Jonathan Lovitz: Advocating for LGBTQ+ and Disability Communities

Welcome to Disability Matters with your host Joyce Bender. All comments, views, and opinions expressed on the show are solely those of the host, guest, and callers. Now the host of Disability Matters, here's Joyce Bender.

Hey everyone, welcome to the show. To those of you in the United States and around the world, you know, I've got to tell you I have such a great listening audience. I really do, from China to Mongolia. And even if you're one person in a country, remember, you can make a difference. You can spread the news to other people so that they know people with disabilities count and have quality of life. Special shout out to Richard Roberts from the State Department, who I first met in South Korea. Gangyong Cho, who is in South Korea, Cheryl Harris, who is in Tunisia but now is right here in Washington, D.C. with the State Department, and Venyumin from Kazakhstan. All of these people I visited when I was in those countries through the U.S. State Department, and they are all awesome people. Hey, Yoshiko Dart, special shout out to you. You know I'll never forget you, Yoshiko, never ever. And I'll never forget— hi, Mark, our lead sponsor who has been the sponsor, lead sponsor for years of this show. For years, guess what everyone? You won't believe it. This is my 19th year. Get ready for that big celebration next year. 19 years. With Voice America. Unbelievable. And I must tell you, I am like so excited today. I'm going to say what this person said to me. Did you ever meet someone and you just know, I like them, I like this person, I'm going to be friends with this person? That's how it was when I met Jonathan Lovitz. Who is the small business and public policy advocate, special advisors to the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, but most importantly, running for office. And we're going to talk about that on the show today. He is awesome. He is wonderful. Jonathan, welcome to the show.

Oh my gosh, Joyce, I am so honored to be here. I am such a fan and just so grateful for the work you do. And you're right about your audience. It doesn't matter where you are or how surrounded by fellow advocates that you feel you might be. One person can change the world. And I love that that's what you stand for.

That's right. And by the way, I am so sorry. I forgot Japan. How could I forget Japan when you're one of our largest listening audiences? I love all of you, every one of you that I visited once again through the State Department. And Jonathan, I'm excited about having you on the show today. I've told everyone, here's my saying, ready? From Broadway star to politics. That's you, Jonathan Lovitz. We're not going to ask you to sing today. However, I do want everyone around the world to know who Jonathan Lovitz is. So if you don't mind, let's hear your story from growing up to Broadway to where you are right now.

Oh my goodness. Well, Thank you. It just is so special to me to be here with you, Joyce Bender, because I love how you help tell people's stories and inspire people to be a part of change. So thank you for letting me share a little bit of mine. Yeah, I have been using my voice my entire life. I just found different ways and different stages to use it on. I started off performing in South Florida where I grew up as a young artist and a young creative person trying to find an outlet for a little too much energy, as my parents would probably agree. But the theater was a wonderful place to really discover how to use it to move people and to really understand myself. By the time I got to college at the University of Florida— go Gators— I was so proud to also, in addition to being a theater major, able to study and get involved in politics for the first time. That was right around the time of the John Kerry campaign, and I got my first taste of volunteering and organizing and being a part of change, and I thought, "I don't know what this is entirely, but man, I like how it makes me feel." But I strangely, or sort of, certainly fortunately enough, was part of that very, very, very small percentage of theater students who get to graduate and go right to work. I left college and went straight— I finished college and went straight straight to New York for rehearsals for a Broadway national tour, which I can't tell you how much that did for me to be 21 years old, traveling across America, doing shows I loved, and getting to meet people from every walk of life. I got to see over 40 states in 2 years, which was wonderful to start checking those off. But getting to hear stories from people about how they live and how the country makes them feel was really special and has just informed my work ever since. I went from the theater to New York, from touring to New York, where I performed on stages in the big city and then around the country. And next thing I know, that work led me to television. And as much fun as it was to do the things all of us in New York did when we joined the union and start working professionally, you play some extras on Law Order, you do a little small work on things like Guiding Light, And I was getting called in to screen test for other shows when someone, a friend of mine who worked in the entertainment industry and producing, said, "Hey, we're casting for a show I'd love to see you on, but the same network," which was MTV at the time, "is doing an LGBT-focused news show on Sundays in partnership with CBS. Go in and test for it." That started a ball rolling down the hill that hasn't stopped since. Because I discovered doing that and then working for other networks around New York as a special reporter on city issues, on political issues, on Broadway opening nights. I got to cover such fun things, but I realized my favorite role that I ever got to play was myself and talking as myself to people about the things they care about. And I then started getting asked to participate in in helping fundraise and organize and get out the word about advocacy for groups like the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD and the Trevor Project and others. And that's when I fell in love with this intersection of advocating for communities, public speaking, and then along the way discovered the power of public policy and especially the role business plays in that. So many of the organizations I got to volunteer for had such strong connections to the business community. And you think about things like marriage equality and even the ADA were assisted so much by having the power of business behind them saying, "Not only is this the right thing to do for all these people, it's the right thing for us to do as a country in every respect." And next thing I know, I am working as the Senior Vice President at the NGLCC, the National Chamber, working for 1.4 million business owners across the country and hundreds of corporate partners. And they let me develop a policy shop. Where in that time we've been able to enact laws in almost 30 states that have helped business owners who are LGBT, who have disabilities, who are veterans, women, people of color, you name it. We've helped these communities do better, and I could not be more grateful to have been working in that space than throughout the pandemic when our businesses, and especially our minority businesses, needed all the help they could get. So from— while I may have hung up my tap shoes for a while, I love using the spotlight to highlight the issues that I care so much about. And that's where we are today.

