LGBTQ Victory Fund candidate Eric Sorensen won the election for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. With this historic victory, Sorensen is now the first out LGBTQ person ever elected to Congress from Illinois. A record number of LGBTQ people ran for Congress this year.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement:
“Eric shattered a rainbow ceiling and it could not come at a more important moment – when LGBTQ equality and abortion rights are on the chopping block in ever corner of the nation, including in Congress. Eric spent the last two decades keeping his local community safe by telling the truth and promoting a data-first approach to policy. His success tonight is a testament to the grassroots support he energized, as well as a highly effective ground game focused on candid conversations about how to make our government work better for all Americans. Eric’s pro-equality and pro-choice leadership will be critical to the future of our fundamental rights and freedoms.”
There are currently just 11 out LGBTQ people serving in Congress. To reach equitable representation, voters must elect 21 more LGBTQ people to the U.S. House of Representatives and five more LGBTQ people to the U.S. Senate, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute.
Victory Fund is tracking Election Night results at victoryfund.org/2022.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
LGBTQ Victory Fund candidate Erick Russell won the election for Connecticut state Treasurer. With this victory, he is now the first Black out LGBTQ person ever elected to statewide office in U.S. history. A record number of Black out LGBTQ candidates ran for public office this year.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement:
“For far too long, people of color and the LGBTQ community have lacked equitable representation in government. Erick shattered this lavender ceiling and made history because voters trust him to usher in a new chapter for Connecticut and our nation, one founded in inclusion and compassion. His deep policy experience and grassroots support will make him an exceptional state executive. Not only is his win a sharp rebuke of the current wave of homophobia and racism plaguing our country, it’s a moment of inspiration for our community that our political future is brighter than ever.”
There are currently just 115 Black out LGBTQ elected officials serving in the U.S., none of whom serve in statewide positions, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute.
Victory Fund is tracking election results at victoryfund.org/2022.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
The trial over Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care for trans children recently began. As vulnerable children await to hear if their bodily autonomy will be stripped away, we should remember that cisgender children seek gender-affirming care with relatively little social stigma attached.
Twenty years ago, in rural Maine, I was one of them.
As a teen boy who identified as a boy — randomly sprouting breasts really, really sucked. I hated my body, wore a shirt in the pool, dreaded the school locker room, dressed in layers and walked hunched over to hide my shape.
When I was going through puberty, my body’s hormones were firing in every direction, and I started developing breast tissue similar to a girl’s. The technical term for this condition is gynecomastia, but most of us know it as the dreaded “man-boobs.” Up to 60% of teen boys have asymptomatic gynecomastia, according to the National Institutes of Health. Adolescent symptomatic cases, like mine, are less prevalent, but it affects about 65% of adult men.
As a teen boy who identified as a boy — randomly sprouting breasts really, really sucked. I hated my body, wore a shirt in the pool, dreaded the school locker room, dressed in layers and walked hunched over to hide my shape. I lived in constant fear of nipple-grabbers at school (teen boys are weird) and being outed as a “boob-haver.” I was uncomfortable and embarrassed 24/7 and had about zero percent confidence in myself, all because of the misalignment between how I felt I should look and how I actually looked.
When I confided in my conservative dad about what was happening, I was about 15. He saw how much this was holding me back, and we immediately went to a plastic surgeon for a consultation. A quick procedure and a few weeks of wearing an ace bandage later, I was flat-chested and finally had a body that looked like mine.
Trans children deserve the same consideration.
The next year was the best year of my life up to that point. I felt great. I felt confident. I made a ton of new friends, decided to get in shape, played a sport, put gel in my hair, started dating, partied — all the good stuff. For the first time, I felt and acted like an average teen instead of just barely participating out of aggressive discomfort and fear. I went from a guy who hated being seen to the most seen guy at school in no time.
Over the years, I’ve had medical procedures that saved my body, but my breast reduction saved my mind. Receiving care that affirmed my perceptions of my gender drastically changed my life for the better. I can attest that having mind-body alignment feels like a superpower.
