Image courtesy of Richard Kuo
Content warning: queerphobia, censorship
Amid this 2024 election season, which has all of us holding our breaths, one candidate is working to change the narrative for Orange County, California. Dom Jones (she/they) is a queer Black woman who has been fighting for the rights of queer existence in the Huntington Beach area, and is now trying to expand her fight to becoming the representative for California State Assembly District 72. Having spoken with Jones and her campaign manager one-on-one, here is what I learned:
Just this past March, 58% of Huntington Beach residents voted in favor of Measure B, which prohibits the display of non-governmental flags on city property. Though it was reasoned by proponents to “reduce division,” queer people and allies alike believe that the measure sets a tone for allowing queerphobia to run rampant.
Jones affirmed their stance that queer people in the city should be able to see the pride flag flown at their official buildings during pride month, just like in many other areas across California. In her own words, “[Measure B is] just a message to everyone that [being queer] is not welcome here.” While some significant flags such as the pride and breast cancer awareness flags have been banned, flags such as the Prisoner of War-Missing in Action (POW-MIA) and Olympic flags are still flown in City Hall, revealing more of the right-wing priorities of the council.
Huntington Beach’s libraries are also under threat from the ongoing culture wars. In May of this year, Huntington Beach City Council passed a resolution to ban any books with “sexual content” from circulating in the children’s sections of any city libraries. When looking more closely at what defines “sexual content” in the eyes of the city, I found themes of queer family structures, gender identity, and even more bizarrely, puberty and potty training.
Words such as “obscene” and “pornographic” have been thrown around in council meetings, as well as accusations that the city’s librarians are “groomers” and “pedophiles” — unfounded and damaging accusations that have been infamously hurled at the queer, and especially trans, communities.
With a sad smile, Dom Jones described to me how the city is more focused on “stopping our libraries from having books that show the diversity of our communities and of our families,” than practicing actual inclusion. They worry about the effect that the ban will have on queer youth and families who will no longer be able to see representation of themselves on the shelves.
More worryingly, steps towards privatizing the city’s public libraries have already been made (with less success) in hopes of having full control over the book selections. Not only would this enable queerphobia and blatant censorship, but it would also be damaging to the community resources that public libraries provide, especially to houseless people who may otherwise not have access to technology or Wi-Fi.
Being a queer woman who has experienced poverty and houselessness, Jones strongly opposes the attempts at privatization. Should she be elected, she plans to take inspiration from other places like LA that have started using recycled shipping containers to create housing for the houseless.
Throughout all of their personal and professional experiences, Dom Jones never fails to embody her core values of inspiration, advocacy, and resilience. They are a single parent, small business owner, Government Relations Ambassador for the United Nations Association, and co-founder of DemocraShe, which is a nonprofit organization aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
Although this stance has put her under fire, she proudly stands with Palestine. Moreover, she believes that every individual has the right to bodily autonomy and free natal and maternal care. She aims to make voting more accessible by enacting automatic voting registration programs and allowing same-day registration.
They are also fluent in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Tagalog, which enables them to connect to more of the Orange County community, many of whose residents are non-English speaking immigrants.
Of course, these are only glimpses into what Dom Jones has dedicated herself and her campaign to. She and her team have concentrated their efforts on supporting grassroots events throughout Huntington Beach and Orange County, including SAG-AFTRA strikes and voting rights marches. Last month, they celebrated at Orange County’s pride event, and spoke to crowds ranging from the youth to the elderly. Jones is a politician who has continuously focused on the immediate community around her. She remains on the same level as the people she fights for.
With the presidential elections taking up most of our news networks and social media, it is easy to forget how critical it is to vote in our local elections. Whether or not you are voting in the presidential run, you should still utilize your right and responsibility as a citizen to vote for candidates and propositions that will uplift the queer community and continue the push for intersectional liberation and equality across the globe — from long-held systems of oppression in the United States, to Sudan, to Congo, and to Palestine. After all, in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “no one is free until we are all free.”
When wrapping up our interview, I asked Dom Jones what final words she believes represent her campaign’s mission. Her response? “Lead with love.” As a queer person of color, I grew up in OC fearfully surrounded by white supremacist values and MAGA flags. Queerness was only allowed to exist in hidden pockets of friend groups and hushed whispers, with little hope for change. So, having spent an afternoon getting to know Dom and her team, I can attest to the fact that she truly is a candidate full of love and may be the new face that Orange County has needed for many years, amid the sea of red.
If you are an Orange County resident voting over the next few days, be on the lookout for the name Dom Jones on the ballot!
For more information about Dom Jones and her campaign, click here or visit domjones.org.