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POLITICS
118th Congress Breaks Record for Lesbian,
Gay and Bisexual Representation
Arizona’s New Governor Katie Hobbs Issued
LGBTQ Protections on Her First Day in Office
Massachusetts's Maura Healey on Becoming
the First Lesbian Governor
Vermont's First Trans State Lawmaker Gets Engaged at
White House
Kentucky Senator Blames Transphobic
Politics for Suicide of Her Trans Son
Lawmakers Set New Benchmark for Measuring LGBTQ Equality
These Recently Elected Trans Lawmakers
Say Anti-LGBTQ Bills Inspired Them to Run
Rainbow Wave Spreads Across US as
Hundreds of LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections
Meet the History-Making Class of the 2022 Midterms
History Making LGBTQ Candidates Elected to State
Legislatures Across the Country
Maura Healey Becomes First Lesbian
Elected Governor in US

A Ron DeSantis Presidency Would Have Dire
Consequences
In California, 10% of Legislature Now Identifies as
LGBTQ
House Representative Taylor Small Got
Engaged on the White House Lawn
Colorado's Jared Polis Is First Out Gay Man Re-elected
Governor
Historic Number of LGBTQ Candidates Ran
for Elected Office This Year: Here’s Who Won
In a Historic First, LGBTQ Americans Will Be On the
Ballot in All 50 States
Groundbreaking LGBTQ Politicians and
Public Officials

Lawmakers
Set New Benchmark for Measuring LGBTQ Equality
"Our ability to thrive in this country should
not be limited due to our sexual orientation or
gender identity."
The Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus issued
its inaugural report in Dec 2022, which its
leaders say will establish an official benchmark
of the nation’s progress in advancing LGBTQ
equality.
“We are not starting at a great place,” Rep.
David Cicilline (D-RI), one of the equality
caucus’s co-chairs, wrote in an introductory
message on the report, which details disparities
in access to education, housing, economic
security and health care among LGBTQ people.
LGBTQ students as young as kindergarten, for
instance, face obstacles including harassment
and discrimination based on their sexual
orientation or gender identity that negatively
impact their ability to learn in a secure
environment, according to the report, which uses
survey data collected last year by the Gay,
Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

In the year since the GLSEN surveys were
distributed, more than a dozen state
legislatures have passed laws that bar
transgender women and girls from competing on
female sports teams, limit transgender students’
access to restrooms and locker rooms consistent
with their gender identity and restrict how
LGBTQ issues and identities more broadly are
discussed in schools.
“With the increasing rise of violence against
the LGBTQ community and the growing number of
anti-LGBTQ bills being introduced in state
legislatures and in Congress, it is especially
critical that all levels of government work to
ensure true lived equality for LGBTQ people,”
Cicilline said. That includes enacting the
Equality Act, Cicilline said, referring to a
bill passed last year by the House that would
broaden existing federal civil rights law to
include nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ
people.
“Our ability to thrive in this country should
not be limited due to our sexual orientation or
gender identity,” he said. “The fight for
equality in this country will not be over until
we address all of these disparities and create
true equity for the LGBTQ community.”
The Equality Caucus report highlights
disparities in rates of unemployment and
economic and food insecurity among LGBTQ people,
driven in part by employment discrimination that
is not expressly prohibited in at least a dozen
states, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
In 20 states, LGBTQ people can be evicted,
denied home loans or turned away from rental
properties because of their sexual orientation
or gender identity, exacerbating struggles to
find housing in a tight market. Transgender
individuals and people of color often bear the
brunt of this kind of discrimination, as well as
LGBTQ youth, who disproportionately struggle
with homelessness.
The Equality Caucus report also emphasizes
unique obstacles faced by LGBTQ Americans in
accessing basic health care. LGBTQ people,
especially transgender and gender-nonconforming
people, often struggle to find culturally
competent providers and may steer clear of
doctor’s offices to avoid being misgendered or
discriminated against.
LGBTQ people also face disproportionately high
rates of depression, anxiety and other mental
health disorders due to factors including
victimization, discrimination and minority
stress, according to their report. More
than 60 percent of LGBTQ youth in a report from
The Trevor Project, a leading LGBTQ youth
suicide prevention group, said their mental
health was negatively impacted by state-led
efforts to curb the rights of transgender people
in the US.

Congress has taken some steps in the past to
reduce discrimination and stigma faced by the
nation’s LGBTQ community. A measure signed into
law last year includes funding for grants meant
to improve data collection of hate crimes
motivated by sexual orientation or gender
identity, as well as grants for states to better
assist victims.
Last year, President Biden signed into law a
bill to recognize the Pulse nightclub in
Orlando, Fla., as a national memorial to honor
the victims of a 2016 mass shooting. And
in June, the House passed the “LGBTQ Data
Inclusion Act,” which would require federal
surveys to collect voluntary information on
sexual orientation and gender identity. In
December Biden signed the Respect for Marriage
Act into law, officially repealing the 1996
Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage
for federal purposes as a union between one man
and one woman. The law also requires states to
recognize legal same-sex marriages.
[Source: Brook Migdon, The Hill, Dec 2022]
Lawmakers Set New Benchmark for Measuring LGBTQ
Equality
These Recently Elected Trans Lawmakers
Say Anti-LGBTQ Bills Inspired Them to Run
Rainbow Wave Spreads Across US as
Hundreds of LGBTQ Candidates Win Elections
Meet the History-Making Class of the 2022 Midterms

