French
DeutschList of LGBTQ politicians in the United States
This is an alphabetical list of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender politicians who have held office in the United States. Historical figures are included only if there is documented evidence of an open queer identity.
Most openly LGBT politicians in the U.S. are part of the Democratic Party, which has taken a more favorable stance than Republicans towards LGBT rights.[1][2]
Federal
[edit]Executive
[edit]| Image | Name | Party | Entered office | Left office | Office(s) Held (tenure)[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Roberta Achtenberg (born 1950) | Democratic | 1993 | 1995 | Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (1993-1995) Commissioner, United States Commission on Civil Rights (2011-2016) | First openly lesbian or gay public official requiring United States Senate confirmation[3] |
| 2011 | 2016 | |||||
 | Christine Abizaid (born 1979) | 2021 | Incumbent | Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (2021–present) | First female and first openly gay director of the National Counterterrorism Center.[4][5] | |
 | John Berry (born 1959) | Democratic | 2000 | 2016 | Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (2000-2005) Director of the National Zoological Park (2005-2009) Director of the Office of Personnel Management (2009-2013) United States Ambassador to Australia (2013-2016) | First out head of a federal agency[6] |
 | Randy W. Berry (born 1965) | 2015 | Incumbent | United States Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons (2015–2017) United States Ambassador to Nepal (2018–2022) United States Ambassador to Namibia (2023–present) | First United States Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons.[7][8] | |
.jpg) | Pete Buttigieg (born 1982) | Democratic | 2021 | Incumbent | Secretary of Transportation (2021–present) | First openly gay Cabinet Secretary[9] |
.jpg) | Eric Fanning (born 1968) | Democratic | 2013 | 2017 | United States Under Secretary of the Air Force (2013-2015) Chief of Staff to Secretary of Defense (2015; 2015–2016) United States Secretary of the Army (2016-2017) | First openly LGBT Secretary of the Army[10] |
.jpg) | Richard Grenell (born 1966) | Republican | 2018 | 2020 | Ambassador to Germany (2018–2020) Director of National Intelligence (2020) (Acting) | First openly gay member of the United States Cabinet, albeit in an acting capacity[11] |
 | James Hormel (1933-2021) | Democratic | 1999 | 2001 | Ambassador to Luxembourg (1999-2001) | First openly LGBT ambassador for the United States[12] |
Legislative
[edit]State
[edit]Executive
[edit]| Image | Name (lifespan) | Party | State | Entered office | Left office[a] | Office(s) Held (tenure) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lisa Belcastro (born 1988) | Democratic |  Maryland | 2023 | Incumbent | Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Department of Disabilities (2023–present) | [13] |
.jpg) | Kate Brown (born 1960) | Democratic |  Oregon | 2015 | 2023 | Oregon Secretary of State (2009–2015) Governor of Oregon (2015–2023) | First openly bisexual person to be elected secretary of state in American history and Oregon's first out LGBT constitutional officer. Succeeded to the governor's office upon the resignation of John Kitzhaber (D); subsequently elected in her own right in 2016. Brown is thus the first openly LGBT person to be elected governor in the U.S.[14] |
| Benjamin Cruz (born 1951) | Nonpartisan[15] |  Guam | 2018 | Incumbent | Public Auditor of Guam (2018–present) | Previously served as an Associate Justice and later Chief Justice of the Guam Supreme Court[16] | |
 | Ed Flanagan (1950-2017) | Democratic |  Vermont | 1993 | 2001 | Vermont Auditor of Accounts (1993-2001) | First openly gay state auditor to be elected in American history[17][18] |
.jpg) | Maura Healey (born 1971) | Democratic |  Massachusetts | 2015 | Incumbent | Massachusetts Attorney General (2015–2023) Governor of Massachusetts (2023–present) | First out Attorney General elected at state level[19] First out Governor of Massachusetts[20] |
| Elaine Howle (born 1960) | Nonpartisan |  California | 2001 | 2021 | California State Auditor (2001–2021) | First woman and first out lesbian appointed California state auditor; longest-serving state auditor in California's history[21][22][23][24][25] | |
 | Kim Coco Iwamoto (born 1968) | Democratic |  Hawaii | 2006 | 2011 | Member of Hawaii Board of Education (2006-2011) | First openly transgender person to win a statewide office[26] |
 | Tina Kotek (born 1966) | Democratic | Oregon | 2023 | Incumbent | Governor of Oregon (2023–) | First LGBT person to succeed another LGBT person (Kate Brown) as Governor. |
 | Ricardo Lara (born 1974) | Democratic | California | 2019 | Incumbent | California Insurance Commissioner (2019–present) | First out state Insurance Commissioner[27] |
_(cropped).jpg) | Kris Mayes (born 1971) | Democratic |  Arizona | 2023 | Incumbent | Arizona Attorney General (2023–present) | First out Attorney General of Arizona[28] |
.jpg) | Dale McCormick (born 1947) | Democratic |  Maine | 1997 | 2005 | Maine State Treasurer (1997-2005) | First openly LGBT state treasurer (elected by state legislature) and Maine's first openly LGBT Constitutional officer[29] Possibly first out legislator for Maine |
.jpg) | Jim McGreevey (born 1957) | Democratic |  New Jersey | 2002 | 2004 | Governor of New Jersey (2002–2004) | Came out in the same speech as his resignation First openly gay governor[30] |
| Tony Miller (born 1948) | Democratic | California | 1994 | 1995 | Secretary of State of California (1994-1995) | First openly LGBT Secretary of State[31] | |
.jpg) | Dana Nessel (born 1969) | Democratic |  Michigan | 2019 | Incumbent | Michigan Attorney General (2019–present) | First out Attorney General of Michigan First openly LGBT person elected to statewide office in Michigan[32] |
.jpg) | Jared Polis (born 1975) | Democratic |  Colorado | 2019 | Incumbent | Governor of Colorado (2019–present) | First openly gay man to be elected governor in the U.S.[33] |
 | Josh Tenorio | Democratic | Guam | 2019 | Incumbent | Lieutenant Governor of Guam (2019–present) | First openly LGBT lieutenant governor[34] |
 | Anthony Woods (born 1980) | Democratic | Maryland | 2023 | Incumbent | Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs (2023–present) | [35] |
Legislative
[edit]This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.
