The number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S. grew 2.4 percent from June 2024 to May of this year, with 1,334 currently serving, but many more need to be elected to assure equitable representation, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s latest Out for America report.
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Still, LGBTQ+ elected representation grew in diversity and inclusivity, with notable growth in pansexual, queer, and Asian American/Pacific Islander representation.
“This year’s Out for America report shows the resilience of our LGBTQ+ elected leaders,” Victory Institute President and CEO Evan Low said in a press release. “Despite hateful rhetoric plaguing the 2024 election cycle, LGBTQ+ elected officials won at the ballot box and made history. We know these exceptionally talented public servants are exactly what we need as the antidote to combat the anti-equality virus in our halls of power.”
“Our elected officials are the backbone of the equality movement,” added Victory Institute Executive Director Elliot Imse. “Whether combating bills that aim to strip our rights or being important voices for our communities, their presence within the halls of power is vital.”
The number of out elected officials has grown 198 percent, from 448 to 1,334, since reporting began in 2017. But it would take another 46,996 being elected to see that LGBTQ+ Americans are represented in proportion to their share of the population.
Related: New LGBTQ+ Victory Fund leader Evan Low on making our voices heard
Over the past year, LGBTQ+ representation in Congress grew by 8 percent, with a decline in Senate seats and an increase in House seats. The number of LGBTQ+ elected officials of color overall increased by 6.92 percent, and the number of AAPI LGBTQ+ officials grew by 32.6 percent.
Pansexual representation increased by 17 percent and queer representation by 19 percent. The number of transgender women in office stayed the same, but the number of trans men increased 12.5 percent.
Trans woman Sarah McBride’s election to Congress and the election of several trans people to state and local offices “shows that voters look beyond gender to elect representation they believe in,” the press release notes.
“We broke the lavender ceiling with Sarah McBride making history, but we need many more people like her to answer the call,” Low said. “That’s why we are intentionally working to find and train more transgender, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary leaders to seek elected office at all levels.”
The number of gender-nonconforming officials increased18.8 percent, from 16 to 19, between 2024 and 2025, while the number of nonbinary, transgender/nonbinary, and genderqueer/nonbinary officials stayed at 39.
Along with the Out for America report, Victory Institute released a list of 25 LGBTQ+ state and local officials who represent the diversity and impact of officeholders from the community. The LGBTQ+ Political Power List, first published exclusively by Politico, includes three governors, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Tina Kotek of Oregon, and Jared Polis of Colorado, and one lieutenant governor, Joshua Tenorio of Guam.
Other statewide officials on the list are Connecticut State Treasurer Erick Russell, Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes. Among state legislators are trans state representatives Kim Coco Iwamoto of Hawaii, Aime Wichtendahl of Iowa, and Zooey Zephyr of Montana; Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons of Texas, a queer woman who defeated an anti-LGBTQ+ opponent; veteran Illinois Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a lesbian; and House Speaker Ryan Fecteau of Maine, the first gay person to hold that post in the state. It further highlights city leaders, such as Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego and newly elected Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones of San Antonio.
Victory Institute provides training and leadership development to current and aspiring officeholders, while its sister organization, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, supports out candidates for office.