LGBTQ Political
Updates
Pete Buttigieg is Laying Groundwork to Run for…
Something
Karine Jean-Pierre Reflects on Historic
Marriage Act Signing
Karine Jean-Pierre: White House Press
Secretary is a Gay Black Woman
Gay Man Blasts His GOP Anti-LGBTQ
Lawmaker Aunt
Black Gay Man Davante Lewis Is First Out
State Official in Louisiana
Kentucky Senator Says Transgender
Son Died by Suicide
President Biden: We Must Stop the Assault
on American Democracy
LGBTQ History in the Making With Record Number of Out
Candidates
Tammy Baldwin to Marco Rubio: Marriage
Equality Bill Is Not Stupid
Pete Buttigieg Responds to Marco Rubio’s Snide Comments
About Marriage Equality
Marriage Equality Bill Could Pass Senate Despite Some
GOP Opposition
Republicans Split on Same-Sex Marriage Bill: Faces
Uncertainty in the Senate
Nine Strong Queer Candidates for Congress
Pete Buttigieg: Sharp Comebacks to Critics
Queer Lives Under Attack: Fight Back at
the Polls
Out Gov. Jared Polis Slams GOP
for Attacking LGBTQ People With Over 150 Bills
Out LGBTQ Elected Officials Jump to
Record Level in Past Year
Number of LGBTQ Elected Officials in US Doubled Since
2017
Beto O'Rourke Praises Parents of Trans
Kids in Late Night Appearance
Sam Brinton: Biden's Non-Binary Energy Appointment
What Biden Can Learn From Hillary Clinton’s Landmark
LGBTQ Speech
Congressman Chris Pappas Announced He Is Engaged to
Boyfriend
Remembering Trump Election: Kate McKinnon as Hillary on
SNL
Danica Roem Message to LGBTQ Youth: You Have to Care
About Politics
Biden Nominates First Out
Lesbian to Ambassador Post
The Inauguration We Can’t
Enjoy
LGBTQ Reaction to Biden's Inauguration
C-SPAN: Joe Biden and
Kamala Harris Inauguration Ceremony
Meet Your Republican Insurrectionists
Maura Healey
Becomes First Lesbian Elected Governor in US
Out Democratic candidate Maura Healey
has been elected the first out lesbian
governor in the US, as well as the first
woman to lead Massachusetts.
Democrat Maura Healey scored a decisive
and historic victory in the 2022 midterm
elections, becoming the first elected
female governor in Massachusetts and the
nation's first openly lesbian governor.
Healey, the state's Attorney General
since 2014, overwhelmed her Republican
opponent, former state Rep. Geoff Diehl,
and put the governorship firmly back in
Democratic hands after Republican Gov.
Charlie Baker declined to seek a third
term. Diehl was endorsed by former
President Donald Trump, who remains
deeply unpopular in Massachusetts.

Healey never trailed in the polls and
held huge advantages in fundraising and
name recognition. She campaigned on a
long list of Democratic priorities,
including expanding affordable housing,
promoting green jobs, and improving
public transportation.
"Let's put money back in people's
pockets by cutting the costs of housing,
energy and health care," Healey said
last June, when she accepted her party's
nomination.
As the state's attorney general, Healey
initiated or joined dozens of lawsuits
against the Trump administration – from
challenging his Muslim travel ban to
protecting immigrant rights to suing the
EPA for delaying or rolling back
environmental regulations.
Healey's historic victory burnishes her
profile as a leader in the LGBTQ
community. "I'm proud of who I am,"
Healey said. She said she is especially
moved when young people from that
community tell her they feel comforted
by her success.
"Kids need to understand and believe
that they are loved, they are seen and
that they can be whoever they are."

Addressing her supporters at a victory
rally in Boston, Healey dedicated her
win to "every little girl and every
young LGBTQ person out there." "I
hope tonight shows you that you can be
whatever, whoever you want to be," she
said to a roaring crowd. "And nothing
and no one can ever get in your way
except your own imagination, and that's
not going to happen."
Annise Parker, the president and CEO of
the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which helps
queer candidates get elected to public
office, said Healey’s historic win will
help send a message that “LGBTQ people
have a place in American society and can
become respected public leaders. We are
confident that under Maura’s leadership,
Massachusetts will reach new heights as
one of the most inclusive states in the
country."
Healey will follow two other out LGBTQ
Democrats who have been elected to lead
their states: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown,
who is bisexual, became the first openly
LGBTQ person to be elected governor in
2015, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
became the first openly gay man to be
elected governor in 2018. (Former New
Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey was not out
when he was elected to office in 2001;
he came out as gay in his 2004
resignation speech.)
[Source: Anthony Brooks, NPR News, Nov
2022]
Maura Healey Becomes First Lesbian
Elected Governor in US
Out Lesbian Maura Healey
Claims Historic Victory: Elected First
Woman Governor in Massachusetts
Maura Healey Wins Massachusetts
Governor's Race: First Lesbian Elected
to Lead a State
Massachusetts's Maura Healey on Becoming
the First Lesbian Governor
Joe Biden
Elected President
It took a
few extra days to get there, but Joe Biden has now been
elected president of the United States. The Democratic
nominee went over the needed 270 votes in the Electoral
College. For many Americans, including LGBTQ ones, it
means the end of the long national nightmare of Donald
Trump’s presidency — at least that the end will come
with Biden’s inauguration January 20. Trump has sowed
hatred against LGBTQ people, people of color,
immigrants, and many other groups, while demeaning women
and taking grossly insufficient action against the
COVID-19 pandemic. It means a welcome return to
normality, with relief from Trump’s Twitter tantrums and
vitriol-filled rallies, and a chance to reverse the many
harmful policies enacted by his administration.
It also means history has been made with the election of
Kamala Harris as vice president. Harris, the daughter of
immigrants from Jamaica and India, is the first woman
elected vice president as well as the first Black vice
president and first one of South Asian descent. There
has, of course, been one Black person in the top post,
President Barack Obama, for whom Biden served as vice
president.

Both Biden and Harris are longtime LGBTQ allies and ran
the most pro-LGBTQ campaign in history. They have
promised to lobby Congress for passage of the Equality
Act, address the epidemic of violence against
transgender Americans, appoint equality-minded judges,
and more. On other issues, they support reproductive
rights, expansion of the Affordable Care Act to make
health insurance more widely available, environmental
protections, and other progressive moves.
Biden was a US senator from Delaware from 1973 until
becoming Obama's vice president in 2009. While he took
some negative positions on LGBTQ rights at some points,
such as voting for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996,
he became a strong supporter of LGBTQ equality. He
notably came out for marriage equality as he and Obama
were seeking reelection in 2012, a few days before Obama
did the same. As vice president, he successfully pressed
Congress to pass a hate-crimes law that covers crimes
against LGBTQ people. As a senator, he supported the
Equality Act's predecessor, the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, although it never became law.
Harris is currently a US senator from California, having
previously been the state's attorney general and, before
that, San Francisco district attorney. As San Francisco
DA, she established a hate-crimes unit, and as attorney
general, she led efforts to abolish gay and trans
"panic" defenses in criminal trials. In the latter
position, she also refused to defend Proposition 8, the
voter-passed measure that revoked marriage equality in
California, and her position was key to it being struck
down in court.
[Source: Trudy Ring, Advocate, Nov 2020]
Joe Biden Wins Presidency: LGBTQ Folks Can See the Sun
Again
LGBTQ Leaders: Biden's
Victory and Trump's Defeat
Joe Biden: First President
Entering the White House Supporting Marriage Equality
What Vice President Kamala
Harris Means to Marginalized People
Biden Wins Historic 2020
Election and Vanquishes Trump
Van Jones on CNN:
Character Matters

