Governor Jared Polis, the first out gay man in America to win a gubernatorial election, was featured in this year’s 27 Annual Out100.
“The Out100 is our magazine’s greatest and most well-known tradition: a prestigious compilation of the year’s most impactful and influential LGBTQ+ people. This year’s list honors the queer and trans people who are changing the game—and those we’ve lost.”
Having won the election in 2018—two years into the last administration’s era—Governor Polis was met with challenges right out of the gate. When Colorado had its first recorded cases of COVID-19, the governor flew into action, announcing that he would purchase 500 ventilators for overwhelmed hospitals across the state.
FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) got wind of the announcement, purchasing the ventilators before our governor could. This, of course, was a strategical move they have since denied, but their motivations became clear when the then president said he would send the state of CO 100 ventilators in alliance with Cory Gardner, Colorado’s former Republican senator.
But Governor Polis learned quickly. He continued to purchase ventilators for struggling hospitals, but did so without making the announcement beforehand.
COVID-19 continued to affect the governor during his first term, as his now husband, Marlon Reis, became sick with the virus. Polis responded by proposing to Reis, making him the first sitting governor to have a gay wedding.
He is also the first out parent in Congress, with two children between him and his husband, ages 9 and 7.
On top of navigating the state through a world wide pandemic, Governor Jared Polis has also worked hard in ensuring LGBTQ citizens across the spectrum are protected under Colorado law. Last month, the state became the first in America to require that insurance companies cover transition-related care for trans Coloradans.
Brianna Titone—Colorado’s first trans woman legislator—had this to say on the historic move: “Every person deserves access to the full range of health services they need, and I’m proud that Colorado is leading the way to cover comprehensive care for LGBTQ people in our state. For too long, too many transgender and nonbinary people have struggled to access the health care they need, despite having health insurance. These services are critical for the health and safety of LGBTQ communities and will provide more Coloradans with the agency they need to affirm their identities.”
As someone who was not born and raised here, and as someone who spent a lot of time in states where my rights as a trans person would have been denied if I was out, I’m grateful to live in a state with Governor Polis at the wheel, and look forward to see what he does next.
