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Honest Conversations How HRC’s Reg Calcagno and Amritha Venkataraman Educate, Empower and Mobilize Pro-Equality Voters and Supporters
Spring 2023 • Jose Soto He/Him
“Things are a little crazy right now.”
That is how HRC’s Michigan State Director Amritha Venkataraman (she/her) begins her conversations with community members. Venkataraman, alongside Reg Calcagno (he/they), deputy national campaign director, help HRC champion LGBTQ+ equality through the honest conversations they have with people on the ground. Their campaign and organizing work help HRC to galvanize pro-equality voters and supporters while also empowering LGBTQ+ community members to fight back against hateful politics and advocate for themselves.
While Calcagno and Venkataraman help develop and manage campaigns that bridge communication and education gaps between the LGBTQ+ community and legislative matters, these campaigns also help with what Calcagno calls the “empathy gap,” which, essentially, helps people take a profoundly personal interest in the legislation which directly impacts LGBTQ+ people.
I was initially drawn to campaign organizing for LGBTQ+ candidates and soon realized that we needed deeper community organizing and education to build a base to elect pro-equality champions. In this line of work, in actually conversing with community members, supporters and constituents, there are moments of queer joy and community and friendship in every place that I go. It’s amazing. People are so resilient.
Both Calcagno and Venkataraman have found that it is through meaningful and honest conversations with community members and constituents that they can truly educate, empower and mobilize people. It is in those conversations, they say, that they make the kind of connections that drive change and impact.
Calcagno joined HRC a little over a year ago after spending a decade working in LGBTQ+ policy and advocacy. Venkataraman joined in 2016, first as a temporary organizer and moving on to Michigan state director in 2018. However, this isn’t the first time Calcagno and Venkataraman have worked together, or at least worked to-ward a common goal. Back in 2015, the two crossed paths while Calcagno was working within the marriage movement and Venkataraman was working to elect an openly gay candidate.
“What I love about this work is that there are constant overlaps,” said Calcagno. “There are strong relationships that form outside of the jobs we’re in — we share values and build deep connections.”
Through these meaningful connections, both with the people working in LGBTQ+ advocacy and community members, Calcagno and Venkataraman fuel their everyday work.
Seeing people’s strength and resilience, Calcagno and Venkataraman say, is what keeps them in campaign work.
“This is the only way that we can keep going,” said Venkataraman. “It helps center you and calm you down. Why are we pushing so hard? What are we working toward? You get the answers to these questions when having deep, honest and meaningful conversations with actual people.”
This is more than just a job. This is our community, this is our family, these are our friends and neighbors. We have a responsibility to advocate for each other. The losses can feel very hard, but the wins feel incredible.
Earlier this year, the fight for LGBTQ+ equality celebrated a triumphant and historic win in Michigan, where Venkataraman works as state director, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law a bipartisan amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which explicitly includes protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. This is the first statewide law in Michigan which prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. It is also a bold message for extremist lawmakers attempt-ing to wage an anti-LGBTQ+ culture war across the country.
“The recent win in Michigan felt so big that it resonated for days, even weeks afterward,” said Calcagno.
While ELCRA’s historic implementation in Michigan was a win, there was a lot of work that went into organizing and galvanizing Michiganders and pro-equality voters.
“Much of what we do as state directors and campaign managers is helping people understand how impactful organizing conversations can be,” said Venkataraman. “When people are canvassing or phone banking, it's important to emphasize that every conversation matters. Even if a volunteer talks to 10 people in a day, those 10 conversations can change elections. You don’t have to be a policy expert to move the ball forward. The power of our movement is leading with our values and stories and empowering everyone to get involved and advocate for their communities.”
Read additional profiles of HRC staff members in previous issues of Equality.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Since Equality went to press, Amritha Venkataraman has had a career advancement and is now working at a partner organization. We congratulate Amritha for all of her career accomplishments and thank her for work while at HRC.