LGBTQ Political
Updates
Number of Out LGBTQ Elected Officials
Surpasses 1000
New LGBTQ State Lawmakers
Who Won Their First Elections
LGBTQ Political Victories:
Meet the 2020 Rainbow Wave
Andrea Jenkins Makes History as 1st
Openly Transgender City Council President
Review of Mayor Pete Documentary: Inside
Look at a Historic Campaign
Vote 'Em Out: Willie Nelson
Difficult to Threatening: LGBTQ Women
Running for Office
Tracy Chapman on Seth
Meyers Show: Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution
Rise in LGBTQ Political
Representation
Pete Buttigieg Join's Joe
Biden's White House Transition Team
Sarah McBride: Most
Inspiring Elected Official in America
Democratic Platform
Promises Bold Action for Racial and LGBTQ Equality
Joe Biden: Pro-LGBTQ
Presidential Candidate
LGBTQ Republicans: Gay Voters for Trump?
More than 80% of
LGBTQ voters say they were more motivated to vote this
year, according to a poll by the LGBTQ organization
GLAAD. Many say they feel like their lives depended on
this vote.
However, as it turns out, the LGBTQ community is not a
monolithic voting bloc. We've all heard of the Log
Cabin Republicans, a group of LGBTQ Republicans, which
always seemed like a contradiction in terms.
While it might be difficult to imagine, we are now learning that the number of LGBTQ people who
voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 US presidential
election more than double compared to four years ago,
exit polls suggest. And according to exit polls
conducted by Edison Research for the National Election
Pool, the sturdy trend that LGBTQ people vote Democratic
has remained, but more voted for Trump this time around
than in 2016.

A mere 14 per cent LGBTQ people voted for the
Trump-Pence ticket in 2016, even despite the pair’s
anti-LGBTQ track records. Come 2020, and that figure has
doubled to 28 per cent who voted for the Trump-Pence
ticket, even despite the absolute onslaught of
anti-queer attacks by the administration.
Around 61 per cent of LGBTQ voters went for Biden at the
ballots. The study found that of the 15,590 voters
interviewed, around seven per cent were LGBTQ. The exit
poll comes after survey-takers in September found around
45 per cent of queer men intended to vote Trump.
As much as Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden
has netted an, albeit, slim majority of the queer male
vote, securing 51 per cent, it signaled to pollsters
how the president’s brand of bullish showmanship has
roiled the political landscape. Indeed, the LGBTQ voting
bloc has long been reliably Democratic. The poll
conducted by queer dating app Hornet found that, overall
among its users, around 66 per cent prefer Biden while
34 per cent support Trump.

But for queer Americans, pollsters said, the statistics
were far tighter together. Just less than half of queer
men said they do not support Trump, and a slim 11 per cent said they generally disagree with his
stances.
LGBTQ Nation: Why Are Some LGBTQ People Republicans?
USA Today: Gay Voters for Trump
NPR: What is at Stake for LGBTQ Voters?
Discussion: Can You Be Gay and Republican?
NBC News: Gay Republicans Backing Trump
Pink News: Number of LGBTQ Voters for Trump Doubles
Log Cabin Republicans
Sam Brinton:
Nuclear Engineer in US Energy Dept
President Biden
has tapped a non-binary, LGBTQ activist, drag queen, and pup fetishist
to be the deputy assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and
Waste Disposition in the Energy Department’s Office of
Nuclear Energy. Sam Brinton (they/them) has a dual Master’s degree
in engineering systems and nuclear science and
engineering from MIT.
Sam has worn their stilettos to Congress to advise
legislators about nuclear policy and to the White House
where they advised President Obama and Michelle Obama on
LGBTQ issues.
Calling
themselves a "radioactive nerd," they worked in the
clean energy movement and has been in the forefront of
numerous queer rights issues. And in February 2022, it
was announced that Sam Brinton will be the deputy
assistant secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition
in the Energy Department's Office of Nuclear Energy. "In
this role," Brinton wrote, "I'll be doing what I always
dreamed of doing, leading the effort to solve the
nation's nuclear waste challenges."
Brinton was praised by colleagues: "Sam, you're exactly
the right person for this job. I know you've been
preparing diligently for just such a position for a
decade or more. Besides, we need a courageous problem
solver to address one of the few remaining obstacles to
rapid growth in nuclear energy."

They see a connection between their two great advocacy
passions. "I want to move the dial a little bit to leave
the world in a better place by talking about a hard
issue in a way that more people are able to access it,"
he said. "The challenge of coming out as LGBTQ sure
gives you a lot of practice for coming out for nuclear
energy."
Brinton has been passionate about these issues since
they were an undergraduate at Kansas State University,
where they helped found the state's first LGBTQ resource
center while earning earned bachelor's degrees in
mechanical and nuclear engineering and vocal music
performance.
At MIT, they earned dual master's degrees through the
Technology and Policy Program: one in engineering
systems and the other in nuclear science and
engineering. They served as president of the MIT Science
Policy Initiative and co-founded two student groups:
Stand with Science, which supports more federal research
funding, and the National Science Policy Group, a
nationwide network focusing on science and policy
issues.
You might not expect a nuclear engineering graduate from
MIT to be strolling through the White House in
stilettos, but that is part of the reason Sam does it.
Having a chat on preconceptions is right up their alley.
Whether it's on technical topics or social issues like
supporting LGBTQ survivors of conversion therapy, Sam is
always willing to have the tough conversations with an
open mind.
They are
also a passionate advocate against conversion therapy.
"Sam is an ardent activist against the dangerous and
discredited practices of conversion therapy.
Brinton enjoys roleplaying
as a “pup handler" in the "pup play" community.
Their drag queen alter ego is “Sister Ray
Dee O’Active.” And they are a member of the
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Sam Brinton: Biden's Non-Binary Energy Appointment
Andrea Jenkins Makes History as 1st
Openly Transgender City Council President
Review of Mayor Pete Documentary: Inside
Look at a Historic Campaign
Kimi Cole Aims to Be First Trans Politician to Win
Statewide Race
Karine Jean-Pierre: 1st Gay Person to
Lead White House Press Briefing
Difficult to Threatening: LGBTQ Women
Running for Office
For the Trump Family, LGBTQ People Are Nothing but a
Joke
Election 2020: Reasons to
be Optimistic
Sarah McBride: Most
Inspiring Elected Official in America
First LGBTQ Holders of US Political Offices
Huff Post: Obama Legacy on LGBTQ Rights
Pete Buttigieg: First LGBTQ Person to Win Delegates in
Any Presidential Contest
Rainbow Wave: 114 LGBTQ Candidates Won Office This Year
Pete Buttigieg: Unlikely Unprecedented Presidential
Campaign
Rainbow Wave Hits Midwest
Pete Buttigieg: Best
Debate Moments
Republicans and Democrats: LGBTQ Acceptance
Van Jones: Exposing
Liberal Hypocrisy and Conservative Closemindedness