Well, what a background. You know what I'm thinking though? That theater background really did help you because, you know, anyone that's been in theater, confidence, creativity, speaking, You know, being with different types of people and definitely stamina, definitely stamina. I can never believe how the heck do these people go out every night no matter how they feel. That is amazing to me. You must all have high energy level. I have to ask you, I have to ask a very important question here. Very important question. Was it Law Order or Law Order: Special Victims Unit?

It was regular Law Order. This was way— this, gosh, had to be 2008 or '09 or so, with one of my first bits of background work in New York. And then the next thing you know, they ask you to do one line here and three lines there, and before you know it, you're eligible to join the actor— the SAG union. So it— that time in New York was so incredible on so many levels. And then, as you and I have talked about in the past, it's amazing when you can convert, you know, people who you really looked up to as sort of heroes and icons to being friends. So many of those celebrities and legends in the arts and in political science and all that are now colleagues. I mean, to think of some of the Tony winners like Billy Porter and Audra McDonald, these people that I worshipped as a kid, are now supporting my campaign because they wanna see more help for the arts, more help for minority communities, and just to have people like that believe in me. And then our dear friend, Tony Coelho, I mean, my gosh, as someone who has done so much to pave a path for people like me to walk down, I thank my lucky stars every single day.

Well, you know, oh, by the way, it's why I asked you that, I love Mariska Hargitay, but wrong Law Order. She's on the other Law Order.

Well, wait, Joyce, Joyce, Joyce, can I tell you a funny, very quick funny story about that? My husband loves Law Order, loves Mariska Hargitay. And we are dear friends with BD Wong and his husband, and we're at their wedding. And I kept giving Steve such a hard time saying, "Oh yeah, she must be late. She'll be here any minute. Any minute now she's gonna walk in." She never came, but I tried to convince him that Mariska was gonna walk in any minute now.

You could tell your husband there's another fan here. Another fan. But anyway, you know, Billy Porter, remember Pittsburgh? Billy Porter from Pittsburgh. Don't forget that. We take credit for that all the time, how he went to Kappa right here in Pittsburgh.

What?

