Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

While I am a political person, I don’t really do a lot of political organizing things – mostly because I’m anxious. On the other hand, I organize a political Q&A series, spending many hours knocking on email doors to get the completed surveys returned to me. You can read those Q&A’s here and email pghlesbian@gmail.com to request on for your campaign. I do a lot of cat things.

Surprisingly, I participated in the ‘Cat Ladies for Kamala’ call Sunday night along with 20k other folx. Mostly women, mostly cat people, mostly white. But the organizers did seriously try to create an inclusive event and movement. I tuned in for the entire event and I dug deep to chip in another $25 on top of my monthly recurring donation and my announcement donation.

Therefore, as someone living on SSDI, I am the small donor for whom $25 is a big deal. I am the small donor they always speak about.

As a matter of fact, all that blogging Q&A stuff over the years has taught me how important it is to measure these events in terms of donations and how many people show up.

I livetweeted the experience so you can check that out if you like, but here are some key takeaways. And look I’m not naming names or trying to dampen anyone’s willingness to jump in to a new type of organizing. Well, okay, I am going to do that. But it is for the cause, not to lambast individuals whom I believe can make other choices.

First on my list, the speakers were diverse, including our very own State Representative Jessica Beham who did a stellar job. She really stood out. But … I’m absolutely looking for AIAPI faces, Indigenous faces, disabled faces in leadership roles and speaking roles. Where are the trans voices? The elder cat ladies? I know an older woman who cares for 75+ feral cats You think she has some skillz to bring to the table? The relationship of diverse cultures to cats and other animals is very important. White ladies didn’t domesticate cats. Moreover in some cases, those are sacred or spiritual relationships – the Black woman who cared for my colony in the 80s and 90s was a spiritualist who created a portal to rescue missing cats – true story. BIPOC have been erased from almost all stories about cats except for tropes and stereotypes. This is a chance to offset that harm by inviting leaders to the organizing table and talking about the issues that are both about cats and about politics in general.

Second, there needs to be a policy agenda that involves cats as more than decoration. We know the pro-woman agenda. We live it, we need to make sure we protect it, absolutely. But there are other issues that bump into that agenda. Overpopulation of homeless domestic animals, including cats, is a significant issue – a public health issue, a public safety issue, etc. Animal cruelty is hand in hand with domestic violence and gun violence. Owning “exotic” animals is a fetish. I’m not talking about offbeat but humane relationships I’m talking about birds smuggled in pipes and alligators ending up in rivers.

Accordingly, the list goes on – women forced to leave beloved pets to escape violence or wildfires or poverty; underfunded TNR supports from public dollars; the MH of veterinary staff; the staggering rise in the price of pet food; animal testing; environmental friendly packaging of pet supplies; the use of pesticides; the plague of animals running free. The difference between a support animal and a service animal. The distribution of veterinary resources in communities of color.

These agendas exist in animal welfare and animal justice worlds. Ask for their help to pull it together. Furthermore, these conversations happen at animal events all of the time.

Third. organizers repeatedly challenged us to do something new and uncomfortable to create the change we want to see at the ballot box. That’s great and important. While, it works the other way, too. Challenge all of the local organizers to ride the #ClawsOut2024 wave and connect with local cat events to get GOTV tables, literature drops, There will be 13.8 million “Dogtoberfest” events. Campaigns can sponsor ‘adopt a pet’ events. Another example, campaigns can add a pet food drive into their own events. Go to the cat people (stop laughing) and meet them where they are.

You’ll be surprised, yes a lot of Trump supporters. Do you think Trump has any cat-affirming policies? Find that common bond – this is totally made up – “Under Biden, funding for humane animal programs increased by XYZ” or “VP Harris is committed to improving the safety of animal food and supplies” or “President Harris will instruct Interior Secretary Deb Hyland to increase federal resources allocated to TNR programs to protect native wildlife species” These are local issues of a different sort.

*Again, I made up those examples but I will get some real data ASAP.

I’ve had plenty of these conversations at feral cat clinics, waiting to check-in, waiting to check-out, etc.

Can you imagine if the campaign and/or local campaigns could organize an event in every state for National Cat Day on October 24? Doesn’t have to be a new event, just supporting an existing event with an infusion of some cash and some volunteers. And a voter registration table.

Fourth, why would you invite a comedian who doesn’t like cats and is afraid of dogs, then makes jokes about the dogs? No no no. That is not going to fly. You need comedians who can punch up with jokes about cats. They are out there. In fact, maybe not so much the jokes, and just great short stories. Or show the top five favorite cat videos on Instagram or TikTok. Lean into cat culture.

I have to say that the joke about punching a chihuahua in the face was horrible. I almost left the call. The call for a vote on the scariest dog is a literal dog whistle for racism. These are not good organizing tools. Punching animals and animal breeds is punching down.

Fifth, at the same time – where’t the research? Where is the corporate money from our cat litter going? What are the voting/donation records of those executive staff and boards? In the perpetual Chewy v Amazon debate to deliver our cat food, what are we supporting on issues?

Finally, you want to turn out voters? Get every dog walker in your community to volunteer to escort people to the nearby polls. Some people need a ride, others need companionship.

Moving forward, I am going to put my time/energy where my mouth is and carry these suggestions to local campaign organizers. Candidates who want to a organize pet food drives in the Pittsburgh region, #PghPetFolx and #PghCatFolx will help. I will pull together lists of events where you can table. I will incorporate a good question into my 2024 Q&A’s.

Now I am not suggesting the three folx who put this together have to do all of these things. I’m saying very directly that the 20k participants need to pick up pieces of the work. The question is whether they will do it?