Pete Buttigieg
Wins Iowa Caucus
In
February 2020, Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg
made history at the Iowa caucus. He is the first LGBTQ
person to win delegates in any presidential contest. He
hopes his success in that contest will provide some
amount of comfort and inspiration to young people who
feel marginalized in their families and communities.
“It
validates for a kid, somewhere in a community, wondering
if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their
own family, that if you believe in yourself and your
country, there’s a lot backing up that belief,” he said.
In the final days before the Iowa caucuses, Buttigieg
had leaned on the historic nature of his candidacy. The
38-year-old would also be the youngest president, if
elected. “So, are you ready to make history one more
time?” he said to an estimated 2,000 people at his final
rally in Des Moines.
Buttigieg reminded Iowans that he was in Iowa roughly 12
years ago to knock doors for Barack Obama when the
nation’s first black president was making his bid for
the White House. Buttigieg said he also remembered
watching from afar in 2009 when the Iowa Supreme Court
ruled in 2009 to uphold same-sex marriages. The
consequential decision paved the way for a 2015 ruling
in the US Supreme Court. “You all changed what people
thought was possible once again, and gave someone like
me permission to believe that one day I would be able to
wear this wedding ring,” Buttigieg told the crowd. "You
did that.”
Pete Buttigieg: First LGBTQ Person to Win Delegates in
Any Presidential Contest
Pete Buttigieg: Advocate Magazine Interview
Iowa Voter Shocked to Learn Buttigieg is Gay, Asks to Change Vote
Pete Buttigieg Interviewed
by Lawrence O'Donnell
Pete Buttigieg: Unlikely Unprecedented Presidential
Campaign
Pete Buttigieg Interviewed by Bill Maher
Pete Buttigieg Confronts VP Mike Pence About
Anti-Gay Comments
Pete Buttigieg: Sharp Comebacks to Critics

Rainbow Wave:
LGBTQ Candidates Getting Elected
In 2019,
144 openly LGBTQ candidates won their races, according
to Victory Fund, an organization which supports LGBTQ
political candidates nationwide. In addition, 12 races
involving LGBTQ candidates remain undecided or are
headed to runoff elections.
A total of 382 known out LGBTQ candidates ran in
political races this year. Among winners in Nov 2019
were eight bisexuals, 20 lesbians and nine trans women,
including Danica Roem who serves in Virginia’s House of
Delegates, making her the first-ever trans person to win
re-election for a state legislature in the US.
“Anti-LGBTQ attacks on our candidates almost universally
backfired,” said Annise Parker, President and CEO of
LGBTQ Victory Fund, in a statement. She added: "LGBTQ
candidates are winning elections in numbers and in parts
of the country thought unthinkable a decade or two ago.
LGBTQ people are in every community – we are people of
color, women, immigrants, and people with disabilities –
and we come from families both liberal and conservative.
This beautiful diversity provides an opportunity to
connect on some level with every single voter in
America. That is the reason LGBTQ candidates are winning
in unprecedented numbers, and this will only accelerate
in the years ahead."
Victory Fund says there are currently 765 openly LGBTQ
elected officials serving nationwide.
Rainbow Wave: 114 LGBTQ Candidates Won Office This Year
Danica Roem: First Trans Legislator Re-Elected
Trans Lawmaker of Virginia: Danica Roem
Victory
Fund: Results 2019
Victory Institute:
Out for America

LGBTQ Victory
Fund
The LGBTQ
Victory Fund (commonly shortened to Victory Fund) is an
American political action committee dedicated to
increasing the number of openly LGBTQ public officials
in the United States. Victory Fund is the largest LGBTQ
political action committee in the United States and one
of the nation’s largest non-connected PACs. The Victory
Fund was founded in 1991 as a non-partisan political
action committee. It provides strategic, technical and
financial support to openly gay, lesbian, bisexual,
transgender, and queer candidates and officials across
the United States running for all levels of government.
Its partner organization, Victory Institute, offers
programs and training to elected officials.
According to the Victory Fund organization, its mission
is "to work to change the face and voice of America’s
politics and achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans by
increasing the number of openly LGBTQ officials at all
levels of government."

Since 1991, Victory Fund has helped elect thousands of
LGBTQ candidates. These LGBTQ voices have made
significant contributions to advancing equality for
LGBTQ Americans, from passing non-discrimination laws to
defeating amendments to ban marriage equality.
The Victory Fund provides campaign, fundraising and
communications support to LGBTQ candidates to increase
the number of openly LGBTQ elected officials. According
to the Victory Fund, "Representation is power. When
LGBTQ elected leaders are in the room, they humanize our
lives, impact policy and legislative debates and
influence straight lawmaker colleagues to vote in favor
of equality. LGBTQ elected officials are our best
defense against anti-LGBTQ efforts at all levels of
government, and are best positioned to advance equality
for our community."
Victory Fund
Wikipedia: LGBTQ Victory Fund
2019 Candidates Endorsed by the Victory Fund