Yeah. Incredible entertainer, you know, he is, uh, what a, what a person he is, uh, and also I wanted to mention human. Yes, you have done a vast amount of work in the LGBTQ+ community, and you do a lot with the, uh, Chamber of Commerce. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Sure. Well, that, that, you know, that organization just means means so much to me and has been on my own journey for so long. I first met the co-founders, Justin Nelson, Chance Mitchell, who are both dear friends and my bosses as well, years and years ago in New York when they had me, in my time on TV and on stage, be an emcee for some of their events. I would come down and participate in their events in Washington and at their national conferences. And next thing you know, the stars aligned and they said, "We'd love you to come be in-house with us and make a change in the communities we serve." And for them to really trust me, not only in storytelling and helping be the national spokesperson and the press manager and telling our story that way, they let me travel the country and work with all of these municipalities, these governors, these mayors, these city councils, saying, if we're not— if we're all going to talk about inclusivity and equity, but only make it for some communities, then we're not really living up to our promise. And I am so grateful for— I joke all the time, I feel like working for the Chamber of Commerce, I've gotten a free MBA and a free master's in public policy just by getting to live the experience of working with these communities. And Business owners are some of the most resilient, inspiring people I know. They are incredible hearts, incredible leaders, incredible organizers, and so many give back so selflessly to their communities. And I've loved working in this LGBT sector because we are women, we are people of color, we are veterans, we are immigrants, we are people with disabilities. And so I have gotten to stand in sort of the middle of this wheel and be a part of all of these different spokes in all of these other communities working on their issues, bridging networks together, building a coalition. And, you know, we have seen in recent years nothing matters more than the power of solidarity and saying we are in this together. And I think especially that is one of the lessons that has always guided me in my work in politics and in business and now certainly as a candidate to be able to say and remind people it doesn't have to happen to you for you to care about it. And that has been one of the true blessings of working in this line of work with so many communities.

And I will say, and we're going to talk about this campaign, but I want to say a couple of things. Number one, Jonathan is including the disability community. So that all of you know, in Philadelphia, he is including the disability community when he looks at policy and when he looks at employment and also recognizes intersectionality, as he just said, from LGBTQ to minority representation, all across the board. Remember, he is including us, uh, and I know people in the disability community all the time, including with the presidential candidates, say, 'What's your platform? What's your platform?' Because they want to make sure that they are represented, uh, and I just wanted you to know he is including us, and that is why I am endorsing Jonathan Lovitz for election in the House of Representatives for Philadelphia. Uh, and what district is that, Jonathan?

The 182nd District, covering the heart of Center City Philly and the surrounding neighborhoods. If you can see it from the skyline when you're coming in off the bridge, that's our district.

Okay everyone, we've got to get him. All of you listening in Philadelphia, you know, here's someone that's including us. And by the way, we do have a parade for the disability community in Philadelphia. So when you are elected, you have to be in that parade.

I would be incredibly honored, but only if you're marching there right next to me.

I'll be there. I'll be there marching right with you. But, you know, it is important to elect someone that includes disability. And sadly, there are too many people running that don't even say the word disability. So let's find out, why did you decide to run? And what are some of the key issues that you will be talking about in your campaign?