| Image | Name (lifespan) | Party | State | Office Held (tenure)[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Abbott (born 1979) | Democratic |  Montana | Montana House of Representatives (2017–present) | [36] | |
.jpg) | Gabriel Acevero (born 1990) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2019–present) | [37] |
 | Raghib Allie-Brennan (born 1991) | Democratic |  Connecticut | Connecticut House of Representatives (2019–present) | [38] |
 | Vernetta Alston | Democratic |  North Carolina | North Carolina House of Representatives (2021–present) | |
 | Cal Anderson (1948-1995) | Democratic |  Washington | Washington House of Representatives (1987-1995) Washington Senate (1995) | First openly gay legislator in Washington[39] |
| Nickie Antonio (born 1955) | Democratic |  Ohio | Ohio House of Representatives (2011-2019) Ohio Senate (2019–) | First openly LGBT person elected to the Ohio General Assembly[40][41] | |
 | Roberto Arango | New Progressive |  Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Senate ( 2005–2011) | [42] |
| Noah Arbit (born 1995) | Democratic | Michigan | Michigan House of Representatives (2023–present) | ||
| Jennie Armstrong | Democratic |  Alaska | Alaska House of Representatives (2023–present) | One of first three LGBT members of the Alaska State Legislature (with Ashley Carrick and Andrew Gray) | |
.jpg) | Roy Ashburn (born 1954) | Republican | California | California State Senate (2002–2010) | Came out as gay in 2010 shortly before leaving office[43] |
 | Toni Atkins (born 1962) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2010–2016) Speaker of the Assembly (2014-2016) California State Senate (2016–present) President pro tempore of the Senate (2018–2024) | First lesbian to serve as California Assembly Speaker and first LGBT person/woman serve as President Pro Tempore of the California Senate[44] |
 | Lorena Austin | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (2023–present) | |
| Jorge Báez Pagán | New Progressive | Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico House of Representatives (2020–2021) | First openly gay member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives[45] | |
| Kyle Bailey | Democratic | Maine | Maine House of Representatives (2020–2021) | ||
.jpg) | Tammy Baldwin (born 1962) | Democratic |  Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Assembly (1993-1999) | First openly lesbian woman elected to Wisconsin Legislature. |
.jpg) | Becca Balint (born 1968) | Democratic | Vermont | Vermont Senate (2015–2023) Senate Majority Leader (2017-2021) President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate (2021–2023) | First lesbian to serve in Vermont Senate and first woman and LGBT person to serve as president pro tempore in Vermont.[46][47] |
| Imani Barnes | Democratic |  Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2023–present) | [48] | |
| Phil Bartlett (born 1976) | Democratic | Maine | Maine Senate (2004-2012) | ||
| Sam Bell (born 1989) | Democratic |  Rhode Island | Rhode Island Senate (2019–present) | ||
| Simone Bell | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2009-2015) | First African-American lesbian to serve in a U.S. state legislature[49] | |
 | Jessica Benham (born 1990) | Democratic |  Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2021–present) | Openly bisexual; first openly LGBT woman in the Pennsylvania Legislature[50] |
 | Liz Bennett (born 1982) | Democratic |  Iowa | Iowa House of Representatives (2015-2023) Iowa Senate (2023–present) | First openly LGBT woman to serve in the Iowa Legislature |
| Ashley Bland Manlove (born 1986) | Democratic |  Missouri | Missouri House of Representatives (2019–present) | ||
 | Jackie Biskupski (born 1966) | Democratic |  Utah | Utah House of Representatives (1999-2011) | First openly LGBT elected official in Utah[51] |
| Larry Bliss (born 1946) | Democratic | Maine | Maine Senate (2008-2011) Maine House of Representatives (2000-2008) | ||
| Tiffany Bluemle | Democratic | Vermont | Vermont House of Representatives (2021–present) | ||
 | Joshua Boschee (born 1982) | Democratic-NPL |  North Dakota | North Dakota House of Representatives (2015–present) | First openly LGBT person ever elected to the North Dakota Legislature. |
| Ben Bowman (born 1992) | Democratic | Oregon | Oregon House of Representatives (2023–present) | ||
| Ryan Braunberger | Democratic-NPL | North Dakota | North Dakota Senate (2023–present) | ||
_Newly_Elected_NYS_Senator_Jabari_Brisport_(cropped).jpg) | Jabari Brisport (born 1987) | Democratic |  New York | New York State Senate (2021–present) | First openly gay person of color elected to the New York State Legislature[52] |
| | Kate Brown (born 1960) | Democratic | Oregon | Oregon Senate (1997–2009) Oregon House of Representatives (1991–1997) | Openly bisexual and first LGBT minority and majority leader for Oregon Senate[14] |
| Tim Brown (born 1962) | Republican | Ohio | Ohio House of Representatives (2013-2016) | First openly gay man and first openly LGBT Republican elected to Ohio General Assembly[53] | |
 | Raymond Buckley (born 1959) | Democratic |  New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (1986-2004) | [54] |
| Lisa Bunker (born 1982) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2018–present) | With Gerri Cannon, New Hampshire's first openly trans women legislators.[55] | |
| Edward Butler (born 1949) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2006-2020) | ||
| Marisabel Cabrera (born 1975) | Democratic | Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Assembly (2019–present) | ||
| Gerri Cannon (born 1953) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2018–present) | With Lisa Bunker, New Hampshire's first openly trans women legislators.[55] | |
 | Park Cannon (born 1985) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2016–present) | [56] |
 | Patty Contreras | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (2023-–present) | [57] |
| Chuck Carpenter (born 1962) | Republican | Oregon | Oregon House of Representatives (1995-1999) | First openly LGBT Republican to serve any state legislature in the United States. | |
_(2).jpg) | Tim Carpenter (born 1960) | Democratic | Wisconsin | Wisconsin Senate (1985-2003) Wisconsin State Assembly | |
| Ashley Carrick | Democratic | Alaska | Alaska House of Representatives (2023–present) | One of first three LGBT members of the Alaska State Legislature (with Jennie Armstrong and Andrew Gray) | |
