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Erin Maye Quade and Clare Oumou Verbeten Become First LGBTQ Women and First Black Women Ever Elected to the Minnesota State Senate

LGBTQ Victory Fund candidates Erin Maye Quade and Clare Oumou Verbeten won the elections for Florida’s 56th and 66th state Senate Districts. With these historic victories, both are now the first out LGBTQ women and first Black women ever elected to the Minnesota state Senate. A record number of LGBTQ people ran for the Minnesota state legislature this year, all 11 of whom won their elections tonight. With these historic wins, LGBTQ representation has more than doubled in the state legislature and tripled in the state Senate. Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, issued the following statement: “Minnesota saw a Rainbow Wave of state […]

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First Trans Person Ever Elected to the Montana State Legislature

LGBTQ Victory Fund candidate Zoeey Zephyr won the election for Montana’s 100th state House District. With this historic victory, she is now the first out trans person ever elected to the Montana state legislature. SJ Howell, running for Montana’s 95th state House District, would be the first nonbinary person elected to the Montana state legislature; SJ’s race has not yet been called. A record number of trans and nonbinary candidates ran 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 Montana and for trans people across the country. […]

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Eric Sorensen Shatters Lavender Ceiling; First LGBTQ Person Ever Elected to Congress from Illinois

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 […]

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First Black LGBTQ Person Ever Elected Statewide in U.S. History

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 […]

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When I started growing breasts as a teen boy, I got gender-affirming care without stigma

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 […]

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Jennie Armstrong and Andrew Gray Shatter Lavender Ceilings; First LGBTQ People Ever Elected to the Alaska State Legislature

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 […]

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Netanyahu Downplays Plans To Roll Back LGBTQ Rights

Haaretz reports: 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 […]

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First Trans Man Elected to a State Legislature in U.S. History

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 […]

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Democratic governor signs law punishing HIV transmission with up to 10 years in prison

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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 […]

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Rainbow Wave: Record Number of LGBTQ Candidates Win

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 – […]

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