedicated your life to children's welfare. Like, that was a big part of what you did as an attorney, correct? 00:15:23 Speaker 2: So my first job was working at Child Protective Services in Jersey City, not too far from here. And I did that for a number of years, and that was very rough. That was a rough job out of my 20s. That was a job that ended on a lot of antidepressants and a huge weight gain. Yeah, you know, when you're in your 20s and your job is investigating child abuse and neglect, it is... Unpleasant. And also the level of responsibility that you want to have to ensure that the kids who have disclosed to you some awful, awful thing that's happened to them, making sure that you can protect them moving forward, which you can't always. Yeah, it ended up being a very difficult job for me that I had to leave because my mental health was not surviving that. And after that, I was in law school, and I started working at a nonprofit called the Community Health Law Project. And we represent people who are disabled and then who economically qualify, meaning they don't make a lot of money, in housing matters and disability matters and things like that.

But protecting kids is obviously something we all want to do. 00:16:44 Speaker 1: Yeah. 00:16:44 Speaker 2: Doing it day after day and investigating child abuse is difficult. And for the workers who do it, I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. 00:16:52 Speaker 1: Oh, my God. Yeah. 00:16:53 Speaker 2: It was tough. 00:16:54 Speaker 1: When it comes to this and dedicating so much of your time to it, I say this all the time. It's really hard. And I say it publicly. You can be a mom and have a career, too. But, like, it's not easy. Like, it's not. And I want to be— is it possible? 00:17:12 Speaker 2: It's possible. 00:17:12 Speaker 1: It's possible. But what changes do you think we need to make to better protect children while also giving the families and the mothers support they need to actually thrive? Like, where are we going wrong? What are the things we need to be doing in your eyes that you've seen through the experience you've had really firsthand in this? 00:17:35 Speaker 2: So one of the reasons I can do any of this is because I have an amazing wife who takes care of all of the things that I can't at home, right? So she's going to pick our kid up at 2.20. She's going to make sure he gets to swim practice at five. And those are all things that allow me to go to do this podcast, go to a council meeting, go to a planning board meeting. I think the problem is we don't value those as a society. I mean, I value them. You value them. As a society, we don't value the mom or the person who's picking the kids up, getting them to the next project, talking them through their day and the conflict that they had And how they can better handle that conflict. None of those things are valued in our society. So I don't know how you fix it, but I'm very, very lucky that I have a wife that takes care of all of that. I don't know if it's because I'm a woman or not, but I recognize the importance of that role and that job. And, you know, it's probably, well, it's certainly far more important than most of the other jobs in the world. 00:18:46 Speaker 1: Absolutely. And does that really trickle in to what you're doing as like running for mayor and making sure you show up in spaces where you can really help the people within Asbury Park, but also like globally, everywhere? It's not just, we can't just think small, but we need to think small when it comes to voting, but also what this may spread and how it can ripple into other aspects of. 00:19:15 Speaker 2: I think it certainly makes me more conscientious about, um, even just things like meeting time. So our council meetings are at six let's do, um, coffee with a council person at 10 a.m., let's vary the schedule so the moms or the working moms or the grandmoms or all of those things, they're able to at least come to a meeting or Zoom on a meeting because we varied, you know, sort of the time with which them to do it. One of the things I'll say is my son goes to the Asbury Park School of Right. And my son

is also on a swim team. Now, the swim team is out of town. He has been in this school district since pre-K. It is predominantly a black and brown school district. He has had a great experience. Nobody's questioned having two moms. Nobody's questioned... any of it, right? It's just been accepted as a family. And part of the reason I think this has been accepted as a family is because the students at the school district have a different array of families. So one of his best friends is raised by his grandparents. One of my son's best friends is raised by his father. One of my son's best friends is raised by a single mother. And as a result of that, Nobody questions whether or not or why he has two moms or all of the questions. Now, he's on a swim team that is out of town that I would argue is predominantly white, where it was a tough adjustment because it was constantly, who's your real mom? Why do you have two moms? Where's your dad? And it was so, it threw my wife and I off so much because we had never experienced it in this failing school district. Nobody had ever given him any trouble for any of it. So that was certainly an experience that I've had to think about. That has been a unique experience for me. 00:21:15 Speaker 