.jpg) | Sabrina Cervantes (born 1987) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2016–present) | First out Latina elected to the California legislature |
| Ken Cheuvront (born 1961) | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (1995-2003) Arizona Senate (2003-2011) | First LGBT person elected to Arizona House of Representatives and one of the first to the Senate[58] | |
| David Clarenbach (born 1953) | Democratic | Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Assembly (1975-1993) | Came out after retiring from Legislature | |
 | Demion Clinco | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (2014–2015) | |
 | Luke Clippinger (born 1972) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2011–present) | [59] |
| Cathy Connolly (born 1956) | Democratic |  Wyoming | Wyoming House of Representatives (2009–2023) Minority leader (2017–2023) | First openly LGBT member and Minority Leader in Wyoming House[60] | |
| Corey Corbin (born 1969) | Republican (2000-2003) | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2000-2004) | ||
| Democratic (2003-2004) | |||||
 | Bonnie Cullison (born 1954) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2011–present) | [61] |
| Marlene DeChane (1956-2020) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (1994-2008) | ||
 | Oscar De Los Santos | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (2023–present) | First out LGBT person to represent Arizona's 11th legislative district.[62] |
| Karla Drenner (born 1961) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2001–present) | First openly LGBT member of the Georgia General Assembly[63] | |
 | Thomas Duane (born 1955) | Democratic | New York | New York State Senate (1999–2012) | First openly gay and openly HIV-positive member of the New York State Senate[64] |
 | Adam Ebbin (born 1963) | Democratic |  Virginia | Virginia Senate (2012–present) Virginia House of Delegates (2004-2012) | First LGBT member of Virginia House and Senate[65][66] |
| George Eighmey (born 1941) | Democratic | Oregon | Oregon House of Representatives (1993-1999) | First openly LGBT person elected to Oregon state legislature[67] | |
 | Elizabeth Edwards (born 1988) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2014-2018) | |
 | Johnny Ellis (1960–2022) | Democratic | Alaska | Alaska House of Representatives (1987-1993) | Came out in 2016 after leaving office[68] |
| Tim Eustace (born 1957) | Democratic | New Jersey | New Jersey General Assembly (2012–2018) | Second openly gay person ever elected to the New Jersey Legislature[69] | |
 | Kris Fair (born 1984) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2023–present) | [61] |
| Ryan Fecteau (born 1992) | Democratic | Maine | Member of Maine House of Representatives (2014–2022) Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives (2020–2022) | First openly gay Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives[70] | |
| Art Feltman (born 1958) | Democratic | Connecticut | Connecticut House of Representatives (1997-2009) | Likely first out legislator in Connecticut Assembly[71] | |
| Mark Ferrandino (born 1977) | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives (2007-2015) Minority Leader (2011-2013) Speaker of the House (2013-2015) | First openly gay House Speaker and House Minority Leader of the Colorado General Assembly[72] | |
.jpg){kind=spacer} | Leigh Finke | Democratic (DFL) |  Minnesota | Minnesota House of Representatives (2023-present) | First openly transgender state legislator in Minnesota[73] |
| William P. Fitzpatrick (born 1961) | Democratic | Rhode Island | Rhode Island Senate (1993-1997) | First our LGBT person to Rhode Island state legislature[74] | |
_(cropped).jpg) | J. D. Ford (born 1982) | Democratic |  Indiana | Indiana Senate (2018–Present) | First openly LGBT person elected to the Indiana General Assembly[75] |
 | Gordon Fox (born 1961) | Democratic | Rhode Island | Rhode Island House of Representatives (1993-2015) Majority Leader (2003-2010) Speaker of the House (2010-2014) | First openly LGBT Speaker of the House[76] |
.png) | Althea Garrison (born 1940) | Republican | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (1993–1995) | First transgender person to hold state office; outed against her will.[77] |
 | Deborah J. Glick (born 1950) | Democratic | New York | New York State Assembly (1991–present) | First openly LGBT member of the New York State legislature[78] |
 | Lisa Grafstein (born 1966) | Democratic | North Carolina | North Carolina Senate (2023–present) | [79] |
.jpg) | Andrew Gray (born c. 1975) | Democratic | Alaska | Alaska House of Representatives (2023–present) | One of first three LGBT members of the Alaska State Legislature (with Jennie Armstrong and Ashley Carrick) |
 | Patrick Guerriero (born 1968) | Republican | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (1993–1998) | Came out publicly as gay while running for lieutenant governor in 2002[80] |
 | Steve Gunderson (born 1951) | Republican | Wisconsin | Wisconsin State Assembly (1975–1979) | Outed as gay in 1994 while serving in Congress |
 | Reed Gusciora (born 1960) | Democratic | New Jersey | New Jersey General Assembly (1996–2018) | First openly gay member of the New Jersey state legislature[81] |
| Torrey Harris (born 1991) | Democratic |  Tennessee | Tennessee House of Representatives (2021–present) | With Eddie Mannis, first openly gay member of the Tennessee House of Representatives[82] | |
 | Leslie Herod (born 1982) | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives (2017–present) | First out Black person elected to Colorado House[83] |
| Keturah Herron (born 1980) | Democratic |  Kentucky | Kentucky House of Representatives (2022–present) | First LGBT person elected to the Kentucky General Assembly | |
| Jason Hoskins | Democratic | Michigan | Michigan House of Representatives (2023–present) | ||
 | Shevrin Jones (born 1983) | Democratic |  Florida | Florida House of Representatives (2012–2020) Florida Senate (2020–present) | First openly LGBT black person elected to the Florida Legislature[84] |
.jpg) | Daniel Innis (born 1963) | Republican | New Hampshire | New Hampshire Senate (2016-2018) | |
.jpg) | Corey Jackson (born 1982) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2023–present) | |