The care that I received is just one small example of the gender-affirming care that cisgender folks receive regularly. We just call it “health care.” I got breast-tissue reduction surgery, but breast augmentation for cisgender women to conform to a perception of womanhood is even more common. Cisgender people alter their eyes, noses, lips, faces, hairlines, facial hair, body hair, height and even the nether regions to more closely align with our culture’s ideals of “the perfect man” or “the perfect woman.”
We frequently change or “enhance” our bodies hormonally, too. Kids have been dosed with human growth hormone since the ‘60s to make them taller, and men looking to achieve a cartoonish level of “manliness” get testosterone pumped into their veins. Hormone replacement therapy is commonplace for cis-women and menlooking to maintain or enhance their vitality in ways that align with their gender identities and gender ideals.
The care that I received is just one small example of the gender-affirming care that cisgender folks receive regularly. We just call it “health care.”
But I don’t see the care that affirms cisgender norms, expectations and functions, including for children, being questioned to the same extent as transgender care. By contrast, even the most basic of trans care — respecting gender identity and expression, puberty blockers and hormone therapy — is scrutinized endlessly and demonized to the point of being life-threatening for patients and doctors alike.
The double standard is glaring. And a recent viral interview between Jon Stewart and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge about her state’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth points to a large part of the problem. Without being able to name a credible source, Rutledge claimed that 98% of youth with gender dysphoria would grow out of it. To which Stewart replied, “Wow, that’s an incredibly made-up figure.”
This idea of elected officials stripping away the autonomy of parents and children to make the kinds of medical decisions that would be best for them is appalling. As Stewart pointed out to Rutledge, the state is not even allowing parents to weigh their options based on the guidelines of the country’s top medical organizations.
We should think more deeply and compassionately about those seeking health care in the trans community as they suffer mind-body misalignment that many of us can’t even imagine. Having a little empathy is a good thing, and for those of us who get to bathe in the privilege of doing whatever the hell we want to our bodies, it’s probably even our responsibility.
Some folks may disagree that the care I received was gender-affirming, and I’ll admit I’m not an expert on health care — cis, trans or otherwise — but I am an expert on me, what I did and why I did it. For me, it was straightforward: I’m a dude, I was born a dude, I want to be a dude, and having breasts didn’t align with that for me. They needed to go for me to live a fuller life.
Some may also argue that societal pressures and expectations influenced my choices, and to that, I don’t necessarily disagree. Who knows, if breasts on a guy were the pinnacle of manliness in 2002, I might have rocked it, but surgery is a lot faster than turning the Titanic of culture, and I would have missed some of the best years of my life waiting.
Here’s what I know for sure, had I been trans and seeking the same surgery, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t have been as easy as it was for me — 20 years ago in rural Maine or today.
LGBTQ Victory Fund candidates Jennie Armstrong and Andrew Gray won their elections for Alaska’s 16th and 20th state House Districts. Armstrong is the first out LGBTQ woman and Gray is the first out LGBTQ man ever elected to the Alaska state legislature. Alaska is one of just four U.S. states with zero LGBTQ state lawmakers, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute. A record number of LGBTQ people ran for state legislatures this year.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement:
“It is no coincidence that in the wake of a historic wave of anti-LGBTQ laws introduced in state legislatures across the country – including in Alaska – a record number of LGBTQ candidates are running for state legislatures. Alaskans are ready for the change Jennifer and Andrew will bring to Juneau because they know the status quo is not working. In the coming months, state legislatures will determine the future of marriage equality and abortion rights. We are confident pro-equality, pro-choice leaders like Jennie and Andrew will fight tooth and nail on behalf of our community.”
Ashley Carrick, running for Alaska’s 35th House District, is on track to win her election.
To reach equitable representation, the U.S. must elect 346 more out LGBTQ people to state legislatures, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute.
Victory Fund is tracking election results at victoryfund.org/2022.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu said in private talks on Friday that “There will be no harm to pride parades nor to the status-quo on LGBTQ rights,” following statements made by lawmakers from the Religious Zionism slate that they intend to work to cancel pride parades around the country.