1: Stay tuned. I'll be back in just a moment after this brief message from our sponsors. And when you talk about your family and you talk about your wife and, you know, you talk about running for mayor right now, I think what people... don't realize is you really open everyone up to scrutiny, to criticism, to a lot of eyes on everyone. And I imagine that's a family decision clearly, but what made you like 2026, what made you now say, you know what, I'm going to run for mayor. And, you know, there's a lot way, there's a lot riding on this. Like what, what, With family, with all of the things, why now? What was your thought process with all of this? 00:22:08 Speaker 2: So it wasn't super complex. There was a lot of things I still want to do. I want to increase microtransits. I want to diversify housing. I want to see more art on the boardwalk. It was an opportunity because the mayor, who's a very good friend of mine, didn't want to do it anymore. And so I took the opportunity to do it. But it really comes down to I love this town. I love the policies that we have. I want to increase housing diversity and all of these things because I don't want to have to move. This is where I intend on staying until the end of my days. And for me to do that, I have policies that I want to see happen. And I mean, quite frankly, it's just easier to do it when you're a mayor on the city council, right? If I want to make sure we dedicate money to art, which is– here's going to be my pitch on local politics. Yes. So the local politics that nobody– that people vote for Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris or Joe Biden or whoever– What you don't realize is you have to go down in the voting booth and look at your local representatives or you have to flip your ballot over in your vote by mail because the people who are running your Department of Public Works or your Public Art Department or– Your parks department or your recreation department, I can go on and on, are all of the people down the ballot. So I absolutely vote at the top of the ballot. But if you want to see more parks, if you want to see more art, if you want to see more bike lanes, if you want to see any of those things, that is all down the ballot. That is your council person, your mayor, your deputy mayor, your commissioners. And what I try to spend a lot of time doing, especially with younger people, is trying to explain... those policies are going to have a much greater effect. Us passing rent control is going to absolutely affect you much more than anything that any of the presidents are going to do because rent control is going to keep you in your unit. And so I spent a lot of time talking about the importance of local politics and having representation in local politics. It's like an important topic for me. It is so important. 00:24:24 Speaker 1: I believe voting is, is it November 9th? 00:24:26 Speaker 2: November 3rd. 00:24:27 Speaker 1: November 3rd. 00:24:29 Speaker 2: And then also, if you got to vote by mail, they're in your mail now, folks. So flip your ballot over and take a look. 00:24:35 Speaker 1: And so many people on this call are queer people who, we love art. I mean, it is part of our community, our culture. What I know as a person who comes from Florida, born and raised, what I am noticing on the local level, which has been going on now for years under Trump and this administration, is they're taking away art. They're taking away crosswalks. they're taking away every rainbow that, you know, we have fought so hard to be seen, to be visible, to show the scars that, you know, we have carried and the progress that we've had to fight for that came after it. How do you feel as the mayor you're preserving and investing in queer culture and history? I mean, you see what happened to Stonewall here in New York City. Like, even on a really big scale, people are wanting to wipe the history away that has built this community and made us so beautiful. Do you think about those things in Asbury Park? 00:25:39 Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely. We had a rainbow crosswalk, so we spent some time. I mean, it's still there, and we would have fought for it, but I don't want to wage a war with this administration. We had gotten on this administration's list because they considered us a... sanctuary city. So we were already on the radar there. And so we were very worried about the crosswalk because it'd been there for years. It's next to a gay club that, you know, has been also here for years. We hold the biggest gay pride celebration, the first Sunday in June that has been going on for 30 years. We've done the first gay marriages. We did the first civil unions. We did the first domestic partnerships. So we try very deeply to hold on to that

