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8 November 2016 12:24 PM

LGBT stars call on Americans to get out and vote this election day

By Will Stroude

Well, this is it.

After a seemingly endless primary and presidential campaign season, US citizens will finally go the polls today to choose their next president, finally ending one of the most polarising and vitriolic election races in modern history.

The last eight years have seen monumental progress in LGBT rights in the United States, from finally allowing LGBT people  to serve openly in the military with the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, to declassifying being transgender as an illness, and of course, the introduction of nationwide marriage equality last year.

As recent bathroom laws, and Donald Trump’s open oppositon to the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling, have proved however, to road to full LGBT equality is not set in stone – and this election day, LGBT stars have been passionately calling on people to get out, engage in the political process, and vote.

As Ellen so aptly puts it, it’s the most important thing you do all year, (besides that new thing you tried with your hair).

#ImWithHer

A photo posted by Colton Haynes (@coltonlhaynes) on

To my friends in the US: VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Do it Tuesday, November 8th (hell, do it TODAY, if you have early voting in your state)! I’m not even here to recommend one candidate over the other (though, if you’d like to know who I support, it’s not too hard to find out in this day and age). Just VOTE. Why do I think it’s so important to vote? Because it makes you INVOLVED in our governmental process. If you have never voted before, I think you will be inspired by the feeling of participation you’ll have when you cast your ballot. If you are considering sitting this election out, if you are, perhaps, feeling discouraged by the process, the candidates, the state of the nation, I think it’s even MORE crucial that you get out and vote: of COURSE our system is imperfect – government “of the people, by the people” would have to be, by this very “human” definition, IMPERFECT! But not voting won’t drive the country in a direction you would prefer; it only allows OTHER people to make decisions FOR you. SO VOTE! I have full faith you will feel you are making your voice heard as soon as you cast your ballot. And it’s also a WHOLE lot more satisfying to scream at the tv when you know you are a participating member of the conversation already – because YOU VOTED! (that is, if you ENJOY screaming at the tv; I’m not saying I do… I’m just not gonna say haha ) ❤️❤️❤️ edit: you cannot vote via text, phone call, FB, hashtag etc. Apparently there are sources claiming such things so please don’t believe it. You must vote via an actual ballot provided by your state. Just FYI! Xoxo

A photo posted by Jim Parsons (@therealjimparsons) on

love my friend @latenightseth for always telling it like it is. GET OUT AND VOTE (FOR HILLARY) ON TUESDAY!!!

A video posted by Zachary Quinto (@zacharyquinto) on

@Regrann from @uzoaduba – What a time. #Vote #Regrann

A photo posted by laverne cox (@lavernecox) on

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