New blog up!

Hey everyone! Check out my new Tumblr blog on the transgender experience:

Izzy's Trans Diaries
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/izzystransdiaries

This blog is meant to document my emotional and physical transition while connecting with others like me. Being transgender should never be a source of shame- it's something to celebrate.

-Izzy

Winter Break

In August my Mom crossed the Atlantic to work at U.S. Embassy Amman. After a grueling finals period at Yale my twin and I hopped on a small commuter to plane to JFK and then set foot on a majestic Boeing Dreamliner operated by Royal Jordanian for an 11-hour direct flight to Queen Alia airport in Amman. Royal Jordanian rocks. Although we flew in economy, we couldn't help but admire the oak panel floors of business class and lounge bar. All of the flight attendants calm your nerves and are excessively generous. They also serve quality beer. I'm terrified of airplanes, but that flight was pretty sweet. 

Here, in bullet points, are the highlights of my trip so far. But first I want to say one thing- 90% of Jodanians are really nice. Like really, really nice. On the flight to Amman I sat next to a Jordanian college student from UC San Diego. He noted that Jordanians know the difference between the American government and American people. In other words, they might be opposed to some facets of U.S. foreign policy, but they sure as hell aren't opposed to welcoming Westerners into their country. In fact, a few days ago I met up with the guy from the plane and his brother. They showed us around downtown Amman- we bought this delicious juice made out of Indian figs and ate salted melon seeds. Jordanian hospitality is second to none.

In any event, here are some highlights of our trip so far:

• Mt. Nebo and the Baptismal Site: Mt. Nebo is an elevated ridge in Jordan where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. It's beautiful. You can spot Israel in the distance and marvel at the rolling hills and peaks dotting the landscape. The Baptismal Site, as the name suggests, is where John baptized Jesus Christ. It's fascinating. We walked down to the Jordanian river- literally toeing the line between Jordan and Israel. About 20 meters away stood Israeli soldiers and an Israeli couple dipping into the river to be sanctified by holy water. 

A view of Mt. Nebo. You can spot Israel and Palestine in the distance.

• Call to Prayer: The various call to prayers have been an unexpected surprise. I totally forgot about how beautiful and distinctly Middle Eastern the call to prayer is. The last time I heard it was in Islamabad about 15 years ago. Since arriving in Jordan, I've set my alarm to 5 am to hear it being played out on a speaker 10 minutes later. I believe there are 6 call to prayers each day and a Muezzin administers it in a certain section of each city. The call to prayer, or Adhan, varies by Muslim sect. In Jerusalem we stayed at the beautiful American Colony Hotel; our room was perched right next to an emerald green minaret. A man and woman would take turns reciting verses of the Quran in song. 

A sign with the six call to prayer times perched on a wall inside the Dome of the Rock. Before entering any mosque women must cover their hair and everyone must take off their shoes. 

• Jerusalem: Jerusalem was all that we expected and more. We spent three days there and dedicated all of our time to touring the Old City, which is made up of four quarters: Armenian, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. The cobblestone streets, ancient walls, and infinite number of holy sites throw you back to the crusades. My family was fortunate to tour the Dome of the Rock, and even step inside it. We talked to the religious leader of the Muslim quarter and stood right under the spot where the Prophet Muhammed supposedly ascended to heaven. At the end of our 3-day trip, I woke up at 4:00am due to jet lag. Little did I know that David Brooks, my favorite NYTimes columnist, was sitting right next to me in the lobby. A few hours later I managed to grab his autograph! 

Dome of the Rock! The scarf around my neck was used to cover hair inside the mosques we toured.

• Bethlehem (Palestine): On our second day in Jerusalem our driver announced that we'd be driving to Bethlehem to tour two holy sites. I'm ignorant when it comes to religion, but I still could associate this place with a Christmas song and Jesus' birth (correct me if I'm wrong). I thought it'd take a long haul car drive to get there. I found out that Bethlehem was actually 15 minutes away from Jerusalem in a mysterious place called the "PA". Turns out the "PA" is an acronym for the Palestinian Authority. Yes, we entered Palestine. Like, the "Palestine" that is all across the news and is a critical agent in a more peaceful Middle East. Once again, I'm an ignorant American, so when we crossed into the PA a slew of ignorant questions ensued: "Is this dangerous?" "Where's the West Bank?" "The Gaza Strip?" (Don't get me started on the years I spent thinking Syria was a country in North Africa...) In any event, we toured the Church of the Nativity and visited a souvenir shop. Turns out the PA is safer than Jerusalem- according to our drivers, you could leave your car unlocked without consequence over there. I don't have any pictures of Palestine, but it was still amazing and surreal- like Jerusalem, I felt totally immersed in history (both present and past). 