history and make sure everybody knows it moving forward. And the cross and when he went bananas about the crosswalks, it was, um, you know, you're just holding tight, right? Holding tight that this does not become a major, major issue. And, you know, knock wood, so far it hasn't, at least for us. But I know Florida was like decimated on these plus marks. 00:26:48 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, people were repainting it through the night. People were laying down to make sure, you know, I lived in Orlando for a very long time. Talk about, you know, a blue town, but amongst a lot of unsafe red spaces outside of it. And it's like, They just came in and just terrorized everything. And we went through, I was there when Pulse happened and what that city went through and how we gathered and how we supported each other, both queer community and our allies. I mean, it changed the way that town moved. I'm sure. And like there is something in that art and in that visual and in that experience that meant so much to us that was removed, that was taken away. I'm still pissed and it still drives me crazy, but it's, this is the reality. If we don't show up and we don't use our right to vote on the local level, on the bigger scale of everything, it's just, it really, really matters. And I'm, I want to know what you think Asbury Park needs for this next, you know, selection coming up on November 3rd. what are we fighting for right now that's so big in Asbury Park? I mean, we know what we're fighting for on the bigger scale, but for you running for mayor right now, what is the biggest thing right now this next mayor needs to do that's very necessary that maybe wasn't 10 years ago? 00:28:23 Speaker 2: So I know it's a buzzword, but it's going to be affordability. So Asbury Park, Just like the history, there was riots in 1970 in Asbury Park. It took a long time for Asbury Park to sort of come back, kind of like this train that kept going up a hill. And the interesting thing that happened was over at least my decade in office, the development and revitalization sort of took place on a smaller level, block by block. It was manageable. Old buildings were rehabilitated. But the part of Asbury Park that we were not prepared for, I'm not sure anybody was, but Asbury was not, was the pandemic. So the pandemic hits and everybody's moving from North Jersey out of the city and they are all moving to the Jersey Shore. And we saw home prices that were like $ 350, 000 for a home go to eight or nine. And there was no ability to... I'm not sure that we could have gotten a grasp even if we knew it was coming, but there was no ability because it just was an onslaught. So the pandemic's been difficult, but I can tell you that Asbury Park has probably the most progressive housing policies in New Jersey with rent control and we banned short-term rentals and we let you build a little granny flat in your backyard and set aside. So maintaining housing diversity for old-time Asbury Park retirees,

artists, the church community, all the communities in Asbury Park, the affordability is definitely probably the thing that people talk to me about the most and probably the thing that I spend the most time thinking about, how to make sure I can keep these people here. Yeah. 00:30:13 Speaker 1: Yeah. And so many people are getting forced out. It's happening everywhere. It's literally happening everywhere. And You know, after this election that is very meaningful to you and your town, we have the midterms coming up. And it's really, really important that our, you know, LGBTQ plus rights and showing up and fighting for the things, you know, standing on the shoulders of so many people before us. When you look at the political landscape heading into the midterms, what issues do you believe that the LGBTQ plus people in their family should really be paying attention to right now? 00:30:53 Speaker 2: I think it's been a war on the trans community. So, I mean, that's been horrifying. That has been a horrifying thing to watch. I think there's a few hundred bills that the Trump administration has reduced that protected the LGBTQ community. We're lucky in Asbury, we have Garden State Equality, which is probably one of the biggest gay rights organizations in New Jersey, if it is the biggest rights, gay rights. And they keep us pretty up to speed in terms of um the onslaught of this administration and what it is doing but i will tell you i think it's been the worst for the trans community yeah i mean it's just been brutal brutal for the trans community. 00:31:34 Speaker 1: And following that up when you hear people say well i don't do politics um you know i hear. 00:31:42 Speaker 2: That start screaming okay i'm gonna start screaming if i hear that. 00:31:47 Speaker 1: There was just a question um recently in a press conference with the NBA and they asked about what, what do you think about all the political stuff going on in the WNBA? Because they are fighting for trans inclusion, queer inclusion. It's a big, big battle, right? And a lot of people are like, ah, we just keep that stuff out of basketball. And I'm like, politics affect your everyday life. It doesn't matter if I say it. I mean, people are, but what is it? What do you want to tell people when you hear, oh, I don't do politics? 00:32:25 Speaker 2: I think people don't understand how important their voice is. So just using me as an example. So if you come to a council meeting about a gender, you want a gender neutral bathroom on the boardwalk and you have a not necessarily a crowd, but a group of people describing at a microphone the importance of a gender-neutral bathroom on the boardwalk or the crosswalk or whatever it is. If we're not doing politics and we're not speaking about the policies that affect our community in a positive way and a negative way, we're not communicating that to the people who have the ability to do something about it. I mean, it's just a loss. And if you're going to stay

