Washington, DC – This Saturday, April 2, LGBTQ Victory Institute will hold its fourth annual National Out to Win Day, an event to celebrate the anniversary of the first out LGBTQ person elected in the U.S. and to inspire more LGBTQ people to run for office. With just 1,025 out LGBTQ elected officials currently serving, America must elect 35,876 more LGBTQ people to achieve equitable representation. National Out to Win Day aims to tackle that disparity with high-profile politicians, celebrities and other influencers promoting the importance of running for office as well as providing online resources to candidates and potential candidates at OutToWin.org.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute, released the following statement to commemorate the day:
“While it is encouraging to see more out LGBTQ people running for office than ever before, we still hold a tiny, unequitable proportion of elected positions nationwide. In states like Florida, Idaho, Alabama and my home state of Texas, it’s crystal clear how deeply this disparity impacts our community, especially LGBTQ youth. Our best defense against this deluge of homophobic and transphobic bills is to elect LGBTQ people to office. Plain and simple.
Luckily for us, history is on our side, Americans’ hearts and minds are on our side, and most importantly, voters’ enthusiasm is on our side. We must come together and encourage LGBTQ people to run for office. Because when they do, they win.”
National Out to Win Day was launched in 2019 to address the severe underrepresentation of LGBTQ elected officials at every level of government. The event is held on April 2 in honor of Kathy Kozachenko’s election to the Ann Arbor, Michigan city council on that day in 1974. This year is the 48th anniversary of that victory, when she became the first out LGBTQ person ever elected to public office in the United States, and likely the world.
About Victory Institute
LGBTQ Victory Institute works to achieve and sustain global equality through leadership development, training, and convening to increase the number, expand the diversity, and ensure the success of openly LGBTQ elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.