• Hookah/Shisha/Argileh: Whatever you want to call it, "hubbly bubbly" is a staple of Middle Eastern culture. My beginner's Arabic textbook, Alif Baa, even dedicates a whole page to shisha/hookah (it's called "argileh" in Jordan). The first time I smoked it was with my family in Egypt, next to the Sinai peninsula. I think I was 12 at the time...Fast forward to last night, New Year's Eve, when my family (read: my sisters and I) was inhaling hookah again. It's quickly becoming an Amend (sister) tradition. In the Middle East, or Jordan at least, "hubbly bubbly" is relatively cheap- it should cost no more than 5JD for one hour, which is approximately 7USD. Stateside it's around 20 USD. My favorite favorite flavors are mint, lemon, and grape. 

"Hubbly bubbly" on New Year's Eve. The family celebrated at a Bedouin camp in the desert just 20 minutes away from Petra. 

• Middle Eastern Food: Where do I begin...since boarding a Royal Jordanian jet we've had delicious food. Mansaf is Jordanian's national platter- it's made of rice, some kind of meat (usually beef), and dotted with pine nuts. About 50% of our meals have been "mezza", meaning a collection of different platters that the family shares around one table. This style of eating is much more communal (downside: having to share food heightens tensions among siblings). If you come to Jordan, get ready for a lot of dates, eggplants, kabob, and pita/hummus. It's delicious. 

Our first authentic meal in Jordan was in downtown Amman at a restaurant called "Hashem's" that is a favorite among the locals. Above is a typical workman's meal. After being seated we were served falafel, baba ganoush, hummus, pita bread, fries, and assorted vegetables within 5 minutes. And copious amounts of tea, of course. 

• Jerache: Jerache was a surprise. My mom woke me up in the middle of a jet-lag induced nap and forced me into a 45 minute car ride outside of Amman. We arrived to a beautiful countryside landscape with a site full of Roman ruins. I felt like I was back at the Colosseum. Amman has similar Roman ruins (amphiteatre, citadel) but Jerache upstages Amman both in quantity and quality.  

The Roman ruins at Jerache. We saw a bunch of internationals- Japanese, Russians, as well as local families on a weekend excursion. 

• Amman: I would be committing a major offense by omitting Amman from this post. Home to 3 million people, Amman is Jordan's capital and most populated city. It has a booming infrastructure but at some point in its development a bunch of city planners must have underestimated the sheer quantity of humans that would use cars since traffic is a ubiquitous nightmare. Besides that, Amman has a lot to offer. It's built on 7 hilltops which makes for some spectacular views. The embassy is located in Abdoun, which is a wealthy neighborhood home to rich Iraqi immigrants and Westerners. The embassy itself looks like a medium security prison from the outside (and for good reason) but its interior is more aesthetically pleasing. Abdoun is in West Amman- the more wealthy and modernized section of the city. East Amman is the authentic side. It's where you can see real life pass by. I have yet to step into this section of the city but look forward to the day I do. 

The ritziest Starbucks in all of Jordan located in West Amman, just a 2 minute drive from the embassy. Amman is a relatively modern and progressive city with heterogenous population of Christians, Palestinians, expats, and others. 

• Petra/Wadi Rum: Petra is stunning. This was my second time to this Wonder of the World and I loved it just as much as the first time I set foot in the ancient city engraved out of rock. What was great about this trip is that we didn't adhere to a stereotypical touristy route that would take us straight to the famous treasury through a well trodden siq. Instead, we circumvented the most popular visitor's area through a back way that involved walking into thorny bushes and ascending tall rocky cliffs. The most memorable hike of our Petra stay came on the second day, where we hiked for 5 hours to an intricately carved monastery. It still blows my mind how the Nabataeans built such sturdy and beautiful structures in rock. After Petra, we drove about an hour south to Wadi Rum (wadi means "valley" in Arabic), which essentially is a sand desert with ginormous rock formations protruding out of the ground. It's widely acknowledged that Wadi Rum is one of the few places in the world where total silence can still occur. There are not enough plants to stir any sound, no airplanes overhead, no animals, and no people. Spending a night there under the stars wrapped in a sleeping bag is definitely on my bucket list. 