| Kim Jackson (born 1984) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia State Senate (2021–present) | First LGBT member of the Georgia State Senate[85] | |
 | Jolanda Jones (born 1965) | Democratic |  Texas | Texas House of Representatives (2022–present) | |
| Venton Jones | Democratic | Texas | Texas House of Representatives (2023–present) | ||
.jpg) | Jolie Justus (born 1971) | Democratic | Missouri | Missouri Senate (2007-2015) | First openly gay member of the Missouri Senate[86][87] |
.jpg) | Anne Kaiser (born 1968) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2003–present) | [88] |
 | Christine Kaufmann (born 1951) | Democratic | Montana | Montana House of Representatives (2000-2007) Montana Senate (2007-2017) | First out person elected to Montana Senate[89] |
.jpg) | Malcolm Kenyatta (born 1990) | Democratic | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2019–present) | First openly LGBT+ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly[90] |
 | Chris Kolb (born 1958) | Democratic | Michigan | Michigan House of Representatives (2001-2006) | First openly gay member of Michigan Legislature[91] |
 | Tina Kotek (born 1966) | Democratic | Oregon | Oregon House of Representatives (2007-2022) Speaker pro tempore (2011) Majority Leader (2011-2013) Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives (2013-2022) | First openly lesbian state House speaker in U.S.[92] |
 | Sheila Kuehl (born 1941) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (1994-2000) California Senate (2000-2008) | First openly LGBT California State Legislature member |
| Tony Labranche (born 2001) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2020–2022) | Youngest openly LGBT+ legislator in U.S. History[93] | |
| Independent | |||||
 | John Laird (born 1950) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2002-2008) California Senate (2020–Present) | First out California Assembly member alongside Mark Leno[94] |
| | Ricardo Lara (born 1974) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2010-2012) California State Senate (2012-2019) | [95] |
| Stacie Laughton (born 1984) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2022) | Previously elected to the House in 2012, becoming the first transgender person to win a legislative election, but election was nullified before taking office. [96] | |
 | Alex Lee (born 1995) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2020–present) | First openly bisexual member of the California Assembly[97] |
 | Nicole (Cole) LeFavour (born 1964) | Democratic |  Idaho | Idaho State House (2004-2008) Idaho State Senate (2009-2012) | First openly LGBTQ member of the Idaho Legislature. As an activist, led 2014 Add the 4 Words civil disobedience resulting in over 100 arrests in the Idaho Capitol. |
.jpg) | Mark Leno (born 1951) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2002-2008) California State Senate (2008-2016) | One of two first out gay men elected to California State Assembly and first elected to the State Senate[94] |
 | Sonya Jaquez Lewis (born 1957) | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives (2019–present) | First Latina and the first LGBT person ever elected to the Colorado General Assembly from Boulder County, Colorado[98] |
 | Mark Levine (born 1966) | Democratic | Virginia | Virginia House of Delegates (2016–present) | Openly gay Congressman elected to Virginia House of Delegates[99] |
 | Donna M. Loring (born 1948) | Democratic | Maine | Maine House of Representatives (1997–2008) | Possibly one of first two out women in Maine legislature (with Judy Powers) |
 | Richard Madaleno (born 1965) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2003–2007) Maryland Senate (2007–2019) | First openly LGBT member of the Maryland Senate[100] |
| Eddie Mannis (born 1959) | Republican | Tennessee | Tennessee House of Representatives (2021–present) | With Torrey Harris, first openly gay member of the Tennessee House of Representatives[82] | |
| Christian Manuel | Democratic | Texas | Texas House of Representatives (2023–present) | ||
 | Ashanti Martinez (born 1996) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2023–present) | [101] |
 | Glen Maxey (born 1952) | Democratic | Texas | Texas House of Representatives (1991-2003) | First openly LGBT member of Texas Legislature[102] |
.jpg) | Erin Maye Quade (born 1986) | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | Minnesota House of Representatives (2017-2019) Minnesota Senate (2023–present) | One of two first openly-lesbian women elected to Minnesota Senate |
 | Sarah McBride (born 1990) | Democratic |  Delaware | Delaware Senate (2021–present) | First openly transgender state senator in the U.S.[103] |
.jpg) | Maggie McIntosh (born 1947) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (1992–2023) | First LGBT state legislator in Maryland, came out in 2001[104] |
| Lawrence McKeon (1944-2008) | Democratic |  Illinois | Illinois House of Representatives (1997-2005) | First out member of Illinois General Assembly and possibly first HIV positive elected official in United States[105] | |
 | Robert Meza | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona House of Representatives (2003-2011; 2019–Present) Arizona Senate (2011-2019) | First openly gay Hispanic/Latino state legislator in the U.S. |
| Heather Meyer (born 1980) | Democratic |  Kansas | Kansas House of Representatives (2021–present) | First openly bisexual member of the Kansas House of Representatives[106] | |
 | Carole Migden (born 1948) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (1996-2002) California Senate (2004-2008) | One of first out queer women to serve in California legislature and first woman and lesbian to chair Committee on Appropriations[107] |
| McKim Mitchell (born 1954) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (1998–2004) | ||
.jpg) | Heather Mizeur (born 1972) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2007-2015) | [108] |
| Sue Mullen | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2018–present) | ||
 | Peter Murphy (born 1949) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2007-2014) | [109] |
.jpg) | Ed Murray (born 1955) | Democratic | Washington | Washington House of Representatives (1995-2007) Washington Senate (2007-2013) Senate Minority Leader (2012-2013) | First openly gay minority leader in Washington and openly gay Mayor of Seattle |