Well, thank you for the chance to talk about this, because this really feels like everything in my life has led up to this moment, Joyce. You know, this work in intersectionality, this work in organizing people, this work in bringing help to people who often feel like they do not know where to turn has been just the greatest blessing of my career. And now the ability to turn that into a life of public service means more than I can say. I'm running because I think, as we can all agree, especially in a country and a commonwealth like Pennsylvania that is always talking about the future and how the future is so diverse, straight white men over 75 setting the agenda for the rest of us doesn't quite square with that. We need leadership that's been growing up in this ever-changing world. And has an appreciation and recognition for the greater good. I think that is one of the things we have really lost, and I think we saw a lot of that in the pandemic, that care on the greatest level for one another, the kind of, the kind of community expression of solidarity that we saw in previous world wars and after major catastrophes was hard to find in some cases. And so getting that getting that spirit of greater good, getting that spirit of we are successful if we work together back into the Capitol in Harrisburg means everything to me. And I'm grateful to be running with so much experience actually getting bipartisan legislation passed and getting resources back to people. This is the first time this seat in my district has been open in 10 years, and the hunger for new energy and new change is so palpable. Folks are thrilled that someone who has as much experience as I have, and as much goodwill in the community as I am so grateful to have earned, is running, but also that I'm running with a sort of commitment to drama-free governing. I have no interest in going to Harrisburg and, you know, yelling into cameras for YouTube video hits. I think too many people think they've succeeded by getting 10,000 likes on a social media post when they can't even get 10 Republicans to join them on a bill as important as transportation or disability health. So I want to go and do what I know how to do best, which is get everyone to a yes and then help everyone go home and sell it. That way we can actually govern again. And you have to, you know, I think it's a good thing if government is a little boring. We're not there to be, you know, pay-per-view wrestling entertainment. We're there to make sure people can live better and work better and be healthier and more successful. And I just want to be— I want to bring back a little bit of normalcy to the process and bring some gravitas and stability. I think after the years of uncertainty we've had in the pandemic, to be able to lead with the message of stability and assuredness and gravitas is really resonating with the voters and donors and supporters. They want to see, uh, someone who cares deeply about the, the nitty-gritty of the job succeed. And that's why I want to do this. And, and to your question about what I fight for, it is, it is the simple stuff that should be at the heart of everyone's agenda, that is not red or blue. It is universal to want Schools that aren't crumbling and are funded fairly without some of the nonsense that comes with the Pennsylvania funding formula. Safety on our streets. The fact that we have— we're living in Philadelphia. I live right downtown in one of the most active corridors in all of Pennsylvania, and the difference between two blocks is literally night and day from how dark and how, how claustrophobic they can feel without security, without policing, without lighting. Simple fixes can help our streets feel safer so that people are wanting to reopen businesses, move back into the downtown district, go out and eat, go shop, go see the— attend the arts, which for me is so important as someone who comes from the arts and is so lucky to have earned the endorsement of the Musicians Union, for example, which has never endorsed in their history in Philadelphia because they found a champion who's really willing to fight for not just the arts and the artists, but the economy around it. That when you come to Philadelphia, or we go visit you in Pittsburgh, Joyce Bender, we— you don't just go to the theater. You park, you stay at a hotel, you go shopping, you get cocktails, you fund hundreds of jobs around you. And yet we treat the arts like a chew toy and throw it away whenever we need to get rid of some money in the budget. That's not going to work. And we can't treat things like transportation and affordable housing that way either. Again, just because something doesn't affect you immediately doesn't mean you can ignore it. My district, the 182nd, it's full of cranes. It is full of new building going up, which means union jobs, which means new places for people to work, new homes for people to live in. But we got to make sure that everyone has access to them, they can be able to afford them. They can be able to live safely in them, and especially for my deep affinity and commitment to the disability community, that everything we build is accessible to everyone. I mean, even things as simple as curb cuts and, you know, studded walkways so people know where they're walking are few and far between in a city as diverse and progressive as this one. But we can change that, and it just takes leadership that knows what they're talking about to make it happen.

Oh, that is so true. Jonathan, if someone would ask you, like, your two most important pillars in your campaign, the two things most important to you, uh, for people listening to the show right now, voters listening, what would you say?

Equality of opportunity and equality of access. So for equality of opportunity, I mean, starting most critically with voting rights, that if we do not protect those for every community in Pennsylvania, there's no reason to fight for anything else because our vote is our most sacred right. And it's what allows us to have direct control as the people over what our elected officials say and do. And from that, we branch out into all the issues that voting lets us tackle, from taxation to infrastructure to healthcare to schools. We need to make sure people are fired up to be a part of the process. Stop letting strangers use your voice to then vote against what you care most about. And then equality of access means truly living up to these statements that we're seeing governments and corporations and community leaders put out about equity. But what does equity mean? Equity means fixing the system, not just with a Band-Aid, but with a real systemic change that's going to make sure that the reasons that people have not had access to the ballot or to housing or to workplace safety or to anything you care about is rectified at the root level. So we don't just keep putting more Band-Aids on recurring problems. Again, it takes will, it takes willpower, and it takes people making the case that these things are not just the morally righteous thing to do, they're the smartest thing for our people, for our economy, for our health, for our growth as a state and as a country. And I think especially my chamber and my government affairs background is gonna really help me articulate that message to the people who need to hear it most.

Oh, so, so, so important. I'm going to talk about that a little more after break because that is so important to our community. But right now on the half hour, it's time for our news break with Perry, um, who is going to come on and give us an update on what's going on in the news. Perry, welcome.

Wanna—

I— thanks for having me. I want to talk about The White House and the— Biden just announced his picks for the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. And we're so excited in Pennsylvania because included among the 20 newly appointed members is Temple University's own Sean A. Long. Sean is a self-advocate studying legal studies, real estate, and finance. Sean also interns at Disability Rights Pennsylvania. So Sean is one of the 20. Oh, isn't that terrific?

Yeah, congratulations.