out of politics, I don't love that, but Please tell me you're voting. Please tell me you're going and you're voting and you're taking the time to vote and voting appropriately. 00:33:19 Speaker 1: Stay tuned. I'll be back in just a moment after this brief message from our sponsors. What would you say to a younger queer person who's probably scared to death right now? It's pushing people way more into the closet than ever before. They don't want, you know, it to cost them their job. their housing at their home. I mean, you name it, we've heard it all. But I find that people are so exhausted by politics right now. They're creating even more of a distance when we need even more people showing up. So what do you say to someone who's young right now and who's terrified? There's a lot on the line. 00:34:04 Speaker 2: So I think that's like a complicated question for me in the sense. So I was a lesbian in Catholic school. I'm sure a lesbian in Florida also wasn't easy. But I was a lesbian in Catholic school wasn't wasn't the easy experience, easiest experience on the planet, you know. So I will say for the young, young people. do what you have to do until you can get out. And then what's that famous nonprofit? It gets better. And I think it does get better. You find your community, you find your town, you find your state, and it will get better for you. But for the demographic of people who are in an environment that they will get kicked out of their home for, they will lose their job, that I'm going to defer to whatever it is they think they need to do. But for the rest of us who have the luxury of living in a blue town whose job obviously doesn't care, whose community is supportive, I think there's a duty for all of us to be out. You know, be out, be proud, talk about the policies that help us and the policies that don't, and certainly vote. 00:35:16 Speaker 1: Beyond voting. What do you think are ways people can show up and support the LGBTQ plus people and their families in their own communities? If we can give them tools or we can give them a checklist of things they can be doing right now, because what I hear a lot, and I understand, especially my trans brothers and sisters, people are fearful for their life right now. Not everyone has a microphone. Not everyone can stand on the front lines. What do we give them where they still can show up safely in a way that impacts us and our community? 00:35:57 Speaker 2: So I would certainly say supporting LGBTQ candidates and women candidates. And that's you can do from anywhere from knocking door to door, which would really maybe be exposing to doing text messages, to helping stuff envelopes, to you know, all of the things that go into campaigns. I know that we did text messages, I think, for Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren during the primary. So those kinds of things you can sort of do in your house. you, you, you're, it's not super exposing. And then the other things are going to the rallies, going to, um, you know, these places that hold space for, uh, the, the gay and lesbian community supporting our gay, uh, our LGBTQ bars, you know, there was a time as very had eight to 10 LGBTQ bars and we really have two or three now. Um, you know, those kinds of, um, thing to the scale with which you're comfortable with. So if you're not out or you're not totally out, maybe you send text messages for the candidate that's going to be kind to the gay community. And then if you are, I would say do the best amount of work for the candidate that you want to support. And then last would be But equally important is supporting your LGBTQ businesses, which are, you know, everybody's business is struggling because of the economy. So supporting the LGBTQ ones right now is probably imperative. 00:37:24 Speaker 1: Yeah, so important. And when we think, you know, both of us are in service of other people and we dedicate our life to it, we want to pass on. something better. We want to leave this world a better place. 00:37:41 Speaker 2: And it matters. 00:37:42 Speaker 1: So when you look, you know, when we look at our children, what are the things you're on? You're like just unwilling to allow the next generation to lose at this point. 00:37:53 Speaker 2: Gay marriage. Yeah. I'd say that that's like, that's a huge or marriage equality. However we want to call it. I think people feeling safe in sports, including the, obviously the trans trans community is what I'm talking about there. That is something that is important to me to create a space where you can perform in a way that is not, you don't have to worry. You know, we have a, I was talking about my son's swim team, the swim organization of whatever has done some stuff with the trans community that is questionable. Yeah. Um, the national swim organization, of course you would, you would know better than me what that is, but anyway, sports ensuring that the crosswalks remain. I mean, I know that sounds little, but you know, when you walk by a rainbow crosswalk, you feel like a little bit better about yourself. When you walk by a rainbow flag, you feel a little bit better when you, when you walk by an organization that supports gay rights, it's just like, you can take a breath and that those kinds of things. But the, the thing I was the most worried about was marriage equality. 00:38:59 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah. Me too. And it, listen, 2013 was not that long ago. 00:39:03 Speaker 2: Right. 00:39:04 Speaker 1: It's crazy to think that like, you know, we are all lucky enough to have the liberties of it, but that doesn't mean it's going to be here forever. And it's going to be one of the things they come after and they have been, they've been trying. Oh, absolutely. You know, Amy, after everything you've lived through, um, at this point and you've been really in the inner workings of it, not just showing up on the grand scale, but you've done the grassroots level. You've really done it all. But I want to know what