| Kameron Nelson | Democratic |  South Dakota | South Dakota House of Representatives (2023–present) | First gay man elected to South Dakota Legislature | |
 | Elaine Noble (born 1944) | Democratic | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (1975-1979) | First person out at election to serve on a state legislature[110] |
 | Blake Oshiro (born 1970) | Democratic | Hawaii | Hawaii House of Representatives (2001-2011) | After coming out in 2010, became first LGBT Majority Leader for the Hawaii House[111] |
 | Clare Oumou Verbeten | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | Minnesota Senate (2023–present) | One of two first openly-lesbian women elected to Minnesota Senate |
| Sam Park (born 1985) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2017–present) | First openly gay person to be elected in the Georgia General Assembly[112] | |
| David Parks (born 1943) | Democratic |  Nevada | Nevada Assembly (1996-2008) Nevada Senate (2008-2020) | First out LGBT official in Nevada[18] | |
 | John Pérez (born 1969) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2008-2014) Speaker of the Assembly (2010-2014) | First openly LGBT Speaker of the California Assembly |
| Mike Pisaturo (born 1963) | Democratic | Rhode Island | Rhode Island House of Representatives (1996-2002) | [113] | |
| Judy Powers (born 1944) | Democratic | Maine | Maine House of Representatives (1997-2001) | Possibly one of first two out women in Maine legislature (with Donna Loring)[114] | |
| Joshua Query | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2018–2022) | Openly genderqueer[115] | |
| Neil Rafferty | Democratic |  Alabama | Alabama House of Representatives (2018–present) | First openly gay man elected to Alabama state legislature[116][117] | |
 | Michele Rayner (born 1981) | Democratic | Florida | Florida House of Representatives (2020–Present) | First out Black queer woman elected to Florida Legislature[118] |
.jpg) | Lois Reckitt (born 1944) | Democratic | Maine | Maine House of Representatives (2016–present) | |
 | Ana Irma Rivera Lassén (born 1955) | Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana | Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Senate (2021–present) | [119] |
_(cropped).jpg){kind=spacer} | Danica Roem (born 1984) | Democratic | Virginia | Virginia House of Delegates (2018–2024) Virginia Senate (2024-present) | First openly transgender state legislator in the U.S.[120] Elected in 2023 to Virginia Senate, set to become second transgender state senator in the U.S. |
| Lamont Robinson (born 1982) | Democratic | Illinois | Illinois House of Representatives (2019–Present) | First out LGBT Black person elected to Illinois legislature[121] | |
| James Roesener | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (2023–present) | First transgender man elected to a state legislature | |
 | Stan Rosenberg (born 1949) | Democratic | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (1987-1991) Massachusetts Senate (1991-2018) President of the Massachusetts Senate (2015-2017) | First out Senate Majority Leader in Massachusetts |
| Diane Sands (born 1947) | Democratic | Montana | Montana House of Representatives (1997-1999; 2007–2013) Montana Senate (2015–Present) | First openly LGBT person elected to Montana Legislature[122] | |
 | Adam Scanlon (born 1996) | Democratic | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (2021–present) | [123] |
 | Renitta Shannon (born 1979) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2017–present) | First bisexual elected to Georgia House[124] |
| Gail Shibley (born 1957/1958) | Democratic | Oregon | Oregon House of Representatives (1991-1997) | First out LGBT lawmaker in Oregon[125] | |
.jpg) | Meagan Simonaire (born 1990) | Republican | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2015–2019) | [126] |
| Democratic | |||||
| Tony Simone (born 1970) | Democratic | New York | New York State Assembly (2023–present) | First openly gay person to represent New York's 75th State Assembly district[127] | |
 | Brian Sims (born 1978) | Democratic | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania House of Representatives (2012–2022) | First openly gay person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly[128] |
 | Kyrsten Sinema (born 1976) | Democratic | Arizona | Arizona Senate (2011–2012) Arizona House of Representatives (2005–2011) | Openly bisexual[129] |
| Stephen Skinner | Democratic |  West Virginia | West Virginia House of Delegates (2013-2016) | First openly LGBT person elected to West Virginia legislature[130] | |
 | Taylor Small (born 1994) | Progressive[b] | Vermont | Vermont House of Representatives (2021–present) | First openly transgender member of the Vermont House of Representatives[131] |
 | Carlos Guillermo Smith (born 1980) | Democratic | Florida | Florida House of Representatives (2016–2022) | First openly LGBT Latino person elected to the Florida Legislature.[132] |
| Allan Spear (1937–2008) | Democratic (DFL) | Minnesota | Minnesota Senate (1973-2001) President of the Minnesota Senate (1993-2001) | First openly LGBT person to serve on a state legislature (came out in 1974) and first out presiding officer for a state legislature | |
| Pat Spearman (born 1955) | Democratic | Nevada | Nevada Senate (2012–Present) President pro tempore (2023–present) | First out lesbian in the Nevada Legislature[133] | |
 | Rashad Taylor (born 1981) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2009-2013) | First openly gay person to serve in the Georgia General Assembly, second gay black man to serve in any state legislature. Came out in 2011.[134] |
 | Richard Tisei (born 1962) | Republican | Massachusetts | Massachusetts House of Representatives (1985–1991) Massachusetts Senate (1991–2011) | Came out as gay in 2010. Lived with his partner, Bernie Starr, since 1994;[135] they married in 2013[136] |
 | Patricia Todd (born 1955) | Democratic | Alabama | Alabama House of Representatives (2006-2018) | First openly LGBT person to serve in the Alabama Legislature |
| Rick Trombly (born 1957) | Democratic | New Hampshire | New Hampshire House of Representatives (1979-1999) New Hampshire Senate (1999-2001) | First openly gay state legislator elected in New Hampshire[137] | |
 | Mauree Turner (born 1992/1993) | Democratic |  Oklahoma | Oklahoma House of Representatives (2021–present) | First openly non-binary state legislator in U.S. history[138] |
