Annise Parker serves as CEO of the Victory Institute. When Bill Nelson ran for Dallas City Council in the 1980s, he could look to only one successful high-profile campaign by a gay man to public office — that of Harvey Milk.
Today, almost 1,000 LGBTQ people hold public office in the U.S. spread across every state except Mississippi, according to a report by Victory Institute.
Between 2020 and 2021, the number of LGBTQ elected officials increased by 17 percent. LGBTQ elected officials include: 2 governors 2 U.S.
senators 9 U.S. representatives 189 state representatives and senators 56 mayors 601 local officials 121 judicial officials By party affiliation, about 73 percent are Democrats.