Self-discovery is not an overnight process. For me, the journey started when students at my very conservative high school started to come out and be openly proud of who they were. I didn’t know much about the LGBTQ community, but started doing research, positioning myself as an ally who supported the cause of LGBTQ rights. At the time, I was a scared, closeted, 14-year-old. It has taken almost six years for me to become fully comfortable in my identity. Writing this piece is the most public way I can officially say that my name is Riley Reed and I identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. I use the word “queer” to describe my sexuality as I see it as the most fluid word and I am someone still figuring out what all this means to me.
When I was first coming to terms with my identity, I noticed there were few elected officials at the national level who represented the LGBTQ+ community. So I decided to launch Pride in Running, a group that encourages queer youth to run for political positions. Our mission is to empower LGBTQ+ youth by teaching them practical skills about how to run for office, lobby, and change the future. The pivotal moment that pushed me to launch Pride in Running came when I started thinking about how I would celebrate Pride month this year, with in-person celebrations cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. I started thinking about the 1969 uprising at New York’s City Stonewall Inn and how far the movement for LGBTQ rights has come — and how far we still have to go. A core part of creating and moving a coalition forward involves simply listening to people’s stories. I do not want to be the voice for people. I want Pride in Running to help them be their own voice. I want the world to hear what LGBTQ+ youth have to say. I want to increase our representation at all levels of government and I want us to be able to directly advocate for the change our community needs. Together, we can fight for an end to anti-trans legislation, conversion therapy and other forms of harmful discrimination — and for a positive, queer-affirming future where young LGBTQ+ people have the same rights and freedoms as everyone else.
Skyler Phillips, my friend who serves in a social media role for Pride in Running, says she got involved because, “there is an apparent need for LGBTQ+ youth to be represented and involved in politics. There’s been an increase in hate crimes and a rollback on school protection for transgender youth. I want to empower and help young people learn their identity shouldn’t be something they should hide.”
We want to start a movement and doing so requires recognizing the small victories. Recently, 18-year-old Max Prestigiacomo became both the youngest and one of the first LGBTQ+ candidates elected to Madison, Wisconsin’s city council. This is exactly the kind of progressive, youth-led, queer campaign that Pride in Running would support. My goal is to seek out individuals who are not sure if they should take that step to run for office, or the people who want change, but don’t know where to start. Partnering with groups like Future Coalition and Platform Women, we plan to bring resources to those who seek to create change. We plan to lead workshops to train prospective candidates in the basics of what they need to know to run for office, help them create websites and build up their social media platforms, and assist with fundraising. We also plan to lead training on how to effectively lobby for legislation. Education is our primary tool to help our advocates be effective leaders in their communities. For a lot of people in the LGBTQ+ community it is scary to put themselves on such a large platform, but I say, Do it! The more members of the community who run for office, the more opportunities we have to push boundaries, break down walls, and give LGBTQ+ youth the visibility we deserve.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: The Rainbow Revolution: An Oral History of LGBTQ Rights, Activism, and Organizing in the 2010s
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