| Tim Van Zandt (born 1963) | Democratic | Missouri | Missouri House of Representatives (1995-2003) | First out LGBT person elected to Missouri General Assembly[139] | |
| Jennifer Veiga (born 1962) | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives (1997-2003) Colorado Senate (2003-2009) | First openly gay member of Colorado legislature after coming out in 2002[140] | |
| Stephanie Vigil | Democratic | Colorado | Colorado House of Representatives (2023–present) | First openly Queer elected official from El Paso County, CO[141] | |
 | Joe Vogel (born 1997) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2023–present) | [142] |
 | Keisha Waites (born 1972) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2012-2017) | [143] |
 | Mary L. Washington (born 1962) | Democratic | Maryland | Maryland House of Delegates (2011-2019) Maryland Senate (2019–present) | [61] |
 | Kathy Webb (born 1949) | Democratic |  Arkansas | Arkansas House of Representatives (2009-2013) Little Rock Board of Directors (2015–Present) | First out state legislator in Arkansas[89] |
 | Matthew Wilson (born 1984) | Democratic | Georgia | Georgia House of Representatives (2019–present) | [144] |
| Brandon Woodard (born 1990) | Democratic | Kansas | Kansas House of Representatives (2019–present) | First openly gay member of the Kansas House of Representatives[145] | |
 | Rick Zbur (born 1957) | Democratic | California | California State Assembly (2022–present) | |
.jpg) | Zooey Zephyr (born 1989) | Democratic | Montana | Montana House of Representatives (2023–present) | First transgender woman elected to Montana Legislature |
| Dan Zwonitzer (born 1979) | Republican | Wyoming | Wyoming House of Representatives (2005–present) | Openly gay[146] |
Local
[edit]Executive
[edit]| Image | Name | Party | State (or territory) | Office held (tenure)[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Sam Adams (born 1963) | Democratic | Oregon | Mayor of Portland, Oregon (2009-2012) | First gay mayor of Portland and first mayor of the 30 most populous U.S. cities[147] |
.JPG) | Pete Buttigieg (born 1982) | Democratic | Indiana | Mayor of South Bend (2012–2020) | Came out as gay in 2015,[148] and married Chasten Glezman in 2018[149] |
 | Christopher Cabaldon (born 1965) | Democratic[c] | California | Mayor of West Sacramento (1998-2020) | Openly gay[150] |
 | Bill Crews (born 1952) | Republican | Iowa | Mayor of Melbourne, Iowa (1984-1998) | Possibly first out LGBT elected official in Iowa |
| Edgardo Cruz Vélez | Puerto Rico | Mayor of Guánica, Puerto Rico (2021–present) | First Puerto Rican mayor elected as a write-in candidate[151] | ||
| Betsy Driver (born 1964) | Democratic | New Jersey | Mayor of Flemington (2019–present) | First openly intersex elected mayor in the United States[152][153] | |
 | Jenny Durkan (born 1958) | Democratic[c] | Washington | Mayor of Seattle (2017–2021) | Seattle's first lesbian mayor[154] |
| Tim Eustace (born 1957) | Democratic | New Jersey | Mayor of Maywood (2008–2011) | Openly gay[69] | |
.jpg) | Robert Garcia (born 1977) | Democratic | California | Mayor of Long Beach (2014–Present) | First LGBT and Latino person to hold the office |
 | Neil Giuliano (born 1956) | Republican | Arizona | Mayor of Tempe (1994-2004) | One of directly elected openly gay mayors in the United States and one of first out LGBT republican officials |
 | Todd Gloria (born 1978) | Democratic | California | Mayor of San Diego (2020–present) | First openly gay and first Person of Color to serve as mayor of San Diego[155] |
.jpg) | Jim Gray (born 1953) | Democratic | Kentucky | Mayor of Lexington (2011-2019) | First openly gay mayor of Lexington[156] |
| | Reed Gusciora (born 1960) | Democratic | New Jersey | Mayor of Trenton (2018–present) | |
| Richard A. Heyman (1935-1994) | Florida | Mayor of Key West (1983-1985; 1987–1989) | First out directly elected mayor in the United States[157] | ||
| Claire Higgins | Democratic | Massachusetts | Mayor of Northampton, Massachusetts (1999-2011) | Possibly first openly LGBT Mayor in Massachusetts[158] | |
.jpg) | Ed Koch (1924-2013) | Democratic | New York | Mayor of New York City (1978-1989) | Posthumously identified as gay by The New York Times[159] |
| | Sheila Kuehl (born 1941) | Democratic | California | Los Angeles Board of Supervisors (2014–Present) Chair of Los Angeles County (2017-2018) | |
 | Susan Leal (born 1949) | Democratic | California | Treasurer of San Francisco (1997-2004) | One of the first out LGBT treasurers of a major city[160] |
 | Lori Lightfoot (born 1962) | Democratic[c] | Illinois | Mayor of Chicago (2019–2023) | Openly lesbian |
| Miguel Méndez Pérez | Popular Democratic | Puerto Rico | Mayor of Isabela, Puerto Rico (2021–present) | [119] | |
.jpg) | Lisa Middleton (born 1952) | Democratic | California | Mayor of Palm Springs, California (2021–present) | First openly transgender mayor in California[161] |
| | Ed Murray (born 1955) | Democratic | Washington (state) | Mayor of Seattle (2013–2017) | First openly gay minority leader in Washington and openly gay Mayor of Seattle |
| Michael R. Nelson | Democratic | North Carolina | Mayor of Carrboro, North Carolina (1995-2005) | ||
 | Ron Oden (born 1950) | Democratic | California | Mayor of Palm Springs, California (2003-2007) | First openly gay Black mayor in the United States[162] |
| Liz Ordiales (born 1959) | Nonpartisan | Georgia | Mayor of Hiawassee (2017–present) | Openly lesbian mayor[163] | |
.JPG) | Annise Parker (born 1956) | Democratic[c] | Texas | Mayor of Houston (2010–2016) | First openly LGBT mayor of a top 10 American city (by population)[164] |
| Ty Penserga | Democratic | Florida | Mayor of Boynton Beach, Florida (2022–present) | [165] | |
| Kenneth Reeves (born 1951) | Democratic | Massachusetts | Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts (1992-1995; 2006–2007) | First openly gay Black person to serve as Mayor in the United States[166] | |
 | Satya Rhodes-Conway (born 1971) | Democratic | Wisconsin | Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin (2019-present) | First openly LGBT and lesbian Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin[167] |
.jpg) | E. Denise Simmons (born 1951) | Massachusetts | Mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts (2008-2010; 2016–2018) | First openly Black lesbian mayor in the United States[162] |
