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 |  Fictitious and delicious! |
| From the desk of Minneapolis mayoral candidate Jonathan McNamara While many people in the LGBTQIA+ community want a mayor like themselves, I think a good mayor must ask of representing an increasingly broad community can be accomplished by one person. I am under no illusion that my life as a renter in Loring Park will come even close to that of two women that live and own a home together blocks away from George Floyd Square. I say that because today's campaign events happened to take place in Powderhorn Park. My team and I felt the park was the most logical event to have in the area since the goal was mostly to get my name out there. Aside from a few posters placed near busy roads in the Midtown area, we opted to not really publicize this meet and greet. My campaign manager hesitated when I suggested this low-publicity route, as she prioritized turnout over conversation. In the end, we had about 50 people sign the email newsletter sheet. That's not a big number for follow ups, but I felt being able to talk to at least double that number was a successful day. Two of the people I happened to talk to were in fact a lesbian couple. I admit I was a bit surprised to hear of a lesbian couple living in this part of the city, especially since both women are white. As it turns out they had first looked at some houses a little further south in the city but found everything in their price range to be too small for their needs. This part of town allowed them to have a house with three bedrooms and have a space to put in a small she shed. Julie (the older of the two) stated that when they bought the house back in 2014 they were elated to find it and not have to pay over 200 thousand for it. That remark took me by surprise on two levels. Aside from not even being able to just get the she shed for that price a decade later, I was surprised to hear that low of a number for a budget. It turns out that it was mostly Julie's money, as her wife Amanda worked part time due to a chronic illness that made full time employment next to impossible. Hearing this story provided a stark contrast to my immediate environment. While my rent burden in my high-rise apartment has gone up since my now ex-boyfriend moved out, I've been able to handle it on my own. For the other gay couples in my building, rent and inflation served to cut into their hobbies and entertainment spending instead of playing a game of number crunching to make sure they didn't end up camping out in Peavey Plaza. After going to Powderhorn Park, I find myself ruminating on these two experiences that are worlds apart despite being represented by the same prismatic flag. To be fair, even the flag could be slightly different, although the vast majority of homes in the city fly the Progress flag. I wonder how much solidarity there is in that regard, though. If my campaign work today is any indication, we may recognize and celebrate each other's sexual identities. Beyond that, though? How much do we know about each others' life experiences? As I'm beginning to see with a bit more clarity, we are a minority that is becoming increasingly diverse in so many ways, right down to how much money we (don't) make. We may be a minority unified in one world but somehow still living worlds apart in other ways. Perhaps the best representation of the LGBTQIA+ community is acknowledging that I simply cannot be all things to all people. I wonder how well that would go over. Entry 4 in "The Bard's Hall Contest"  June 2022 |
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