2019 Federal Election

[danbrotherston]

Now, as for a persons background -- such as their skin colour, ethnic background, memberships to things like LGBTQ+, super meaningless. No one should get a free ride for such things.

You're right, that shouldn't be a ticket into office, but it does make me hope that the person will therefore be more sensitive and empathetic to issues affecting marginalized and vulnerable people.

This was a major epiphany for me. It took me a long time to realize that a lack of diversity is a major harm...even if you get good people, they won't have a lived experience of other folks.  I do my best to empathize and to understand--which is more than many people do--but I still have never experienced life as say, a person questioning their sexuality, or a person who feels (rightly or wrongly) that the police are the enemy.