Legislative
[edit]| Image | Name | Party | State | Office Held (tenure)[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Aguirre | Delaware | Rehoboth Beach City Commission (2003-?) | First out city council member elected in Delaware and one of first out Delaware officials[168] | ||
| Liliana Bakhtiari | Democratic[c] | Georgia | Atlanta City Council (2022–present) | First openly queer Muslim elected in Georgia[169] | |
 | Harry Britt (1938-2020) | Democratic | California | San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1979-1993) President (1989-1990) | First openly gay city council president[170] |
| Joel Burns (born 1969) | Texas | Fort Worth City Council (2008-2014) | First openly gay person elected to office in Fort Worth and Tarrant County | ||
| Patti Bushee (born 1959) | New Mexico | Santa Fe City Council (1992-2011) | Possibly first out LGBT person to serve New Mexico[171] | ||
| David Carr (born 1987) | Republican | New York | New York City Councilman (2021–present)[172] | First openly LGBT Republican elected to office in New York City[173] | |
 | David Catania (born 1968) | Republican | Washington, D.C. | Council of the District of Columbia (1997-2015) | First openly gay Councilmember for Washington, D.C.[174] |
| Christopher Constant | Democratic | Alaska | Anchorage Assembly (2017–present) | With Felix Rivera, one of first openly LGBT officials elected in Alaska[175] | |
| Joanne Conte (1933-2013) | Independent | Colorado | Arvada City Council (1991-1995) | Considered to be first openly transgender person elected to a City Council in the United States | |
.jpg) | Phillipe Cunningham (born 1982) | Democratic | Minnesota | Minneapolis City Councilman from the 4th Ward (2018–2022) | Along with Andrea Jenkins, became the first openly transgender black elected officials in the U.S.[176] and the first trans man[177] |
 | Brian Coyle (1944-1991) | Minnesota | Minneapolis City Council (1984-1991) | Possibly first out LGBT Councilmember of Minneapolis[178] | |
 | Carl DeMaio (born 1974) | Republican | California | San Diego City Council (2008-2012) | First openly gay man to San Diego Council |
| Betsy Driver (born 1964) | Democratic | New Jersey | Flemington, New Jersey Councillor (2017-2019) | First openly intersex elected official in the United States[152] | |
| | Thomas Duane (born 1955) | Democratic | New York | New York City Council (1992–1998) | With Antonio Pagán, one of the two first openly gay members of the New York City Council[64] |
| Louis Escobar (1950-2020) | Democratic | Ohio | Toledo City Council (1998-2006) Council President (Unknown dates) | First LGBT person and Latino elected to serve on Toledo City Council[179] One of first council members for a major city in Ohio (with Mary Wiseman) | |
| Tim Eustace (born 1957) | Democratic | New Jersey | Maywood Borough Councilman (1995-1997; 2001–2008) Maywood Borough Council President (2005-2008) | Openly gay[69] | |
.jpg) | Jay Fisette (born 1956) | Democratic | Virginia | Arlington County Board (1998-2017) | First openly gay elected official in Virginia[180] |
| Stormie Forte | Democratic | North Carolina | Raleigh City Council (2020–present) | First Black woman and openly LGBT woman elected to Raleigh, NC Council[181] | |
| Theresa Gadus | Democratic | Ohio | Toledo City Council (2021–present) | First openly LGBT woman elected to Toledo City Council[182] | |
| | Althea Garrison (born 1940) | Independent | Massachusetts | Boston City Council councilor at-large (2019–2020)[d] | Forcibly outed as transgender during her service in the Massachusetts House of Representatives |
| Alberto J. Giménez | Puerto Rico | San Juan City Council (2021–present) | [119] | ||
| Ricardo Gonzalez (born 1946) | Democratic | Wisconsin | Madison Common Council (1989-2000) | First openly gay Latino person elected to public office in the United States and possibly first out city council member for Madison, Wisconsin[183] | |
 | Maria Hadden (born 1981) | Democratic | Illinois | Chicago City Council (2019–present) | First openly queer woman of color elected to Chicago City Council[184] |
| Steve Hansen | Democratic | California | Sacramento City Council (2012-2020) | First openly gay member of Sacramento city council[185] | |
 | Shannon Hardin (born 1987) | Democratic | Ohio | Columbus City Council (2014-present) Columbus City Council President (2018-present) | First Black LGBT member of Columbus City Council and first openly LGBT Council President[186] |
| Sherry Harris | Washington | Seattle City Council (1992-1995) | First openly gay Black woman elected to public office in the U.S. | ||
| Mary Jo Hudson | Democratic | Ohio | Columbus City Council (2004-2007) | First openly LGBT member and LGBT woman to serve on Columbus City Council[187][188] | |
_(cropped).jpg) | Andrea Jenkins (born 1961) | Democratic | Minnesota | Minneapolis City Councilwoman from the 8th Ward (2018–present) Vice President of the City Council (2018–2022) President of the City Council (2022–2024) | Along with Phillipe Cunningham, became the first openly transgender black elected official in the U.S.[99] and the first trans woman[189] |
.jpg) | Corey Johnson (born 1982) | Democratic | New York | New York City Councilman (2014–present) Speaker of the New York City Council (2019–present) | Openly gay, openly HIV-positive First gay man to hold the speakership of the New York City Council[190] |
| | Jolie Justus (born 1971) | Democratic | Missouri | City Council of Kansas City, Missouri (2015–2020) | |
 | Christine Kehoe (born 1952) | Democratic | California | San Diego City Council (1993-2000) California State Assembly (2000-2004) California Senate (2004-2012) | First openly LGBT official in San Diego[191] |
| Bruce Kraus (born 1954) | Democratic | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh City Council Member (2008–present) President (2014-2020) | First openly gay elected official in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[192] | |
 | Robert Lilligren (born 1960) | Democratic | Minnesota | Minneapolis City Council (2002-2014) | First Native American elected to Minneapolis City Council and one of first openly gay members |
 | Raymond Lopez (born 1978) | Democratic | Illinois | Chicago City Council (2015–present) | First LGBT Latino elected to Chicago City Council along with Carlos Ramirez-Rosa[193] |