Sources in Likud said Thursday the party intends to cancel measures by the outgoing government promoting LGBTQ rights, although it remains unclear what reforms could be targeted.
No decision has been made on which decisions could be walked back, but a reversal of the health ministry’s order banning “conversion” therapy, removing insurance coverage for gender-affirming healthcare, and reimposing a ban preventing gay men from donating blood are all under consideration.
MK Avi Maoz, head of the anti-LGBT Noam faction which ran as part of Religious Zionism, told Army Radio that his party would “investigate canceling the pride parade from a legal point of view.”
Noam burst onto the political scene in 2019 with a series of provocative highway billboards and video ads with the slogan “Israel chooses to be normal.” It merged into Religious Zionism, alongside Otzma Yehudit, under intense pressure from Netanyahu before the 2021 election.
The far-right Religious Zionism slate soared to 14 seats in the November 1 election and is expected to be a crucial partner in a governing coalition led by Likud chair Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tuesday, LGBTQ Victory Fund candidate James Roesener won the election for New Hampshire’s 22nd state House District, Ward 8. With this historic victory, he is now the first out trans man elected to any state legislature in U.S. history. A record number of trans candidatesran for office in the 2022 midterm elections.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement:
“Tonight is a resounding win for New Hampshire and for trans people across the country, with James shattering a lavender ceiling and proving that America is ready for trans men leaders in our state legislatures. From safeguarding reproductive rights to increasing investment in New Hampshire’s education and health care systems, James is well prepared to enact legislation that will deliver lasting results for his community. At a time of intensifying transphobia at all levels of government and society, he showed incredible courage throughout his historic campaign. Trans people – and trans men in particular – remain severely underrepresented in government at every level, but we are confident his win will inspire many more trans people to run for office.”
There are currently just eight out trans state legislators in the entire country, none of whom are trans men, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute. There are currently just six out trans men serving in elected office.
Victory Fund is tracking Election Night results at victoryfund.org/2022.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Wolf (D) just signed a new law that makes it a felony to pass on a communicable disease when they “should have known” that they had it, the HIV Justice Network reported.
Opponents of the law worry it will be used to punish people with HIV or other STDs who unknowingly transmit it to sexual partners. Such HIV criminalization laws have disproportionately been used to target Black men and other men of color.
While the offense, a third-degree felony, has to be “intentional,” one could see an arrestee being charged with it if they accidentally spit onto an officer while talking or bleed onto an officer during a violent arrest.
The law also charges people with a second-degree felony if they knew or “should have known” that they had a communicable disease after transmitting it to someone else. The offense is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
This not only would apply to anyone who transmits HIV; it could also apply to people who unintentionally transmit hepatitis, influenza, chickenpox, and COVID-19.
The bill has been opposed by the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, the Anti-defamation League of Pennsylvania, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania HIV Justice Alliance, the Positive Women’s Network-USA, the Sero Project, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, Advocates for Youth, and many other groups.
“As a person living with HIV who was born and raised in Pennsylvania, the passing of HB 103 serves as a reminder that as we get closer to ending the HIV epidemic, we have a long way to go to end HIV stigma and the criminalization of people living with HIV,” said Louie Ortiz-Fonseca, Director of LGBTQ Health & Rights with Advocates for Youth.
Medical professionals have said that HIV criminalization laws do nothing to stop the spread of the virus and may even encourage people not to get tested for fear that the knowledge could subject them to criminal penalties.
A 2018 Williams Institute study on HIV criminalization in Georgia found that “Black men and Black women were more likely to be arrested for HIV-related offenses than their white counterparts.” While 26 percent of HIV-related arrests were of white males, 46 percent of HIV-related arrests were of Black males. Additionally, 11 percent of those arrested were white females, while 16 percent were Black females.
As of 2022, 35 states have laws that criminalize HIV exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Many of the laws were passed at a time when little was known about HIV and millions were dying from the virus.
