LGBT supporters of Hillary Clinton gathered in Miami on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon for a get out the vote strategy meeting. 

“Hillary is a true Democrat,” said Edwin Pagan-Rivera, a flight attendant from Kendall. “Bernie Sanders just became a Democrat so he could run against her.” 

Pagan-Rivera was one of a dozen self-identified LGBT Americans who showed up for a lunch time gathering on the outside patio of R House, a colorful restaurant, bar and gallery in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District. Dominic Lowell, national LGBT lead for the Clinton campaign, spoke to supporters and encouraged them to make calls, canvass neighborhoods and encourage friends to vote for the former Secretary of State. 

“This election is too important to risk losing all of the progress we have made for LGBT rights,” Lowell said. 

Invariably, the conversation shifted to the Republicans and the battle for Florida between front-runner Donald Trump and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio.  Rubio, Miami’s hometown product, ramped up attacks recently on the billionaire businessman, calling into question his fostering of violence at Trump rallies. Pagan-Rivera, a member of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party’s Hispanic Caucus, said all of Rubio’s good points are ultimately negated by his loyalty to the Republican Party. 

“If he would have said, ‘I cannot support him (Trump) as our party’s nominee then that would have made an impact,” Pagan-Rivera said. As for the gay community, Pagan-Rivera said it’s a strong block of support.

“We vote,” he said. “There’s power in numbers and we must remain united for Hillary.”