The famous treasury at Petra from a nearby cliff. Hiking a lesser known trail was grueling but definitely worth the sweat! 

Winter Break, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Transphobia

Good morning from Petra and Happy New Year's! I want to write (after taking a super long hiatus) a new post in three somewhat unrelated installments.

The first installment will discuss my recent travels to the Middle East. I'll gush about my winter break in Amman and surrounding places (Jerusalem, Mt. Nebo, etc...). I apologize in advance for perhaps sounding like a serial bragger or spoiled brat. In my defense, I'm fascinated by the MENA region and the Arabic language, which I've started studying at Yale. 

Clouds over the Mediterranean. Helen (my twin) and I took a direct flight from JFK to Queen Alia airport in Amman. We boarded a Boeing Dreamliner (787-800) operated by Royal Jordanian. I'm fascinated by airplanes, so flying in a Dreamliner for the first time was an amazing experience- it can seat up to 335 passengers and reduces emissions by 20% because it's significantly lighter, which makes take off relatively peaceful experience. 

Second, I'll talk about Jordan from a more intellectual standpoint. I've spent the better half of two weeks roaming around and trailing behind my Mom who works at the U.S. Embassy here. The country is an exciting place, to say the least. I'll write about its politics, economy, social environment, and entrepreneurial ecosystem from information gathered on the web and from Jordanian professionals I've met around town (diplomats, academics, businessmen...).

King Abdullah II is the current ruler of Jordan. He spent his high school years at Deerfield in the US and then went to military school in England. Abdullah is by and large a modern monarch. He's married to Queen Rania, who is really beautiful and smart. It's hard not to like this royal couple. 

Third, I want to talk about a more serious issue, which is the recent suicide of a transgender (MTF) teenager in Ohio. In previous posts I've written about transgender rights, which I believe are a hallmark of 21st century social change. No one should ever feel inferior and unworthy of love because they don't subscribe to a gender binary or norm. Battling transphobia requires a lot of effort on behalf of LGBTQ activists- an effort that is arguably being wasted by focusing on the more trivial issue of marriage equality. 

Leelah committed suicide after her parents put her in a state of miserable isolation for months on end. Her parents were homophobes and propagated transphobic messages within their household. They tried changing Leelah through conversion therapy. When she took her life, they told friends that their sweet "son" had died in a car accident. 

Vote for Hope!

It's been a while since I last wrote about Patrick Hope's run for congress. My first blog post detailed my transition to his campaign and reasons for choosing him as the 8th district's next congressman. Now, after several weeks of campaigning, I can offer you a more comprehensive argument as to why you should vote for Patrick. Allow me to break my argument down into four parts: experience, personality, audacity, and organization. The latter two were not mentioned in my first post about Patrick. Here we go:

1. Experience- 

(a) Patrick has been a health care attorney for over a decade, which means that he has extensive work under his belt advocating for Medicaid and other important health programs. In fact, legislators down in Richmond regard Patrick as the "expert on Obamacare".

(b) (quoting from hopeforcongress.com) Before being elected to the House of Delegates, Patrick served as chair of the Arlington Community Service Board, which serves those in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as those in need of mental health services.

(c) Patrick also founded the reorganized Buckingham Community Civic Association, co-chaired the Arlington Implementation Task Force to End Homelessness, and served on the Arlington County Commission on Aging. 

(d) Patrick has sponsored 31 bills in the House of Delegates. Let me provide you with some more specifics-  Firstly, he fought hard to end the practice of shackling pregnant women when in labor and worked to lower the number of inmates in solitary confinement in Virginia prisons, reducing it by more than 70%. Secondly, Patrick has introduced a bill to ban gay "conversion therapy" for minors in Virginia. Thirdly, Patrick passed a bill that enhances mental health resources across Virginia state universities. These are just three examples of his legislative capacity in Richmond.