“Many of these state laws criminalize actions that cannot transmit HIV – such as biting or spitting – and apply regardless of actual transmission, or intent,” the CDC wrote. “After more than 40 years of HIV research and significant biomedical advancements to treat and prevent HIV transmission, many state laws are now outdated and do not reflect our current understanding of HIV.”
At least 340 out LGBTQ candidates running in the 2022 midterms have won their elections as of 2:00am, the most in U.S. history and surpassing the previous record of 336 set in 2020. More victories are expected in the coming days. At least 1,065 out LGBTQ people ran for office this year – a historic number. To reach equitable representation, the U.S. must elect over 35,000 more out LGBTQ people to office, according to LGBTQ Victory Institute.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement:
“Bigots tried their best to undermine our political power – but their hate backfired and motivated more LGBTQ people to run and win than ever before. Tonight’s Rainbow Wave is a clear rebuke to the increased homophobia and transphobia sweeping our communities – and proves voters want to elect qualified LGBTQ leaders. With so much at stake this election, from the future of marriage equality to abortion, LGBTQ candidates’ grit and exceptional grassroots support is paying off.”
Winning candidates so far include:
Maura Healey, the first lesbian governor ever elected (press release).
Becca Balint, the first woman and first LGBTQ person elected to Congress from Vermont (press release).
James Roesener, the first trans man ever elected to a state legislature in U.S. history (press release).
Victory Fund is tracking Election Night results at victoryfund.org/2022.
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LGBTQ Victory Fund
LGBTQ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve. Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped thousands of openly LGBTQ candidates win local, state and federal elections.
Robert Garcia of California has been elected as the first out gay immigrant in Congress.
Garcia, currently mayor of Long Beach, has won the U.S. House seat in California’s 42nd Congressional District, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
A Democrat, he bested Republican John Briscoe, a businessman. As of 9:30 p.m. Pacific time, Garcia had 68 percent of the vote and Briscoe 32 percent. Because of redistricting, there was no incumbent in the race.
Garcia, a native of Peru, immigrated to the United States with his family at age 5. He has been mayor of Long Beach since 2014. He was the city’s youngest mayor, the first out gay one, and the first immigrant to hold the office. He was one of several out political leaders featured in the keynote address at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker issued the following statement: “Robert has a proven track record of delivering real results for his community, from safeguarding abortion rights to championing education and climate policy. Voters were excited and motivated by his vision for the future. With anti-LGBTQ and anti-choice legislation currently moving through Congress, the stakes of this election could not have been higher — and California voters delivered. We are confident Robert’s deep policy experience and ability to build strong, diverse coalitions will make him an exceptional legislator. His win tonight will inspire countless other LGBTQ and first-generation Americans to pursue careers in public service.”
Democrat Becca Balint is the winner of Vermont’s at-large Congressional District race, NBC News projected. She is the first woman and the first LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the state.
With 72% of precincts reporting Tuesday night, Balint had 61.5%, while her Republican opponent, Liam Madden, had 28.8%.
On Tuesday evening, Balint thanked her supporters in an Instagram post with a caption saying: “Today, we reaffirmed that Vermont, and this nation, is still a place where anything is possible. We’re still capable of change and progress.”
She added, “Tonight, after 231 years, Vermonters are sending a woman and openly gay person to Congress for the first time.”
Balint’s win against Madden, an Iraq War veteran, was widely expected. Vermont has not sent a Republican to Congress since it re-elected former Sen. Jim Jeffords in 2000.
Madden took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to congratulate Balint on her historic feat.
“Congratulations to @BeccaBalintVT for being Vermont’s first woman Congressional Representative,” he wrote. “Well Done.”
Although it was anticipated, Balint’s win was long awaited for women’s rights advocates around the country. Her victory ended Vermont’s status as the only state never to have sent a woman to Congress.
“The future of LGBTQ equality and women’s rights were on the ballot — and Vermonters delivered tonight,” Annise Parker, the president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which works to increase the number of LGBTQ elected officials across the U.S., said in a statement. “For nearly a decade, Becca led efforts to pass meaningful legislation to increase fairness and equity within Vermont. Now, she is ready to do the same in Congress.”