LGBTQ Political
Updates
Groundbreaking LGBTQ Politicians and
Public Officials
Election 2020: GOP Claims Trump Protects LGBTQ Rights
LGBTQ Voters Needs to Be
Aware: Anti-LGBTQ GOP Platform for 2020 Election
Anti-LGBTQ Pastors, Politicians, Pundits Predict End
of World if Trump is Not Re-Elected
HRC: Important Moments for LGBTQ Progress
Candidate Pete Buttigieg Confronts VP Mike Pence About
Anti-Gay Comments
Washington Blade: How Trump Could Undermine LGBTQ Rights
Rep. Angie Craig: LGBTQ
Member of Congress
CNN: What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for LGBTQ
Americans
New York Times: Trump Victory Alarms LGBTQ Groups
Pete Buttigieg: Advocate Magazine Interview
Huff Post: Assault on LGBTQ Rights Already Underway
First Drag Queen Elected to Public Office in US
Donald Trump Opposes Nationwide Marriage
Equality
Richard Nixon Discusses
Homosexuality
Pete Buttigieg:
Gay Presidential Candidate
When Pete Buttigieg announced that he was running for
president in March 2019, the general feeling was he was
a minor candidate at best. At 37, he’s just two years
older than the office requires, and thirty (even forty)
years younger than some of his Democratic rivals. The
only elected office he has held is mayor of South Bend,
Indiana, which, with a population of 102,000, is hardly
a metropolis.
And then there’s the gay thing. As an openly gay
candidate, Buttigieg seemed easy to classify as a
novelty. All in all, Buttigieg looked like he was
destined to be a footnote in a crowded presidential
field. But, it’s not turning out that way at all.

Buttigieg is proving to be a credible candidate simply
by being himself. His appearance at a CNN Town Hall was
a turning point. Buttigieg impressed the audience and
pundits by his plainspokenness and command of facts, to
say nothing of his ability to turn a phrase.
He called Vice President Mike Pence, whom Buttigieg
knows personally, the “cheerleader of the porn
presidency,” a description that will haunt Pence for
years and will serve as an epitaph for his career.
Buttigieg did such a good job that he raised $600,000
from 22,000 donors in just 24 hours. Within a few days,
Buttigieg was able to announce that he had hit the
threshold of 65,000 donors necessary to qualify him for
the Democratic candidates’ debate.

Buttigieg has the kind of background that is tailor-made
for a presidential candidate: Harvard, Rhodes scholar,
veteran. He also has a big uphill battle. Most people
don’t know who he is; he’s polling at one percent. He’s
not the fundraising juggernaut that other candidates
are. The media’s love affair with him now can quickly
turn, as the press decides the pendulum has swung too
far in that direction.
Yet so far, Buttigieg’s candidacy has been more
successful than anyone would have predicted. Seeing him
arrayed on a stage crowded with first-tier candidates
will further boost his credibility. Maybe Buttigieg
doesn’t win the nomination for president, at least not
this time around. But he’s definitely paved the way for
a bigger presence in the Democratic party.
Gay Presidential Candidate Pete Buttigieg
Mayor Pete Announces Prez Campaign and Kisses Husband
Pete Buttigieg: Advocate Magazine Interview
Mayor Pete Hailed as Role Model by 58 US Mayors
NY Times: Pete Buttigieg Might be President
Pete Buttigieg and Husband on Cover of Time Magazine
Pete Buttigieg: Gay South Bend Mayor Running for
President
CNN: Pete Buttigieg Doing Well in the Polls
Pete Buttigieg: Unlikely Unprecedented Presidential
Campaign
Washington Post: Is Pete Buttigieg Gay Enough?
Pete Buttigieg Will be Part of Presidential Debate
South Bend Tribune: Mayor Buttigieg Marries Partner
Pete Buttigieg: Presidential Candidate With an Advantage
Over Trump
LGBTQ Nation: Why Pete Buttigieg is Good for Gays
Lori
Lightfoot: First Gay, Black, Female Mayor of Chicago
Chicago mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot trounced her
opponent in April 2019 and made history. Lightfoot will
be the only black lesbian mayor in the nation. And the
first out mayor of one of America’s three largest
cities.
“A Black lesbian taking power in the nation’s
third-largest city is a historic moment for so many
communities that are too often ignored in American
politics,” said former Houston mayor Annise Parker.
Parker, the President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund
formerly held the record as the “highest ranking” out
mayor. Houston is the nation’s fourth largest city.

“Chicago’s enormous influence on the national dialogue
provides a platform for Lori to promote more inclusive
solutions to the challenges facing our cities and nation
– and to be a credible messenger as well,” Parker said.
“Lori will certainly remain focused on the issues facing
Chicago. But as the highest-ranking LGBTQ person ever
elected mayor of an American city (a title she takes
from me) she is also now a key leader in the movement to
build LGBTQ political power nationwide.”
“As the
first openly LGBTQ woman of color to be elected mayor in
any of America’s 100 largest cities and the first black
woman to serve as Mayor of Chicago, Lightfoot is an
inspiration to thousands of LGBTQ people of color who
have a new role model in elected office,” DNC chair Tom
Perez said in an emailed statement.
“This historic win reaffirms that our diversity is our
greatest strength, and that our elected leaders should
reflect the diversity of the communities they represent.
I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Lightfoot as
she fights to build a brighter future for all. The
people of Chicago will be well served with her
leadership.”
LGBTQ Nation: Black Lesbian Becomes Chicago Mayor
USA Today: Chicago Makes History with First Gay, Black,
Female Mayor
Chicago Tribune: Lori Lightfoot Breaks the Rules
Advocate: Lesbian Mayoral Candidates Making History
Donald
Trump Elected President
The election of Donald Trump in November 2016 to the
presidency sent panic through much of the lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer community, which for
the first time in eight years will face an
administration hostile to its civil rights goals and a
president-elect who has expressed a desire to reverse
many of its political gains.
The Human Rights Campaign (one of the most prominent
LGBTQ advocacy groups) responded quickly after the
results were announced. President Chad Griffin called
the election a “crucial moment for our nation and for
the LGBTQ movement.”

