2020 International LGBTQ Leaders Conference Survey

A closed-door session for LGBTQ Elected & Appointed Officials.

An unprecedented number of LGBTQ people ran for office in 2020 – a dramatic 41 percent increase since the midterm elections in 2018 – setting the stage for a Rainbow Wave of new LGBTQ elected officials in 2020. The surge in LGBTQ candidates brought with it a flood of anti-LGBTQ campaign tactics, raising fears it may discourage LGBTQ people from running for office in the future. Despite the attacks, LGBTQ people won historic races and America will have more LGBTQ voices in government than ever before next year. Join us as we celebrate the people who helped build LGBTQ political power in 2020 and discuss the impact of this election cycle on LGBTQ campaigning and policymaking in the years ahead.

The extensive fires on the West coast, epic flooding in the Midwest, and stronger than ever tropical storms and hurricanes in the American South all point to one frightening reality: climate change is here. In the United States, the natural disasters are endangering livelihoods, increasing inequality and affecting our most basic protections. Around the world, it is pushing countries to the brink of collapse and fueling a growing wave of climate refugees in regions like Central America. Join LGBTQ elected officials and experts as we discuss the local, state, federal and global policy and legislative solutions that could minimize the impact of climate change and start to address the inequalities created by it.

State legislatures—the laboratories of democracy—remain both places of opportunity and discrimination for LGBTQ people. Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in hostile state legislatures in recent years, while progressive state legislatures are leading the way in LGBTQ rights and inclusion. Despite elections in only a few state legislatures in November 2019, the number of openly LGBTQ state legislators increased by nine percent between June 2019 and June 2020. With new election data from the November 2020 elections, join us as we discuss how critical it is to have LGBTQ voices in state legislatures and what we can expect the growing number of LGBTQ state legislators to accomplish.

Nine years after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared “LGBT rights are human rights,” the U.S. continues to lag behind other democratic countries in placing LGBTQ equality at the core of its foreign policy. Sexual and reproductive rights and LGBTQ equality have increasingly become an international ideological battleground, with the United States ending mixed messages, at best. Join foreign policy experts as we discuss the current state of U.S. foreign policy as it relates to LGBTQ equality and the degree to which the U.S. should make equality a centerpiece of its global strategy.

From 1994 until its repeal under the administration of President Barack Obama, tens of thousands of LGBTQ members of the military were forced to live in the closet or face discharge because of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Ten years after the repeal of this policy, we speak with the lawmakers, activists and brave servicemembers who worked to ensure that LGBTQ could serve out and proud. Panelists will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the repeal of the law, the impact it had on servicemembers and veterans, and how LGBTQ people serving openly is affecting the military and U.S. society at-large.

The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world, leading to an increase in already enormous inequality gaps in health care access and increasing political and social unrest in the U.S. and abroad. With economies struggling, overloaded health care systems, and strict lockdowns exacerbating societal tensions, there have been attempts to spread misinformation about COVID-19 treatments and vaccines in the pipeline and attempts by elected officials to threaten democratic institutions and hard-fought victories in LGBTQ equality. Join us as LGBTQ elected officials from around the world discuss these worrying trends and how we can combat COVID-19 misinformation and the weaponization of the pandemic to weaken rights and protections.

Every 10 years, local and state governments use new census data to draw districts that can predetermine political fates for the following decade. In 2021, for the first time, same-sex marriage data will be available for the full country and open up opportunities to better design and draw districts that are centered around LGBTQ people. This alone can lead to more LGBTQ elected officeholders who can better serve the community. From past successes in California, learn how LGBTQ leaders can influence the redistricting process and ensure LGBTQ voices are represented in government.

Donald Trump has appointed an unprecedented number of judges – more than 200 – and a significant majority are opposed to equality for LGBTQ people. Without strong LGBTQ representation in the courts and the support of allied judges, this conservative shift threatens LGBTQ rights. With only 110 openly LGBTQ judges in elected office, judgeships are far from equitable. Join us as we discuss how to queer the courts with greater representation and what we can do to counteract the new more socially conservative justices across the country.

Our social media apps know more about us than ourselves: the food we crave and when, the people we feel attracted to, the clothes we want to buy, and even the type of cat videos we are obsessed with. During the last few months, the U.S. government, among others, has raised concerns about alleged national security risks associated with this data collection from apps owned by companies based in China, Russia, and other totalitarian regimes. Simultaneously, social media has helped organize the movements to fight for democracy, and several civil demonstrations would not have happened without the help of social media apps. Join experts on technology and democracy to discuss how users benefit from the connectivity that the apps bring to organize civil society movements as well as who collects our data, and with what purpose.

Women vote at higher rates than men in the United States and often sway the outcome of contentious elections, making women some of the most coveted voters. However, women still do not run for office at the same rate as men, creating disparities in political representation. Join Victory Institute and Project LPAC for a conversation about research on increasing the number of LGBTQ womxn that run for office and LGBTQ women’s civic engagement. Hear from both organizations on how their research will help them towards their goal of increasing the number of women who enter into public service. Immediately following this program, you’re invited to join LGBTQ Victory Institute for its annual Womxn Out to Win event where you can interact and meet women in our global network, and hear from some amazing LGBTQ women elected leaders.

As America attempted to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, a second more insidious pandemic of racism and police violence captured the nation’s attention with the murder of George Floyd. Because of systemic racism, these twin pandemics disproportionately impact people of color, leading to deep hardships as the failures of economy and our healthcare system come to the forefront. Join LGBTQ elected officials who are working to confront the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of racism as they discuss how we can address racial equity in America – both in the immediate term and into the future.

Despite LGBTQ people making up at least 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, we hold just 0.2 percent of elected positions nationwide, and that underrepresentation has enormous effects on policy and legislation. More LGBTQ people must run for office – and why not you? Join numerous subject-matter experts to learn how to take the first steps to run for office, including questions to ask yourself and how to build a network of supporters. Whether you’re interested in volunteering or managing a campaign, or want to be the candidate, you’ll walk away with the scaffolding necessary to build a successful campaign.

The Presidential Appointments Initiative works with LGBTQ leaders and pro-equality presidential administrations to ensure LGBTQ people are included in government. When LGBTQ presidential appointees are empowered, they can significantly influence the policies and direction of agencies and the executive branch to make positive change for LGBTQ people. Join Victory for an in-depth overview and training for what 2021 and beyond looks to have more LGBTQ leaders in a Presidential Administration.