Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Equity Votes to Endorse Hillary Clinton for President
Actors' Equity Association News: In an historic decision, the National Council of Actors’ Equity Association (Equity), the labor union representing professional stage actors and stage managers, voted during its August meeting to endorse the Democratic nominee for President of the United States, Hillary Clinton. This marks the first time in Equity’s 103-year history that the organization has endorsed any political candidate.
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While it may be unprecedented for equity to have endorsed a political candidate for President of the United States, I cannot say that I am surprised by the fact that this election is the election they’ve chosen to break that trend (hopefully not permanently), nor can I say that I am surprised that they chose the candidate they have. This upcoming election is, to say the least, unlike any that we’ve as a nation seen in a long time. Certainly, and not only for the fact that it is the first presidential election cycle that I can (and will) vote in, it is an election unlike any other that I personally have seen.
That all being said, and with no disrespect to anybody on the other side of the isle, the theatrical community not only has a bit of reputation for leaning left but more importantly it has a reputation of inclusiveness. This is simply not the political position of Donald Trump; whether you think it good or bad, he has made it clear that there are certain groups of people that aren’t to be included in his revolution.
Simply put, I can understand why Equity would have interests in supporting the other candidate. Theatre is all about taking what makes you “you”, and using that to develop something that has insight about what makes us “us”. The very nature of theatre, or at least how most theatre people I know approach theatre, is accepting and reflective. Once again, most people do not think that those goals align with Donald Trump’s political platform.
The thing that stood out to me the most about this article was not that Equity voted to endorse Hillary Clinton, but that it was the first time they had ever endorsed a candidate. In the past Equity has fought for marriage equality, supported arts education, and founded Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This would have lead me to believe that they have historically endorsed liberal candidates, but apparently that is not the case. I think the fact that they've only now stepped in after all this time really shows just how crucial this election is. If Trump holds true to all the promises he's made during his campaign their could be potentially devastating consequences for both the artistic and LGBTQ+ community. He's been openly sexist and racist both before and during his campaign, so the idea that he could potentially lead our country is terrifying to me. Personally I'm not the biggest fan of Hillary Clinton, but I'd much prefer a Clinton presidency over one that could hurt both myself and the people I love. I can only hope that more groups come forward to support Clinton just as Actor's Equity did, as at this point there is no other safe option for marginalized groups.
Equity president Kate Shindle, has been setting precedents since she was elected in 2015. I have always had a sparked interest in her career after seeing her perform in Legally Blonde and watching her strong advocacy for fighting AIDS. I understand why the union has decided to remain nonpartisan in many elections, but wholeheartedly agree that now is the time to intervene. Donald Trumps rhetoric is some of the worst this political system has ever seen. He ignites violence. I happen to be a huge Clinton fan and cannot wait to see her break the highest glass ceiling. She has gained approval and endorsements from many theatre practitioners and organizations such as the cast of Hamilton, Shonda Rhimes, Oprah, etc. I do not find it uncharacteristic for the union to voice their opinion in this election because they represent a demographic of people who typically lean democratic. President Hillary Clinton will further LGBTQ rights, will make college education more affordable, and will institutionalize a higher minimum wage. I am happy that Equity has chosen to step in and put this election on the front page of their agenda and hope that other workers unions will follow in their footsteps.
This is awesome news! I am surprised though that Equity hasn't endorsed a presidential candidate in its 103 years of existence. As much as I can respect Equity for attempting to stay neutral in the complex world of politics in years past, it surprises me that Equity has waited until this election to be proactive on the political front. Theatre, as an art form, has been used as a tool for social change and political expression for centuries; so it only makes sense that Equity-an organization dedicated to protecting the rights of theatre artists-would be extremely forthcoming with support for candidates and policies they felt would better our society. At the same time though, I completely understand them not wanting to intrude in political issues. Being an advocate for a large number of artists, Equity more than likely doesn't want to seem as though they are excluding or lack support for any group of people, regardless of political affiliation. With that said, the fact that Equity chose this election to finally express support for a candidate means a lot. No matter what your political affiliation, religion, beliefs, or anything else of that nature may be; we as a nation cannot allow somebody like Donald Trump to become our president.
I think the fact that the Actors’ Equity Association broke their 103-year streak of remaining neutral in elections shows just how unprecedented this election is. As Equity notes in their statement, and as Megan pointed out in her comment, Equity has not particularly remained neutral in political decisions outside of elections. And I think this behavior is completely reasonable for a union organization such as AEA. While endorsing a candidate is definitely a much more significant statement, I’m glad that AEA chose to speak up during this election period. It shows how serious this election is for the country. While the action is meaningful and important, it is not very likely to change many minds or hearts, since I’d imagine that most AEA members and supporters are in agreement with their endorsement. Endorsements for Hillary Clinton, or even statements against Trump, from more conservatively-based organizations have a larger impact due to their ability to actually influence supporters. Nonetheless, I’m glad AEA chose to make this statement.
I am not at all surprised that The Actors Equity Association has decided to endorse Hillary Clinton for president. Nor am I particularly surprised that they have never officially endorsed a candidate before in their 103-year history. Although those two things may seem contradictory, they are not. They simply exemplify the bizarre but incredibly important nature of this election. I understand why an organization like the AEA would want to try and remain somewhat politically neutral. However, with the state of affairs in the United States, I think not just the AEA but no organization or community has the luxury to sit this one out. This is a turning point in American history and the platform of Mrs. Clinton’s opponent, Donald Trump, threatens so many things closely associated with the AEA such as arts education and the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community. There has rarely been an identity and a profession linked as closely as being LGBTQ+ and working in the theatre industry, because theatre is a safe space for so many young people who don’t feel expected anywhere else. Mr. Trump’s presidency would certainty target the rights of these people and I am glad to see the theatrical community joining together to protect their members in this unsettling time in American history.