The LGBTQ
community called upon the President-elect Donald Trump
to rise above the often divisive rhetoric of his
campaign, while urging its members to stay vigilant and
fight for equal rights.
He pledged to “bind the wounds of division” in his
victory speech, though he’s been criticized for
promising to elect conservative justices to the Supreme
Court — justices that could overturn marriage equality
and other LGBTQ civil rights.
In his home state of Indiana, Vice President-elect Mike
Pence signed numerous anti-gay legislation, including
the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 2015, which
allowed individuals and businesses to deny service to
LGBTQ people. In the 2000 election, Pence said money
raised by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program should go to
organizations “which provide assistance to those seeking
to change their sexual behavior.” So-called “conversion
therapy” has been called emotionally and physically
harmful by many members of the LGBTQ community.
Variety: LGBTQ Groups React to Trump Victory
NBC News: Nationwide Anti-Trump Protests
Huff Post: Assault on LGBTQ Rights Already Underway
CNN: What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for LGBTQ
Americans
New York Times: Trump Victory Alarms LGBTQ Groups
Washington Blade: Anti-Gay Leaders Bask in Trump Victory
Is this the end of same-sex marriage? Many same-sex
couples worry that their marriages could be invalidated
in Trump's America, or that if things are getting
serious they better hurry up and make it official before
their right to tie the knot disappears. Neither the
President nor Congress can take away what the Supreme
Court has deemed a "fundamental right," leaving current
marriages safe, multiple legal experts said. While Trump
does not have the right to unilaterally scrap marriage
equality, he has the power to appoint Supreme Court
justices who could.

Jay Brown, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign,
said its office had received calls throughout the day on
Wednesday from frightened people who wanted to know what
the election results might mean for them. Some callers
wondered if they should speed up wedding plans so they
could be married before the inauguration, in case a
President Trump tries to overturn gay marriage, he said.
Others worried that the military would reinstate “don’t
ask, don’t tell,” the ban on openly gay and lesbian
service members that ended in 2011. “This is a
devastating loss for our community,” Mr. Brown said. “It
is something a lot of folks are still trying to wrap
their heads around.”
Trump's Anti-Gay Cabinet and LGBTQ Rights
Over 700 Reports of Harassment Since Trump Election
Outbreak of Hate Incidents Since Trump's Win
Republicans and Democrats: LGBTQ Acceptance
Huff Post: Attitude of Trump's Transition Team
Regarding LGBTQ People
Out: How Trump Presidency Could Affect LGBTQ Rights
Washington Blade: How Trump Could Undermine LGBTQ
Rights
Annise Parker:
First Lesbian Mayor of Houston
Annise Danette Parker (born May 17, 1956) is an American
politician who served as the 61st Mayor of Houston,
Texas, from 2010 until 2016. She also served as an
at-large member of the Houston City Council from 1998 to
2003 and city controller from 2004 to 2010.
Parker was Houston's second female mayor (after Kathy
Whitmire), and one of the first openly gay mayors of a
major US city, with Houston being the most populous US
city to date to elect an openly gay mayor, until Lori
Lightfoot was elected mayor of Chicago in 2019.

LGBTQ
Politicians
As of
2016, all 50 states have been served by openly LGBTQ
elected politicians in some capacity. 43 states
have elected openly LGBTQ politicians to one or both
houses of their state legislature. There has been one
openly bisexual state governor. One state governor
has come out as gay. No openly LGBTQ person has
served as president or vice president of the United
States, nor has an openly gay person ever served on the
Supreme Court of the United States.


US
Congress
--Rep
Gerry Studds (D-Mass) - First out congressperson and
Democrat. Served 1973–1997. Outed 1983.
--Rep Barney Frank (D-Mass) - First to voluntarily come
out. Served 1980–2013. Came out in 1987.
--Rep Steve Gunderson (R-Wis) - First out Republican.
Served 1981–1997. Outed 1994.
--Sen Harris Wofford - Not out when first elected. First
male US Senator to come out. Served 1991–1995. Came out
in 2016 after announcing plans to marry a man.
--Rep Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz) - First Republican to
voluntarily come out. Served 1985–2007. Came out 1996.
--Rep Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis) - First lesbian. Out when first elected. Served 1999–2013.
--Rep Jared Polis (Colo) - First gay man. Out when first elected.
Served 2009–present.
--Rep Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz) - Out when first elected.
First openly bisexual member of Congress. Elected 2012.
--Rep Mark Pocan (Wisc) - Out when first elected. First
to succeed another openly-gay officeholder in office.
Elected 2012. Succeeded Tammy Baldwin.
--Rep Mark Takano (Cal) - Out when first elected. First
non-white openly gay member of Congress. Elected 2012.
--Sen Tammy Baldwin (Wis) - Out when first elected.
First openly LGBTQ Senator. Elected 2012.
--Sen
Kyrsten Sinema - first openly bisexual US Senator.
Elected 2019.

US
Executive
--Roberta
Achtenberg - First openly LGBTQ person appointed to a
federal position requiring confirmation by US Senate.
Assistant Secretary for fair housing and equal
opportunity at US Dept of Housing and Urban Development
(1993). Later became commissioner for US Commission on
Civil Rights in 2011.
--James
Hormel - First openly LGBTQ Ambassador. Served 1999–2001
in Luxembourg.
--Sharon Lubinski - First openly LGBTQ US Marshal.
District of Minnesota (2009).
--Jenny
Durkan - First openly LGBTQ US Attorney. Western
District of Washington (2009).
--Chai
Feldblum - First openly LGBTQ Commissioner of Equal
Employment Opportunity Comm (2010).
--Fred
Hochberg - First openly LGBTQ person in a cabinet-rank
position. Deputy Administrator / Acting Administrator of
Small Business Administration, which held cabinet-rank
during the Clinton administration. Later became Chairman
and President of Export-Import Bank in 2009.
--Eric
Fanning - Secretary of the Army. Appointed 2016.
--Pete
Buttigieg - Secretary of Transportation. Appointed 2020.
Washington Blade: How Trump Could Undermine LGBTQ Rights
CNN: What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for LGBTQ
Americans
New York Times: Trump Victory Alarms LGBTQ Groups
Huff Post: Assault on LGBTQ Rights Already Underway
Obama's Support
of LGBTQ Community
"While we have come a long way since
the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work
to do. Too often, the issue of LGBTQ rights is exploited
by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this
issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about
whether this nation is going to live up to its founding
promise of equality by treating all its citizens with
dignity and respect."
-Barack Obama, June 2007
"I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the
idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t
matter who you are or where you come from or what you
look like or who you love. It doesn’t matter whether
you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native
American or young or old or rich or poor, able,
disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in
America if you’re willing to try."
-Barack Obama, November 2012