| John Loza (1963-2018) | Democratic | Texas | Dallas City Council (1998-2016) | First openly LGBT city council member for a major city in Texas, alongside Annise Parker (Houston)[194] | |
| Rebecca Maurer (born 1989) | Democratic[c] | Ohio | Cleveland City Council (2022–present) | First openly LGBT woman elected to Cleveland City Council[195] | |
| Jim McGill (born 1951) | Pennsylvania | Wilkinsburg City Council (1994-2002) | First openly LGBT city council member in Pennsylvania[196] | ||
| Kerry McCormack | Democratic | Ohio | Cleveland City Council (at least 2016–present) | First out LGBT party leader of the Cleveland City Council[197] | |
| Jonathan Melton | Democratic | North Carolina | Raleigh City Council (2019–present) | One of first two openly LGBT members of Raleigh City Council[198] | |
.jpg) | Carlos Menchaca (born 1980) | Democratic | New York | New York City Council (2014–2021) | First LGBT New York Councilmember from Brooklyn and first Mexican-American Councilmember for New York City[199] |
| Steven Morabito | Dem | Massachusetts | Revere City Councillor (2013–present) | First Gay man elected to Revere, MA City Council | |
.jpg) | Chi Ossé (born 1998) | Democratic | New York | New York City Councilman (2022–present) | Identifies as queer[200] |
| Antonio Pagán (1958-2009) | Democratic | New York | New York City Council (1992–1997) | With Thomas Duane, one of the two first openly gay members of the New York City Council[201] | |
| | Annise Parker (born 1956) | Democratic | Texas | Houston City Council, at-large member (1998-2004) | First openly LGBT council member for a major city in Texas, alongside John Loza (Dallas)[202] |
| Pedro Peters Maldonado | Popular Democratic | Puerto Rico | San Juan City Council (2012–?) | First openly gay politician elected to public office in the island's history[203] | |
 | Christine Quinn (born 1954) | Democratic | New York | New York City Councilwoman (1999–2013) Speaker of the New York City Council (2006–2013) | Openly lesbian First LGBT person to hold the speakership of the New York City Council[204] |
 | Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (born 1989) | Democratic | Illinois | Chicago City Council (2015–present) | First LGBT Latino elected to Chicago City Council along with Raymond Lopez[193] |
| Phil Reed (1949-2008) | Democratic | New York | New York City Council (1998-2005) | First openly gay African-American person elected to New York City Council[205] | |
 | Darden Rice (born 1970) | Democratic | Florida | St. Petersburg City Councilwoman, District 4 (2014–present) Vice Chair of St. Petersburg City Council (2016) Chair of St. Petersburg City Council (2017)[206] | First openly LGBT candidate to run for office in Pinellas County, Florida[207][208] |
| Felix Rivera | Democratic | Alaska | Anchorage Assembly (2017–present) | One of first two LGBT elected officials in Alaska[175] | |
 | Bill Rosendahl (1945-2016) | Democratic | California | Los Angeles City Council (2005-2013) | First openly gay person elected to Los Angeles City Council[209] |
| Jim Roth (born 1968) | Democratic | Oklahoma | Oklahoma County Commission (2003-2007) | First out official elected in Oklahoma[210] | |
 | Dan Ryan (born 1962) | Democratic | Oregon | Portland City Council (2020–present) | First HIV-positive person elected to Portland City Council[211] |
| Chris Seelbach (born 1979) | Democratic | Ohio | Cincinnati City Council (2011–present) | First openly gay politician elected to Cincinnati City Council[212] | |
| Patty Sheehan | Democratic | Florida | Orlando City Commission (2000–Present) | First out official in Orlando[213] | |
| Evelyn Rios Stafford | Democratic | Arkansas | Justice of the Peace, Washington County (2021–present) | First trans woman elected in Arkansas and one of first elected Latina women in the state[214] | |
| Keith St. John (born 1957) | Democratic | New York (state) | Albany Common Council (1990-1998) | First out LGBT Black person elected to public office in the United States[215] | |
.jpg) | Ritchie Torres (born 1988) | Democratic | New York | New York City Councilman (2014–2020) | Openly gay |
.jpg) | Tom Tunney (born 1955 | Democratic | Illinois | Chicago City Council (2003-2023) Vice Mayor of Chicago (2019-2023) | First openly gay Chicago City Council Alderman and Vice Mayor of Chicago[216] |
| Lawrence Webb | Virginia | Falls Church, Virginia City Council (unknown dates) | First out Black gay official in Virginia[89] | ||
.jpg) | Bruce Williams (born 1949) | Democratic[c] | Maryland | City Council of Takoma Park (1994-2008) Mayor of Takoma Park (2008-2015) | First openly gay elected official in Maryland[217] |
| Mary Wiseman (born 1961) | Democratic | Ohio | Dayton City Commission (1998-2002) | One of first out council members for a major Ohio city (with Louis Escobar)[218] | |
| Barbara Wood | Democratic | Maine | Portland, Maine City Council (1988-?) | First out LGBT officeholder in Maine[219] | |
| Cathy Woolard (born 1957) | Democratic | Georgia | Atlanta City Council (1998-2004) Council President (2002-2004) | First openly LGBT elected official in Georgia and first woman as Atlanta City Council President[220] | |
 | Ken Yeager (born 1952) | Democratic | California | San Jose City Council (2000-2006) Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors (2006–Present) | First out city council member in San Jose |
| Steve Zemo | Republican | Connecticut | Board of Selectmen of Ridgefield, Connecticut (1996-1998; 2000–2006) | One of first elected out LGBT officials for Connecticut | |
| Democratic |
See also
[edit]- LGBT conservatism in the United States
- List of transgender public officeholders in the United States
- List of first openly LGBT politicians in the United States
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Former officeholders shown in grey, current officeholders shown in white
- ^ Also nominated by the Vermont Democratic Party
- ^ a b c d e f g Office is elected on a nonpartisan basis but the person in question publicly identifies with a political party.
- ^ Boston ordinance provides that when an at-large city council becomes vacant, the next largest vote getter is appointed for the remainder of the term. When Ayanna Pressley resigned to take her seat in Congress, Garrison, as the 5th largest vote-getter in 2017, received the appointment. She was defeated in her bid for a full term in 2019.
References
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