Nearly 1,000 LGBTQ Folks Serving as Elected Politicians in U.S.

A record-breaking number of LGBTQ Americans have been elected to public offices this year, a new report shows.

The political action group LGBTQ Victory Institute has found that 986 out officials are currently in office. Two of these individuals are sitting governors: Jared Polis (D-Colo.), the first openly gay governor in American history, and Kate Brown (D-Oreg.), the first bisexual governor of any U.S. state. Eleven queer officials hold seats in U.S. Congress, including Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), the first openly LGBTQ Senator, and House Representatives Sharice Davids (D-Mo.) and Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.).

The Victory Institute’s tally also counts 189 LGBTQ state lawmakers and 56 mayors.

LGBTQ Victory Institute Executive Director Ruben Gonzales says the progressive numbers “extend beyond LGBTQ equality alone.” The population of queer and transgender politicians in office is “significantly more diverse than the overall elected official population,” with the number of Black, LGBTQ officials surging by 75 percent just in the past year.

“LGBTQ elected officials are on the frontlines in legislative efforts to end police brutality, defend voting rights, and secure inclusive healthcare reform,” he says. “LGBTQ people are represented in every community in America, and that diversity allows for more thoughtful policy changes when we are in office.”

One of the most notable increases is transgender representation in politics. There are currently 36 trans elected officials at the national, state, and local level, a 71 percent increase over June 2020. Kansas State Representative Stephanie Byers (D-86th District) and Oklahoma State Representative Mauree Turner (D-88th District) are both making history as the first trans woman of color and nonbinary person of color, respectively, to serve in the U.S. state legislature

However, the expansion in representation has not been universal. The number of trans men elected to office sits at a meager five from across the nation, identical to 2020’s tally.

And despite the significant progress, huge disparities still remain. While Gallup estimates that 5.6 percent of Americans identify as queer or transgender, just 0.19 percent of elected officials represent that population. This means 28,116 more LGBTQ people would need to be elected to public office to proportionately reflect the U.S.’ queer and trans community.

“While LGBTQ elected officials are growing steadily in number, at this pace it will still take decades to come anywhere close to achieving equitable representation in government,” says Annise Parker, CEO and president of the LGBTQ Victory Institute. “This lack of representation has enormous consequences because LGBTQ elected officials are best positioned to defend against anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks and to change the hearts and minds of colleagues in supporting inclusive policies.”

It is worth pointing out that political appointees were not included in the Victory Institute’s survey. The Biden administration has appointed a record number of openly LGBTQ officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Assistant Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine. The two represent the first gay man and trans woman to serve in an American president’s Cabinet.

The pro-LGBTQ president hasn’t stopped there. “Just last week, the Biden administration added two more LGBTQ+ names to its roster: Gina Ortiz Jones and Shawn Skelly, both of whom will join the Department of Defense (DOD) following unanimous Senate confirmation,” Them. reports. “Ortiz Jones will serve as the undersecretary of the Air Force, while Skelly was appointed as the assistant secretary of defense for readiness. The latter post makes Skelly the highest-ranking trans official to ever serve in the DOD.”