2. Personality- 

I talked a lot about Patrick's personality in my previous blog post. In short, Patrick is very attentive and treats you like an equal. He's always open to listening and does not advocate his stance in an overly aggressive manner. Please read my previous blog post on why Patrick's personality trumps the often disingenuous nature of politicians!

3. Audacity-

I personally think that Patrick's audacity towards political issues is what makes him stand out among all of the 8th district's candidates. At first glance you'd think that a radio personality like Mark Levine who calls himself the "aggressive progressive" would be the most audacious. Levine has certainly proved that he has a loud voice and a strong will to bring about change. But what have Levine and other candidates done to stand up for values they believe in, even when it means going against a conventional Democratic narrative? Patrick is the only candidate who has publicly denounced policies even if it meant going against traditional Democratic thought. For example, Patrick denounced Governor Terry McAuliffe's support for a Richmond Democratic Committee president-elect. The candidate opposes same-sex marriage. Patrick was the first contestant in the 8th congressional district race to voice his concerns over this issue.

(Side note- I have nothing against Mark Levine, I met him today and he seems like a great person.)

4. Organization- 

Patrick's team is phonebanking 4 days a week, canvassing on weekends and weeknights, and sporting bright yellow teeshirts to campaign meetings and events. I don't see any other campaign matching our apparatus. Granted, substance trumps style, but I can't help but notice how our yellow and blue colors are taking over the 8th district.

Conclusion: Patrick's campaign efforts and legislative capability have resulted in his team winning 6 out of 7 straw polls (correct me if I'm wrong- I'm going off of memory here) and receiving endorsements from nationwide political organizations such as Blue America. So please, vote for Hope! 

An Atrocity in Uganda

Two hours ago, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed into law a bill that criminalizes homosexuality. The new piece of legislation takes draconian measures to discriminate against LGBT citizens. Below I'll simplify the news through elaborating on a brief overview of the bill, international aid to Uganda, homosexuality in Africa, and international backlash. My explanations are long so if you want some more subjective writing you can skip to my opinion down below.

President Yoweri Museveni

Brief overview of the bill:

• A Ugandan lawmaker first introduced the bill in 2009 with a death penalty clause for some homosexual acts. It was briefly shelved when Britain and other European nations threatened to withdraw aid to Uganda, which relies on millions of dollars from the international community. 
• The nation's parliament passed the bill in December, replacing the death penalty provision.
• The bill that passed divides homosexual behavior into two categories
• The first is called "aggravated homosexuality" in which an offender would receive life in prison. "Aggravated homosexuality" includes homosexual acts committed by a person who is HIV-positive, is a parent or authority figure, or who administers intoxicating substances, homosexual acts committed on minors or people with disabilities, and repeat offenders
• The second category is called "the offense of homosexuality" and includes same-sex sexual acts, involvement in a same-sex marriage, or an attempt to commit aggravated homosexuality. First time offenders in this category would automatically receive 14 years in prison. second time offenders would face more time. 
• Moreover, the bill requires anyone who is aware of an offense or an offender, including companies, media organizations, or NGOS who support LGBT rights, to report the offender within 24 hours. If an individual does not do so they are also considered an offender and face 250 "currency points" or imprisonment for up to three years. 
• President Museveni fluctuated between retracting the bill and signing it. He indicated he needed to know "whether, indeed, there are people who are born homosexual", in which case it would be wrong to punish them; he would not sign the bill until that matter had been clarified. Museveni rapidly retracted that statement and publicly signed it into law on February 24. Museveni's decision was purportedly based on a report by "medical experts" who say "homosexuality is not genetic but a social behavior." 

