Human Rights Campaign launches $2 million ad blitz to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters in battleground states

The Human Rights Campaign is banking on a $2 million ad buy to mobilize LGBTQ+ voters in pivotal battleground states as Election Day approaches. The campaign, spearheaded by HRC’s Equality Votes PAC, aims to rally voters in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin through an extensive digital strategy featuring streaming video, radio, and display ads.

The ads focus on Vice President Kamala Harris’s dedication to LGBTQ+ rights, juxtaposed with former President Donald Trump’s record, particularly in light of the Republican Project 2025 agenda. The controversial policy platform, championed by dozens of Trump allies, seeks to roll back many of the equality gains made by the LGBTQ+ community.

“This election is going to come down to the smallest of margins, but the difference between an equality champion like Kamala Harris in the White House or another reign of terror from Donald Trump couldn’t be greater,” said Guy Cecil, chief strategist for HRC’s Equality Votes PAC. “With the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ attacks and the threat of the Trump-Vance Project 2025 agenda on the horizon, the stakes for this election could not be higher. We must elect Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and equality champions across the country who will protect and advance our fundamental freedoms.”

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The campaign’s two centerpiece ads, “Not Going Back” and “Shadows,” focus on Harris’s longstanding advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. “Not Going Back” highlights her career of fighting for LGBTQ+ youth and marriage equality, while “Shadows” addresses Trump’s role in emboldening hate and extremism, contrasting it with Harris’s efforts to protect marginalized communities.

In addition to Harris, HRC will urge voters to support pro-equality Senate candidates U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego in Arizona, Michigan U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and lesbian U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin in their re-election bids.

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HRC’s strategy specifically targets what it calls “equality voters,” a voting bloc of over 75 million people united by their support for LGBTQ+ equality. This group is multiracial, multigenerational, and more female than the general electorate. In 2022, equality voters comprised 39 percent of the electorate and played a crucial role in stopping the expected Republican “red wave,” with 81 percent voting for Democratic candidates, according to HRC.

The organization notes that in 2020, 79 percent of equality voters supported Biden, helping him secure victory over Trump. HRC’s current effort is designed to replicate this success, especially in the face of growing threats to LGBTQ+ rights.

“Equality Voters…will once again make the difference in battleground states across the country,” Cecil said.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the 2024 legislative session saw over 530 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in states across the country. Many of these bills restrict healthcare access, censor school curricula, and target transgender individuals through forced outing policies.

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At the center of this renewed anti-LGBTQ+ effort is Project 2025, a far-right blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation and backed by prominent figures like Stephen Miller and Roger Severino, both key figures in the Trump administration. The plan advocates for a host of regressive measures, including restricting access to contraception, firing tens of thousands of career federal employees, and instituting a national abortion ban.

In addition to the $2 million ad investment, HRC is rolling out a six-figure ad buy for separate voter turnout ads, such as “Vote Your Way” and “Walk of Shame.” These ads encourage voters to make their voices heard and emphasize the importance of voting by November 5.

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