As political attacks on LGBTQ+ people intensify, Human Rights Campaign President and Kettering Senior Fellow Kelley Robinson argues that storytelling remains one of our most powerful democratic tools. In this episode of The Stakes, she describes the American Dreams Tour, a national effort traveling through red and purple states to surface the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Robinson explains why personal stories told in living rooms, churches, schools, and town halls cut through misinformation, build empathy, and translate the growing size of the LGBTQ+ community into real power.

Robinson traces how this kitchen-table movement connects today’s struggle for LGBTQ+ equality to the broader fight for inclusive democracy. Reclaiming patriotism, expanding allyship, and allowing people to feel safe to be who they are, she argues, are essential steps toward ensuring that every person can share in the American promise.