International aid to Uganda (courtesy of Global Humanitarian Assistance, 2011):

• Total assistance= US $1.6 billion
• Humanitarian assistance = US $56 million
• Cost of multilateral peacekeeping operations= US $7 million
• Government revenues= US $3.9 billion
• Uganda received the equivalent of 9.9% of its gross national income as aid in 2011
• Uganda has experienced active conflict in each of the ten years between 2002 and 2011
• Classified as a fragile state, 2012
• Vulnerability index score, 2012-2013: High

Homosexuality in Africa:

• Homosexuality is illegal in 38 African countries where most sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism
• In Uganda homosexual acts were punishable by 14 years to life in prison even before the controversial bill was signed into law
• Since 2011 some first world countries have been considering or implementing laws that limit or prohibit general budget support to countries that restrict the rights of homosexuals
• In spite of this many African countries are continuing to breach international human rights laws
• Many African leaders feel that gay rights are against their cultural and religious value systems and believe they have a sovereign right to reject what they see as an imposition by mainly Western nations, which attempts to affect national sentiment via aid
• Gay and lesbian organizations in Africa fear the ripple effect from the anti-gay bill could spread beyond Uganda to other parts of a continent where conservative societies tend to view homosexuality as unnatural 

International backlash:

• "It's a gloomy day not just for the gay community in Uganda but for all Ugandans who care about human rights because this law will affect everybody," said Julian Peppe Onziema, a gay rights campaigner in Uganda
• Amnesty International said the law was "wildly discriminatory" and amounted to a grave assault on human rights
• The law comes a week after U.S. President Barack Obama said the legislation would be "a step backward for all Ugandans" and warned it would complicate relations
• A senior Obama administration official had said the U.S. would review relations with Uganda if the law was enacted. Washington is one of Uganda's largest donors, sending more than $400 million a year
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu has condemned the law, saying there is no scientific or moral basis ever for prejudice and discrimination- and accusing the Ugandan president of breaking a promise not to enact the law. 

After stating all of these relevant facts, I hope that anyone who reads this post agrees that this anti-gay bill is simply disgusting and atrocious. President Museveni is clearly standing on the wrong side of history. But condemning the piece of legislation is only the first step in a long process to try to overcome and fight LGBT discrimination in Uganda and Africa. The next step is to figure out why President Museveni enacted the legislation. Then, collective action must be taken immediately to counter these draconian measures. The more countries collaborate together, the better. 

So, first and foremost, it is highly likely that President Museveni passed this anti-gay bill due to Ugandan presidential elections in 2016. The veteran leader's signature will please many voters opposed to homosexuality in the staunchly conservative east African country. Museveni, however, risks alienating Western aid donors, which is a perfect segway into my next point. 

Collective action must be taken immediately to punish the Ugandan government for passing the bill. In 2011 a host of Western nations demonstrated their desire to withdraw aid to Uganda in response to anti-gay legislation introduced in the Ugandan parliament. This can happen again. The U.S. currently gives $400 million on an annual basis in foreign aid to Uganda. There's only one caveat: Uganda is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic extremism in Somalia. Ugandan troops have formed the backbone of the African Union peacekeeping force battling al Qaeda-aligned militants. Still, the U.S. can appropriate the necessary money for Ugandan peacekeeping while withdrawing money in other sectors of life. Furthermore, other European countries can cut down their foreign aid to Uganda. The U.S. does not have to drastically lower our aid, rather, collectively each country can skim from their money pools to produce an effective counterattack to the anti-gay legislation. 

I hope that this post has adequately covered this horrible event. We must evaluate how frequently the law will be carried out and counter its execution with sanctions of our own. 

Patrick Hope for Congress

A few weeks ago I joined Delegate Patrick Hope's campaign for Congress. He is seeking to win the seat that Representative Jim Moran, of the 8th district, is retiring from.

In all honesty I first volunteered for his campaign out of pure boredom. I had this 4 hour time chunk in the middle of my day that needed to be filled. Plus, someone I know from high school is working as his political director, so connecting to his campaign was a piece of cake. I didn't do it out of a love for Patrick, I just did it to fill time.

So for the past few weeks I've been updating data bases, meeting with campaign staff, and helping at events. It's been a mix of some mundane tasks (read: data bases) along with more exciting stuff (meeting Patrick and caucusing). About two weeks ago I helped Patrick caucus at a nearby middle school; campaign staff spent all day (from 11am to 7pm) getting people to sign an election ballot petition and spreading the word about his credentials. I also got the chance to meet Patrick for the first time- he's a soft spoken, mild mannered, intelligent guy. He does not have a flaring hot temper; he has a gentle and kind nature. This was my first impression of Patrick and it hasn't changed.