During the
presidency of Barack Obama his agenda regarding LGBTQ
rights included these items:
--Expand Hate Crimes Statutes
--Fight
Workplace Discrimination
--Support
Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBTQ Couples
--Oppose a
Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
--Repeal
Don't Ask-Don't Tell
--Expand
Adoption Rights
--Promote
AIDS Prevention
President Obama Speaks for Gay Civil Rights
Big LGBTQ Thank You to President Obama
Gay is Good for America
LGBTQ Speakers at DNC Convention
President Obama: It Get's Better
LGBTQ
Politicians
State
Delegation
--Ariz Rep
Jim Kolbe (R) - Served 1985–07. Outed in 1996 following
his vote for anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act.
--Ariz Rep Kyrsten Sinema (D) - Bisexual. Elected 2012.
--Cal Rep Michael Huffington (R) – Served 1993–95. Came
out as bisexual in 1998.
--Cal Rep Mark Takano (D) – Elected 2012.
--Colo Rep Jared Polis (D) – Elected 2008.
--Conn Rep Stewart McKinney (R) – Bisexual. Served
1971–87. Died of AIDS in 1987.
--Fla Rep Mark Foley (R) – Served 1995–06. Outed by
lawyer after resignation in 2006 due to sex scandal.
--Maine Rep Mike Michaud (D) – Served 2003–15. Came out
in 2013 while running for Governor.
--Maryland Rep Robert Bauman (R) – Served 1973–81. Outed
after sex scandal.
--Mass Rep
Gerry Studds (D) – Served 1973–97. Came out involuntary
in 1983 due to sex scandal.
--Mass Rep Barney Frank (D) – Served 1980–13. Came out
voluntarily in 1987 due to sex scandal.
--Miss Rep Jon Hinson (R) – Served 1979–81. Outed after
sodomy arrest in 1981.
--NY Rep Sean Patrick Maloney (D) – Elected 2012.
--RI Rep David Cicilline (D) – Elected 2010.
--Wis Sen Tammy Baldwin (D) – Elected 2012.
--Wis Rep Tammy Baldwin (D) – Served 1999–13.
--Wis Rep Steve Gunderson (R) – Served 1981–97. Outed
involuntarily in 1994.
--Wis Rep Mark Pocan (D) – Elected 2012. Out when
elected.

State
--Mass Rep Elaine Noble (D) - First openly lesbian or
gay candidate elected to a state legislature. Elected in
1974. Served two terms starting in January 1975. Out
when elected.
--Gov Jim
McGreevey (D-NJ) - First openly gay governor. Came out
2004 (during the same speech in which he announced his
resignation as governor).
--Gov Kate
Brown (D-Ore) - First openly bisexual governor and first
person to be openly LGBTQ at time of taking office as
governor. Ascended to office in 2015 after previous
governor resigned.
--Maura Healey (D-Mass) - First openly gay attorney
general. Elected in 2014.
--Minn Sen
Allan H. Spear (D) – Elected Senate President in 1993.
--RI Rep Gordon D. Fox (D) – Elected Speaker of House in
2010.
Groundbreaking LGBTQ Politicians and
Public Officials
Discussion: Can You Be Gay and Republican?
First LGBTQ Holders of US Political Offices
Huff Post: Obama Legacy on LGBTQ Rights
Rainbow Wave Hits Midwest
Republicans and Democrats: LGBTQ Acceptance
HRC: Important Moments for LGBTQ Progress
Vote 'Em Out: Willie Nelson
US
Senator Tammy Baldwin
First Openly Lesbian US Congress Woman
In 2012,
Rep Tammy Baldwin (D) beat former Governor Tommy
Thompson (R) to represent Wisconsin in the US Senate.
Baldwin is the first openly gay US Senator and the first
female Senator to represent Wisconsin.

"If you dream of a world in which you can put your
partner's picture on your desk, then put her picture on
your desk...and you will live in such a world. And if
you dream of a world in which you can walk down the
street holding your partner's hand, then hold her
hands...and you will live in such a world. If you dream
of a world in which there are more openly gay elected
officials, then run for office...and you will live in
such a world. And if you dream of a world in which you
can take your partner to the office party, even if your
office is the US House of Representatives, then take her
to the party. I do, and now I live in such a world.
Remember, there are two things that keep us oppressed
--- them and us. We are half of the equation."
-Tammy Baldwin, US Congress
In 1999 State Rep Tammy Baldwin has made history by
becoming the first openly gay first-time candidate ever
elected to US Congress, winning Wisconsin's 2nd
congressional district seat over Josephine Musser. While
four openly gay men have served in the House, all
disclosed their sexual orientation after first being
elected to their posts. Baldwin also becomes the first
lesbian to win a House election. The 2nd district seat
was vacated by moderate Republican Scott Klug.