So for those who don't know, the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities was established by Lyndon Johnson in 1966, and the committee serves an important role as an advisor to the president and the US Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues related to persons with intellectual disabilities. Now, uh, President Biden reestablished the committee by executive order in September. Now, over the years, the committee has released lots of reports on issues like the direct support workforce crisis, improving technology access for people with intellectual disabilities, employment, community inclusion, and so much more. So really, at Advocacy Matters, we congratulate all the new appointees to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. If you want more information, go to disabilityrightspa.org. You can find the complete list of appointees from across the country, as well as fact sheets about the committee. So Joyce, really congratulations to Shawn and all of the newly appointed members.

Yes, I wanna congratulate everyone, but Shawn, being that I'm on the board of Disability Rights of Pennsylvania, I want to give you a special congratulations from me. And I just wanna remind everyone, Perry's the CEO of Disability Rights PA, and if you go to disabilityrightspa.org, you can make a contribution today. Uh, and Perry, you're doing a wonderful job. Uh, I love how you keep us right on target with the news. So thank you, and, and again, congratulations.

Thanks, Joyce.

Take care. That is awesome, awesome news. And you know what, uh, that's for the whole state, Jonathan, the board I'm on. Is, is the entire state of Pennsylvania, which is why once again everyone, Jonathan Lovitz running for state representative Philadelphia. So there you go, we've got that great contact with the disability community. And what I wanted to mention to you, uh, Jonathan, is when you were talking about voting You know, that has been such an issue for the disability community. So, so many issues that have occurred, and that's one thing when you become representative in Harrisburg that you can work on for us.

Count on it. And that's one of the things that I have to tell you that I love about working with the disability community. Again, just like the LGBT space, You are made up of every other community. Our issues are shared. So voting rights, you know, affect everyone and every community, and especially those who need assistance or accessibility. And those voices are not always at the table for reasons that are often about accessibility. So I am so excited to work with you, Joyce Bender, and all of our networks in PA and across the country to make that better because You know, I, I joke all the time, I am not a great dresser, but my suit coats have really long coattails. And if I'm at a table, you're at a table. So hopefully everyone's voice will be represented when I'm in office, because too many decisions that affect communities like the disability community are done without the correct amount of input, just because they don't know how to engage or how to reach people accessibly.

And remember everyone, We've told you, everyone with a disability in Pennsylvania, if you know that there's an issue with your voting poll, poll, you've got to get in touch now with disabilityrightspa.org. That's Perry Hughes, the CEO for the entire state. You've got to get in touch with us so that we can start looking into that now. Because I remember one presidential election, terrible, the people couldn't get to the voting polls. So we're telling you, start now. And Jonathan, right here in Western Pennsylvania, we're starting Rev Up, which is, you know, for voting. And I'm telling you, we cannot make a difference, folks, if we can't vote. So here you have someone that's going to stand up for us. You've got to get out there and vote for Jonathan Lovitz. So, Jonathan, um, well, you're talking about it right now— LGBTQ community, disability community, Black community, uh, you know, Asian, Latina, uh, older, younger Veteran, you know, disability goes across the board, all the way across the board, which we have the, as you know, the Mary Brooker Mental Health Initiative for high school students with mental health issues, and that goes across all communities. My great friend and your friend, Jason Maida, has told me so many times, remember Joyce, mental health issues are in our community. Because of course, people growing up gay go through so much trauma in so many situations. I mean, I get these stories that Jason will tell me about someone that, you know, told their family they were gay and the family said leave and don't come back. And then Jason and his husband had them over, you know, for dinner for a holiday. I mean, think about what that does to people. Think about what that does. And so, I mean, there are many issues, and there are many issues in other communities, but disability goes across the board. And I think that's something, uh, Jonathan, that you should talk about a lot.

Oh, and I always do. Oh, and I mean, because we have so much talk now about, you know, ways that we address systemic issues like gun violence, like homelessness, like addiction. And so much of that is talked about in terms of, well, how do we deal with the criminality, and not how do we deal with the humanity. 99% of the time these people can be benefited by access to quality mental healthcare. And realizing that that is a key component to a, a life well-lived. Thankfully, more and more states are adding mental healthcare to state-sponsored Medicaid, Medicare programs, and to publicly funded initiatives, but it is not nearly enough. And I think one of the silver linings we can take away from the COVID pandemic is telehealth works. More people got access to a therapist, a coach, a mentor over the internet than they ever utilized before. Let's keep expanding on that and making sure anyone with a phone or anyone with a computer has access to care. And then we can also make sure we're using, you know, mobile labs and community centers to get physical, you know, physical mental health care to people who need it, particularly on the streets and in communities that have a harder time accessing it, including the disability community. We need to meet people where they are, and we can do it. So I love that you, you bring this up, Joyce, because it's really personal to me.

