At Least Six Major Strides Made for LGBTQ Movement Election Day 2021

The amount of LGBTQ candidates this Election Day numbered in the hundreds—240, to be exact. Tuesday, November 2 saw several significant and historical winnings for these candidates.

According to Logo, 2021 saw over 400 LGBTQ people running for office in the United States, which is an all-time high for any odd-numbered year. One hundred of these elections were held on November 2, and the majority of them won their elections.

These include the first nonbinary person to become United States Judiciary, and a record amount of LGBTQ people winning seats in the New York City Council. November 2nd was a historic day for LGBTQ representation in politics, proving to be a large stepping stone towards a more inclusive political future.

One such example is Christopher Coburn, the first Black, LGBTQ person who won one of two spots in the Bozeman City Commission for the next four-year term. Growing up with a single mom on public assistance programs, Coburn now holds a Master’s degree in Public Health, as well as a position within a nonprofit healthcare organization, and a seat on his local health public board.

“I exist at the intersection of my Blackness and queerness in every space I’m in—and it really is such an honor to bring representation and visibility to folks like me who don’t usually see themselves in decision-making spaces,” says Coburn on the night of October 29, days before being announced the winner of his election.

Another such example is Danica Roem, who outpaced the anti-LGBTQ competition for her seat in the House of Delegates. Each election sees her trampling the competition, making her the longest-serving out, trans person to act as state legislator, beginning in 2017. This streak does wonders to remove the stain from her state, where anti-LGBTQ politician Glenn Youngkin used trans children as tokens to barely squeeze by the gubernatorial race.

Many examples remain, however their stories share one common theme: we are becoming more and more inclusive by the day, regardless of those who scramble for every attempt to smear and oppress.