First LGBTQ Holders of US Political Offices
Huff Post: Obama Legacy on LGBTQ Rights
Pete Buttigieg: First LGBTQ Person to Win Delegates in
Any Presidential Contest
Rainbow Wave: 114 LGBTQ Candidates Won Office This Year
Pete Buttigieg: Unlikely Unprecedented Presidential
Campaign
Rainbow Wave Hits Midwest
Discussion: Can You Be Gay and Republican?
Republicans and Democrats: LGBTQ Acceptance
HRC: Important Moments for LGBTQ Progress
Candidate Pete Buttigieg Confronts VP Mike Pence About
Anti-Gay Comments
LGBTQ
Politicians
Local
--Lori Lightfoot - First gay, black, female mayor of
Chicago (2019).
--Pete
Buttigieg - Openly Gay (and married) Mayor of South
Bend, IN.
--David Cicilline - First mayor of a US state capital.
Providence, Rhode Island (2002).
--Neil
Rafferty - Openly gay state representative, Birmingham,
Alabama.
--Neil Giuliano - First directly elected openly gay
mayor in US. Tempe, AZ (1998.)
--Annise Parker - Largest US city with
lesbian mayor. Houston, Texas (2009).
--Ed Murray - Largest US city with gay male mayor. Seattle,
Washington (2014).
--Cathy Woolard - First openly gay president of a city
council. Atlanta, GA (2002–04).
--Stu Rasmussen - First transgender mayor. Silverton,
Oregon (2008).
--Nancy Wechsler and Jerry DeGrieck - First openly LGBTQ
members of a city council. Both elected as members of
Human Rights Party to Ann Arbor City Council (Michigan)
in 1972. Both came out in 1973.
--Kathy Kozachenko - First openly gay person elected to
public office (city council). Ann Arbor, Michigan
(1974).
--Jim Yeadon - First openly gay man elected to a US city
council. Madison, Wisconsin (1977).
--Harvey Milk - First openly gay man non-incumbent
elected in US. First openly gay person elected to public
office in California. Member of San Francisco Board of
Supervisors. Elected 1976. Assassinated in 1978 by Dan
White (who also killed Mayor George Moscone).
--Keith St. John - First openly gay black person elected
to public office in US. Elected to Albany, New York
common council in 1989.
--Ricardo Gonzalez - First openly gay Hispanic person
elected to public office in US. Madison, Wisconsin.
--Joanne Conte - First openly transgender member of a
city council. Arvada, Colorado. Trans woman. Served on
Arvada City Council from 1991 to 1995.
--Marlene Pray - First openly bisexual member of a city
council. Joined Doylestown, Pennsylvania council in
2012. Resigned 2013. Also first openly bisexual office
holder in Pennsylvania.
--Christine Quinn - City Council Speaker. Elected 2006.
--Ron Oden - Palm Springs, California. First
openly gay African-American Mayor popularly elected in
US.
--Neil Guillano - Mayor of Tempe, AZ.
--Rep Patricia Todd (D) - Birmingham, Alabama. First
openly gay legislator in Alabama.
--Rep Nicole LeFavour - First openly gay official
in Idaho.
--Sam Adams - City Commissioner. First
openly gay Commissioner in Portland.
--Sam Adams - Mayor. Portland, Oregon.
Washington Blade: How Trump Could Undermine LGBTQ Rights
Vote 'Em Out: Willie Nelson
Rep. Angie Craig: LGBTQ
Member of Congress
Groundbreaking LGBTQ Politicians and
Public Officials
CNN: What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for LGBTQ
Americans
New York Times: Trump Victory Alarms LGBTQ Groups
Pete Buttigieg: Advocate Magazine Interview
Huff Post: Assault on LGBTQ Rights Already Underway
First Drag Queen Elected to Public Office in US
Richard Nixon Discusses
Homosexuality
Discussion: Can You Be Gay and Republican?
Patricia
Todd: Lesbian Lawmaker From Alabama
In 2006,
Patricia Todd served as the first openly gay legislator
in the State of Alabama. She held a state House seat
representing parts of Birmingham (54th legislative
district).

In the
June 6 primary election, Alabama voters overwhelmingly
approved a state constitutional amendment banning gay
marriage. Ironically, on the same day Patricia Todd came
one step closer to becoming the first openly gay member
of the Alabama Legislature. The massive vote for the
anti-gay marriage amendment did not make her victory
bittersweet, she said. "We knew the marriage amendment
was going to pass overwhelmingly. It was not surprising.
It was just a matter of how big the margin was going to
be," Todd said.
Patricia Todd made history when voters in Alabama’s 54th
legislative district voted to send the Democrat to the
State House, marking the first time ever that
legislature will include an openly gay Representative.
The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, the nation’s largest gay
and lesbian political action committee, endorsed Todd
and helped raise tens of thousands of dollars from its
national network of donors to help fund her campaign.
First LGBTQ Holders of US Political Offices
Huff Post: Obama Legacy on LGBTQ Rights
Discussion: Can You Be Gay and Republican?
Rainbow Wave Hits Midwest
Republicans and Democrats: LGBTQ Acceptance
HRC: Important Moments for LGBTQ Progress

Oliver Sipple:
Tragic Hero
In 1975, a
disabled Vietnam vet named Oliver Sipple saved President
Gerald Ford from an assassin. Although Sipple was hailed
a hero at first, the tide quickly turned when the media
outed him as a gay man.
Not only did the exposure of his homosexuality
overshadow his heroic act, but it also led to his family
essentially disowning him. Years later, Sipple's
lifeless body was found next to a cheap bottle of
bourbon in his apartment. He'd been dead for nearly two
weeks before anyone found him.
Oliver Sipple: Biographical Notes
Vietnam Vet Saves President's Life and is Punished
Oliver Sipple: Tragic Story of an American Hero
James Buchanan
and William Rufus King
There has
always been some speculation surrounding James
Buchanan's bachelorhood and his relationship with
William Rufus King. Buchanan was the 15th US President
and King was the 13th US Vice President.
The argument for Buchanan's and King's homosexuality has
been put forward by biographer Jean Baker. It has been
supported by Shelley Ross, James W. Loewen, and Robert
P. Watson. It focuses essentially on the close and
intimate relationship between President James Buchanan
(from Pennsylvania) and Vice President William Rufus
King (from Alabama).
The two
men lived together for 13 years from 1840 until King's
death in 1853. Buchanan referred to the relationship as
a "communion", and the two often attended official
functions together. Contemporaries also noted and
commented upon the unusual closeness. Andrew Jackson
mockingly called them "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy."

Loewen has described Buchanan and King as "siamese
twins." Sol Barzman, a biographer of vice presidents,
wrote that "King's "fastidious habits and conspicuous
intimacy with the bachelor Buchanan gave rise to some
cruel jibes." Buchanan adopted King's mannerisms and
romanticised view of southern culture. Both had strong
political ambitions, and in 1844, they planned to run as
president and vice president. Both men were soft,
effeminate, and eccentric. They spent some time apart
while King was on overseas missions in France, and their
letters remain cryptic and avoid revealing any personal
feelings at all.
In May
1844, Buchanan wrote to Cornelia Roosevelt, "I am now
'solitary and alone,' having no companion in the house
with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but
have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it
is not good for man to be alone, and I should not be
astonished to find myself married to some old maid who
can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me
when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent
or romantic affection." After King died in 1853 Buchanan
described him as "among the best, the purest and most
consistent public men I have known." Baker concluded
that while some of their correspondence was destroyed by
family members, the length and the intimacy of surviving
letters illustrate "the affection of a special
friendship" between King and Buchanan, with no way to
know for certain whether it was a romantic relationship.
Footnote:
A similar story has been circulated about the intimate
relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed.
Close Friends: Buchanan and King
William Rufus King: Background Notes
Speculating About President James Buchanan’s
Bachelorhood
William Rufus King: US Vice President
C-SPAN: James Buchanan and William Rufus King
Relationship
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