progress means to you right now in this current landscape. 00:39:41 Speaker 2: Yeah. 00:39:42 Speaker 1: What is progress? 00:39:43 Speaker 2: Getting rid of Trump. I mean, I'm just being honest when I say that. I mean, riding out these next two years with hopefully the least amount of damage that's done and ensuring that whoever is elected president. And I want to be clear, your day-to-day life is affected on a local level. Everything I'm saying about that is true. But there is a fear with this with him in office, that whether it's marriage equality, whether it's Roe, whatever the things are that will trickle down to you eventually and that could have a drastic effect. So to me, let's hope there's a blue wave, right? I think we're all sort of hoping that and hoping that when the Democratic candidates are up for president that we get one. Mm-hmm. Yeah, he's been rough. He was rough in 2016, but this time around has been rougher. No question. 00:40:41 Speaker 1: It has been. But what I will always come back to, and the reason why you're here today, is there's so many queer young people who now get to see someone like you, a lesbian, a wife, a mother, an elected official. That does something. That changes someone. It shows really what is possible. And I want to thank you because even though my family doesn't look the same as yours, we are in the same community and we are doing the work. But there's not many of you. And you've sacrificed so much. Your family has sacrificed so much to be an inspiration to so many young people to show like, hey, you can do this too. And I believe seeing is believing. You're right. There's not enough people like us holding office to hold on to what we have and also progress it. So thank you. 00:41:41 Speaker 2: Thank you. Thanks for giving me this opportunity. 00:41:44 Speaker 1: Absolutely. And if you could leave anything today with our audience, besides if you live in Asbury Park, you better show up come November 3rd to vote. But what do you. 00:41:56 Speaker 2: If you live outside of Asbury Park, you better show up November 3rd to vote, guys, because it's a very, very important election. And the one thing I'm going to say is if you have any interest in local politics, any interest at all, and you find the idea of it overwhelming or crippling in some way, join a little board or committee in your town and just get your foot wet. And truly, that will be the first step in what may be a long political career. But all of the studies about women in politics, they started on a school board. They started on a recreation department because they saw a problem. And that is what I'm going to ask people to just– you don't even have to join. Just check out one of your town's boards, committees, and commissions. And if you enjoy it, if it's your vibe, join it and then see where that takes you. 00:42:48 Speaker 1: And we can't be on the sidelines of this. We can't bitch and complain about where we're at. This takes place. participation. It takes everyone showing up and standing firm together and saying like, we're, we're not doing this. We deserve better. We need better. Our kids are watching. And that's the reason why I show up. So I hope everyone listening right now, um, really puts their participation hat on. Like, let's go. We're not, we're not watching anymore. We're activating and we have to do that. We have to take back. Um, What's ours? And that's just equal access, equal freedom. Basic human rights, you guys. Like, this is important. So thank you, Amy, so much for what you do. And all of us are rooting for you. And we're wishing you the best. 00:43:44 Speaker 2: And a beer on me when you come down to Asbury Park, girl. 00:43:48 Speaker 1: I'm ready. I'm ready. Let's have, like, I need, like, a Brandi Carlile concert at Asbury. Totally. 00:43:54 Speaker 2: Make a call and we'll find a space for her to go. 00:43:58 Speaker 1: Let's go. 00:43:58 Speaker 2: I love it. 00:43:59 Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much for coming on. And thanks, everyone, for tuning in. We'll see you next week on another episode of Wide Open. Amy, thank you so much for coming on Wide Open. And what I keep coming back to is that progress doesn't simply happen because time passes. The rights and protections people experience today We're shaped by generations of people who organized, advocated, voted, ran for office, challenged systems, and refused to accept that the world couldn't get better. And with the midterms approaching, it is a good reminder to all of us to understand what's on the ballot, know who represents us, and make sure you're registered to vote and your own voices are heard. Because democracy isn't something we watch. It's something we participate in. Bye. 00:44:51 Speaker 2: Bye.