As a Youth Ambassador with the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for a year now, thinking about the year to come brings both excitement and nervousness.

2024 is one of the most important years of my life – the outcome of the election in November will determine not just the course of the country for the duration of the presidential term; it will almost determine at the very least the next four years of my life. As a young LGBTQ+ person living in the United States, what I can say about the past decade is that it has been a tumultuous one for LGBTQ+ youth.

We have been and continue to be constantly weaponized for political campaigns and have been the target of hate and policies designed to undermine our well-being and deliberately harm us.

This election is one of the most important ones of our lifetimes. The next four years will serve as a precedent for what is to come: how we are able to govern and care for our own bodies, how we obtain an education, what kind of content we are able to consume, who we are able to love freely, how we build a future for our country. The best way to secure our future, one that is equal and inclusive of all, is by sharing our stories and perspectives, which organizations like HRC and It Gets Better have been doing for LGBTQ+ youth.

It is important to note that winning this election is much more than just winning the Oval Office. It is much more than winning seats in Congress. It is even more securing wins at the state level. Winning this election cycle for LGBTQ+ youth also means winning local races, especially school boards, which have a dire impact on the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.

Ensuring that school boards care about their students, including every LGBTQ+ student, will create not only safer environments but more inclusive environments, for the current and next generation of students. LGBTQ+ youth like myself don’t have the power to make our voices heard yet. We are dependent on the empathy, allyship, and, frankly, common sense of others. This is exactly why I hope that when it comes down to who you cross on the ballot, you think of the countless LGBTQ+ youth in the country who are counted on your vote. Our very own lives depend on it.

In short, the future is now. Our future is now. How this election plays out will determine the policies that will either trap and restrict, or protect and support LGBTQ+ youth for the coming years. We are in a vulnerable spot. The quality of our lives and our future are decided in this election, yet we have no power in it.

We do not have a say just yet. That is why with the support of organizations like HRC, we must bring attention to LGBTQ+ youth like myself and the issues we face. I, like any other teen, want to live freely and express myself. I want to feel safe at school and feel like my representatives care about me. However, this can only happen with your help.

As November approaches and your decisions become clearer, I hope that you think about the millions of LGBTQ+ youth out there who are counting on you to get it right.