Yes. And, uh, Jonathan, your campaign now— what is the district again?

Uh, the Center City Philadelphia district. It's, uh, House District 182.

Okay, 182. I just want to make sure everyone's hearing that again. So how can people in Philadelphia across the board, uh, which of course I'm thinking about people with disabilities, but anyone, how can they help you in your campaign?

Well, we welcome anyone and everyone. We have support from the entire country pouring in as, as donors and as volunteers for things like phone banks and postcard writing. You can find all of that at lovitzforpa.com. That's L-O-V-I-T-Z-F-O-R-P-A dot com. And I'm also, you know, Joyce, this is a chance for me to celebrate the hard work of my team, which is incredibly diverse. My entire team on this campaign is led by women, people of color, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities. I mean, we are A campaign that looks like the city of Philadelphia that we're going to serve. And what I love about it is our website designer, who is an extraordinary trans business owner here in Philly who does work with, with organizations all over the Commonwealth, helped make sure that our website is fully accessible, that it's available in multiple light modes, that it's— that we have captions and subcaptions on our videos and on all of our photos. Because that's often something that not a lot of campaigns think about. I just don't do hypocrisy in my life, and I'm not going to say I'm a champion for people with disabilities or anyone else and then say, "Oh, but not on my website or not on the videos I produce." There's a reason there's a caption on everything, because no one should ever be left out of being able to access their elected officials.

Oh, and we so appreciate that. So you can go to Jonathan Lovitz— finish—

lovitz4pa.com.

Yep. Oh, just Lovitz. Just Lovitz. Lovitz4pa.com. L-O-V-I-T-Z. So you can go to lovitzpa.com. And you could make a contribution, uh, no matter what it is, everything counts. You can, uh, yeah, you, you can volunteer. How would they do that? Where would they go if they want to volunteer?

Sure, if there's a big button up top that says join us to volunteer, we're— we have in-person things like this week alone where we're collecting the signatures needed to get me on the ballot. Next week we're going to be starting to put posters up all over town. So we've got physical activities, we've got, um, things that you could do from the comfort of your own home, like phone banking, which is all done online. We're going to have text banking. People are doing postcards for us from all over the country and mailing them to voters in Philadelphia. There are so many ways to be involved, and, and honestly Sharing our message. If you care about what we care about, you can see all of our platforms on the issues page at loveitsforpa.com. You'll see that there are so many ways that we're trying to engage every possible community and fight for them. If something resonates with you, use your platform, whether it's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, homing pigeon, whatever it is. Let people know what you stand for and what you care about. That's how movements spread. We need to, we need to be celebrating and championing the causes that we each care about and fight for so that they don't remain the best-kept secret. We want this to be the, the, the hardest to keep secret. We want everyone to know about not just our campaign, but what Pennsylvania Democrats are doing for everybody in the Commonwealth and across the country. So join us. It's loveitsforpa.com. There's a million ways to be involved, and I appreciate you mentioning about donors. Campaigns are tremendously expensive, but for us, we want to make sure we have additional funds not only to win my race on May 17th, but to be able to travel around Pennsylvania and help others flip the House so that when we take control and have a Democratic governor in Josh Shapiro and have a Democratic-led House in Harrisburg, we're able to move an agenda that actually delivers what the people need from us, whether it's disability rights, LGBTQ equality, healthcare, housing, you name it. Without the majority, we are just going to be pushing a boulder uphill. So help me help the whole Commonwealth do better.

Yes, and by the way, Josh Shapiro, another friend of mine who I just love so much. So, uh, we got a lot in common here. And as you said, Tony Coelho, Author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. My mentor, such a wonderful person. So having him behind you is phenomenal. That means so much. And, you know, I just think the world of him, but that says a lot about you also. Hey, one last question about your campaign. What about social media? How can our listeners get involved with social media?

