This Tuesday, March 5, voters in around fifteen American states choose their candidates for the November presidential election, but also for several other elective positions. In Utah, Donald Trump remains the favorite. In the middle of these conservative lands, a small town called Helper. Once a railway and mining town, it has become a thriving island for the gay community.
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With our special correspondents at Helper, Aabla Jounaïdi and Julien Boileau
“ I love Helper. It’s quiet, the landscapes are magnificent, the people are great! » Ty Johnson, 21, is voting for the first time this year. His motivation: to ensure that his community can live in peace.
“ I’m gay, and I grew up in rural Utah, he confides. And our elected officials are trying to pass texts against the LGBTQ+ population. So I have to go vote. »
Ty Johnson is undoubtedly voting for the architect of Helper’s transformation, its mayor Lenise Peterman. Also gay, she is a candidate for a legislative position and must deal with a hostile environment.
“ It’s ugly. We are targeting you personally. Basically, that’s why good people don’t show up, he regrets. You play the game and they attack you. It’s crazy, I’m just trying to do something good! I want a sustainable territory. I am not running against others, but for my ideas. If you like these ideas, vote for me. If what matters to you is who I am, then no, it won’t. »
His project, to develop Helper’s infrastructure to give it a future. The former railway and mining town has become a haven for artists. It remains to attract the general public.
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