I realize that Equity getting involved in politics for the first time in its history should surprise me, but it doesn’t. Maybe that is because nothing about the presidential election can surprise me anymore. I can’t say I think that AEA endorsing Hillary is actually going to change anything. I think there aren’t many people who would be swayed by AEA’s stance that weren’t already planning to vote for Hillary, though I could be wrong about that. That being said, given that Hillary is running against such an openly xenophobic, racist, and sexist extremist, it is no surprise that people who don’t want to see someone with hateful views as our president are publicly supporting Hillary, even if they have never done it before. I do wonder whether or not this decision will be a one time occurrence, or if deciding to endorse Hillary will now set a precedent for AEA to take political stances in the future.
As many commenters have said above, I don’t really find it surprising that this is the election that the Actors Equity Association breaks tradition and endorses a presidential candidate for president. As stated in the article, the union is supposed to protect its members. If Donald Trump were voted into the presidency, there is almost no argument that harm would come onto the arts and LGBT+ community. Theatre has been a safe space for marginalized people for much of this country’s history, so it makes sense that the Actors Equity Association would be against the candidate that stands to strip marginalized people of their right to be who they are. The issues they list in the article really makes it apparent just how important this election cycle is to the theatre and theatre workers. I hope that this endorsement will help some come to a conclusion on who to vote for this upcoming November.
As someone who is hopefully joining actors equity in the future, I have great pride for what they are doing.Unlike every other election they have decided to endorse Hilary Clinton. This is extremely important for many reasons. Having a Presidential candidate who's been thriving on hate is not good for country that needs to be untied. Also if Donald Trump becomes president he will have the opportunity to elect up to three supreme court justices. He can not have that power. As shown throughout her campaign Hilary cares about the arts and will help it thrive. This is why AEA needed to endorse her. Along with 100 other good reasons to vote for her!
Though I am relieved and ecstatic to see that Equity did not endorse Trump, I am left with a very deep and pressing "Why now?!"
It is remarkable that in Equity's 103 year existence that it has never formally endorsed a political candidate. To me, I can recall quite a few times in our nations history over the past 103 years where Equity's endorsement might have had greater impact with substantial and lasting effects in regards to social issues, union standings, and funding for the arts.
Why now has Equity decided to endorse a political candidate? To me, it actually seems like a very conservative and safe decision to endorse Hillary Clinton. Is that why Equity has just now decided to endorse a candidate, because it's politically safe for them? In my humble opinion, Unions represent the embodiment of the idea that we are stronger together than apart. This assessment represents a safety net that affords the union and its members to take stances and make decisions that fly in the face of the status quo. Regardless of your political leanings, it should be easy to acknowledge that Hillary and any endorsement of her from Equity is neither challenging to the status quo nor absolutely necessary at this point in the presidential election.
It's fabulous that Equity did not endorse Trump, but why did they wait 103 years to get involved in politics?
This is fantastic news. Although their reasoning for usually staying out of elections makes sense, I'm not surprised that they're breaking tradition and endorsing Clinton. This election cycle has seen groups come out of the woodwork and have a voice that haven't in decades--groups like the KKK, and quasi-fascist ultra right groups. Theatre, a community well known for its LGBTQ+ base, has everything to lose if a man like Trump is elected. Like Evan said, he could nominate several supreme court justices, meaning that even if he doesn't make it past 4 years in office, the effects of his presidency and the hate that he has already spread this year. While this endorsement might not have a major effect come November, as the theatre community usually shifts left, I'm glad that the group has made a stand against Trump and his rhetoric, as it is potentially dangerous to the theatre community as a whole.
I would usually frown upon a group like this endorsing a political candidate as it can often appear to be driven by monetary motivations or other similar drives, but the reasoning and justification makes it very clear that this endorsement is simply another extension of their effort to protect their members. It is easy to ignore or devalue politics when you are not the one being directly affected. More or less, over the past 103 years, presidential races have not centred around issues directly related to the theatrical workplace. International relations and exporting industries to foreign countries typically don't have as much of a direct effect on the theatre community. But when issues of LGBTQ rights and other more direct influences on the theatre community are at the core of the election, I am very happy that a major respected group has stepped up to encourage it's members and others that work closely with it to make the right decision by bringing to light some of the direct effects that could come from the election of someone like Donald Trump. By endorsing a political candidate, I think this is also demonstrating the importance of this election in particular and may actually bring in more of a voting base once those people see the devastating effects the other side could bring to the theatre community as a whole. I think even audience members who know what this organisation is and does will recognise that they do not make this statement lightly, and will be encouraged to go out and do the right thing.
I have a lot of mixed emotions on this subject of the Actor’s Equity Association endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. As a Hillary supporter and AEA Equity Membership Candidate I am very happy about this. On the flip sides what is going on here is one of my least favorite things: mixing two very different worlds together. That would be taking my work world and my personal opinion world. I know that the one directly impacts the other, but most of the time when these two subjects are brought up in conversation it isn’t a healthy debate, but a screaming match. On the other hand, I’m glad that such a big organization in the theatrical community decided to bring their views to the table this election season. This is because we should be able to talk and have healthy debates. Lets just not yell. That all being said, anybody but Trump.
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