Well, first of all, Joyce, I wish everyone was as prolific as you are. You are out there retweeting a storm. You can find me in much the same way if you go to our website, lovits4pa.com. All of our social media links are there, but you can also find us across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and YouTube, all using Lovits for PA, L-O-V-I-T-S for PA. @LoveIt4PA. We are the same, same handle across all of our platforms to make it easy and accessible for people. And we are always proud to share your work and the work that your allies are doing because it really matters.

Yeah, so what is your Twitter name, Jonathan?

It's @LoveIt4PA for the campaign, and then me personally @JDLoVett. I love to connect with people. If I can ever help you or if you have ideas to share, reach out. I would love to hear from you. I am a firm believer that all of our Rolodexes need to be open to each other, otherwise we're just hoarding. So whatever we can do to help one another, we should.

Yes, I so agree with you 100%. And I just want to mention again, You know, some people say, oh, I don't have a lot of money, you know, to make a donation. Everything counts. I think we learned that with Bernie Sanders. $26 counts. Everything counts. So don't think that, you know, whatever you have, those donations add up. And so I guess you can all tell how big I am on Jonathan, and I usually don't go this far with endorsements, but I, you know what it is, not only do I like him, I know he'll keep his word. I know it. I know I can trust him. I know he'll help people with disabilities. And to me, in the state of Pennsylvania, well, nationally, but since I'm right here in the state of Pennsylvania, I want to see great things happen for people with disabilities. And I'll be honest with you, it's not the political orientation, it's do you care about people with disabilities. And, you know, I have campaigned for different presidential candidates, and that's what it always is. As Tony said, you know, don't talk about it, do it. And He's been involved, he is still involved right now. He's involved right now with President Biden. So he is always out there working to help people with disabilities. So Jonathan, it is obvious that you are passionate, very talented, charismatic. This all comes from somewhere. I mean, really, to believe in yourself to run for office. I don't know how people do it. You have to have like the thick skin. Nothing bothers you because it isn't easy. Talk about Tony. When he, you know, before he became the whip in Congress, if you've ever heard him speak, he talks about the time his competitor said, do you really want to elect someone that throws a fit at the White House? Of course, because like me, he has epilepsy. I don't know how he thought of this. His answer was, "Well, I've seen a lot of people throw a fit at the White House, so I'll just fit right in." And that was the end of that. That was the end of that person saying anything. I love it. But I always tell Tony, "Oh my gosh, how do you take all the things people say? I could never run for office." So How is that, Jonathan? How do you do that?

I am fortunate to have a phenomenal, not only a great husband and network of dear friends, but a therapist who does not make nearly enough money for how much he has to listen to every week. But you are right, Joyce Bender, you know, I am very fortunate to have a kitchen cabinet of fellow candidates and other elected officials who I have been friends with for years. So we can vent to each other about what we are feeling, because unless you are in the arena, as Teddy Roosevelt would say, you really do not understand how much you are going to hear just terrible things said about you from people who have never met you, live nowhere near you, but feel empowered to hide behind the keyboard and throw bombs. Well, that does not make change. Work makes change. Volunteers make change. Voting makes change. Weeks change. So if the best you can do is lob bombs from the cheap seats, that's, that's no help to anybody, and you're actually doing your own cause a disservice rather than showing up and being a part of the process. So focusing on what really matters, which is helping people, which is being true to yourself. Um, I see that even my own race with, with, uh, several of my, my colleagues who are also running, uh, as my competitors shifting with the wind of whatever the latest thing they have heard from a potential endorser or funder says, as opposed to staying true to their values and what the community really wants to get done. And that is how you win, and that is how you govern well. So I think you have got to shake it off. You do have to have a thick skin. But I will tell you, there are some nights when I come home and I just look out the window and think, how am I going to get through this for the next couple of weeks, and then I realized why I got into this in the first place, because the people who are in power are there because of complacency. They're there because people say, eh, what do I care about the process? I'll let that guy do all the work for me. Well, those folks are only going to stay in power if you let them. I'm showing people that there is someone whose full heart and soul is in this, and I'm in it for them. And I cling to that. You know, Barack Obama has a great quote that I have framed in my office all about how if you focus on— if you're making people happy or if you're getting the job done, you will always feel like you're drowning. But if you focus on the work, there's always something to be done. And that has always guided me and keeps me going through the tough days of the campaign. But then I've got bright lights like you that come into my life and help cheer me on because I know, uh, we're gonna get great things done together. So thanks for that, Joyce.