In order to caucus for a candidate you need to know something about him. I learned that Patrick is a health care attorney, leader of the Progressive Caucus in Richmond, and a legislator that has put many important bills to vote. He deals with housing, disabilities, health care reform, and mental health. The latter issue speaks to my heart; I fervently believe that federal and state governments need a paradigm shift in the way they approach mental illnesses.

Yesterday I was at the Arlington Commissioner of Revenue's house to prepare for Patrick's campaign kickoff today. We spoke about what makes politicians electable- especially at the state and local level. She emphasized personality attributes- in other words, how you treat people and talk to them stands out above all other components of your campaign. I couldn't help but look back on Patrick's demeanor at the Arlington County caucus. I can't imagine Patrick yelling at anyone or developing a temper over trivial things. I think this personality attribute would stand out on Capitol Hill, where legislators across the aisle fight incessantly over petty issues instead of calmly reaching agreement on necessary political measures. This does not mean that Patrick lacks passion, rather, he seemed fired up about hot issues at the campaign kickoff.

That's my personal take on Patrick's campaign. I started working for him out of boredom; now I'm becoming more passionate about electing him by the day. Other people have different views, but here's what I think differentiates Patrick from others in his field. In other words, this is why I think you should elect Patrick Hope to office:

1. Personality: as I said before, Patrick has a gentle approach to dealing with people. He engages you in conversation and seems to care about what you say. He seems like a compromiser; this will play out on Capitol Hill. He won't get into heated battles over small things. He won't approach issues angrily. He'll approach them with integrity. 
2. Legislative Experience: some candidates run on a few legislative wins. Patrick runs on many victories- even right now, he's successfully winning over a mental health bill that will require colleges to emphasize mental health resources and provide guidance on how to spot signs of depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior 
3. Youth: Patrick's political director emphasize this point with me. Basically, Patrick is a young politician, so if he enters office as a congressman he'll have plenty of time to develop seniority, which is important considering committee assignments. Other candidates such as Don Beyer are much older; they won't be able to reach Patrick's potential seniority status. 

If you want to volunteer for Patrick, or help out in any other way (financial contributions, etc..), you can send an email to info@hopeforcongress.com, or visit his webpage at hopeforcongress.com. I highly recommend helping this talented politician win the 8th district. It's well worth your time and effort. Go Patrick! 

Virginia is (for all) Lovers

Finally! Virginia's ridiculous constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage was declared void by a federal judge on the eve of Valentine's Day. Virginia is the first southern state to take this step towards legalization of same sex marriage. Here's a brief overview of the history of LGBT rights in my home state:

• in 2006 the Virginia General Assembly ratified a constitutional amendment that banned same sex marriage
• in mid-2013 two lawsuits were filed in federal court challenging Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage
• in January 2014 newly elected Attorney General Mark Herring filed a brief stating the state's reversal in the lawsuit in Norfolk: "The Attorney General has concluded that Virginia's laws denying the right to marry to same-sex couples violate the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution." 
• Governor Terry McAuliffe, also a recently elected Democrat, backed Herring's refusal to defend the ban
• a federal court decision in Bostic v. Rainey on February 13, 2014, found Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, but stayed enforcement of that decision pending appeal

And here's some more info on Bostic v. Rainey:

• The plaintiffs in the case are Tim Bostic and Tony London who live in Norfolk and have been together for 24 years
• They are joined by Carol Schall and Mary Townley from Richmond. The two women have been together for 28 years and have a 16-year old daughter. They married legally in California in 2008, but Virginia refused to recognize that status. 
• Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen presided over the case 

I think there's no need for me to reiterate my opinion on same-sex marriage. I'm a firm supporter of LGBT rights worldwide, and I'm proud of Virginia for taking this big step towards marriage equality. Combined with (US Attorney General) Eric Holder's recent decision to expand legal benefits to gay couples nationwide, this court case is revolutionizing our country's definition of freedom. 

So many talented and inspiring individuals have come out of the closet recently. Michael Sam, a defensive end for Missouri State, will likely play in the NFL and pave the way for more players to be open about their sexuality. Furthermore, Ellen Page bravely announced that she is gay at an HRC event this morning. Here's her speech:

That's about all I have to say. Here are some pictures to pay tribute to some of the amazing individuals I talked about above:

Terry McAuliffe

Michael Sam

Eric Holder

Mark Herring