Yeah, and of course, and I hope you will go, uh, to his website and read, uh, you know, his platform or, you know, what he's standing up for. Because when I hear people say, oh, I'd never vote for him or her, I say, okay, what do you know about them? Because we have that polarization in our country. I'll tell you, way back in time, way back, I remember when Senator Obama spoke at the convention. That's the first time I heard anyone say, my grandmother didn't tell me there are red states and blue states. But it's the United States. And that is so true. I mean, you've got to know what you're doing. You've got to be educated, you know, whenever you vote for someone. But no matter what vote, you've got to vote. You know, President Obama also said, this is the only country— this is the country right here where you can call me any name you want, and that's good because we're in the United States. And I think right now that we all have to see that when you look at what's going on in other countries, you know what I mean? I mean, look what's going on in Ukraine. But anyway, so my question is, who is your role model?

Oh my goodness. Well, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be where I am or as successful as I am without my folks. My parents Harold and Carol are my rock and have always been and believed everything I've ever done, as have my sisters and my husband. My personal role models, you know, I certainly most recently to look up to someone like a Pete Buttigieg and just see that there are no ceilings anymore and that we can, we can have it all if we work for it. And I think of also people Friends of mine like Jim Obergefell, the man who helped make marriage equality happen, was not an activist, was not someone who looked for the political fight. He was just trying to marry the man he loved. Next thing you know, he's the winning plaintiff at the Supreme Court, and he did me the incredible honor of marrying my husband and me. So the fact that everyday people can be the reason that the world changes gives me hope. And that's why so many of my heroes are, are real people who have thrown themselves into the fight and said, if not me, then who?

Yeah, you were bringing up, uh, Pete Buttigieg. I want to tell you, you know, I am a person of faith, and I saw this article where he spoke And he said, mm-hmm, don't tell me you have a problem with me and my lifestyle. If you're upset, you better talk to the Creator. I thought, oh, what a great saying that is. Yeah, how true that is. Yeah, he really has— he is really a great person. He really is. So, Jonathan, let's hear a message for our listeners today.

The message to the listeners is twofold. Remember, you have the power to make a difference, whether it's getting involved in your community, showing up to vote, supporting a cause. Don't give the power away to someone else. The power is in your hands. Use it. And then if you're able and you can support a candidate who wants to fight for you, like me and like so many other Democrats across the country, Do it. We need you. We need to know that you're behind us so that we know who we're fighting for. Reach out to us. Let us know your concerns. You all have heard today about lovitsforpa.com. Uh, check that out. Find out the causes that we're standing for and how we can connect to the things that you're standing for. We are in this together. There's a reason that my campaign slogan is "Let's make a difference." Not let me, not only I can do it, but let us together make the difference we need. That's my message, and I think that's why we're going to do so well, and because of great friends like you, Joyce.

What a great message that is. You know, I hope you will all take time, read about it, get behind him. People with disabilities, we need someone that cares about us and about, as you said, us being at the table also. When Tom Perez was the Secretary of Labor, he said, "When you go to the symphony, all the seats have to be filled or the music will be terrible." And that is so true. All the seats have to be filled, and that includes people with disabilities. So, um, Jonathan, we're all behind you. We're going to get behind you in this— in Philadelphia. People with disabilities, you know, you've heard it. You heard how he's going to take a stand for us, and that's what matters to me. So, Jonathan, thank you being with us today.

Thank you, my friend, and thanks to all the listeners. You are incredible.

And listen, listeners, remember this show is on demand, uh, and we have a huge on-demand listening audience. So you can go to Spotify and subscribe to Disability Matters with Joyce Bender, um, and, and you can actually go to Apple, Voice America, anywhere. But if you've heard this show and you want to share it with someone Go get that podcast and share it with them. Uh, well, it was great to have all of you with us, Jonathan, and all of our listeners around the world. This is Joyce Bender, America's Voice, where disability matters, at voiceamerica.com. Talk to you all next week, and remember, every day choose joy.

Voice America would like to thank you for tuning in. Please join us next Tuesday at 11 AM Pacific Time and 2 PM Eastern Time for another installment of Disability Matters right here on the Voice America Variety Channel. We are the leader in live internet talk radio. VoiceAmerica.com.