National
Non-binary candidates score key victories on election night
NYC council expands out members, trans candidates makes history
Non-binary candidates were among those claiming wins Tuesday night as two contenders prevailed in local elections in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
In Massachusetts, Thu Nguyen won a race for a seat on the Worcester City Council, becoming the first non-binary person ever elected in the state. Thu came in fourth in a crowded race and won 10 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results, which was enough to claim one of the seats.
Thu’s victory is also significant because of the story of their family, which sought refuge in Worcester when they were an infant after their father was captured in Vietnam and held as a prisoner of war for six years. Thu now works at the Southeast Asian Coalition and addresses issues such as food insecurity, civic engagement and support for small businesses.
Annise Parker, CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement Thu’s win “shattered a rainbow ceiling” and adds to the growing number of election wins for non-binary elected officials serving across the nation.
“Their victory proves voters look beyond gender identity and will elect leaders with the qualifications and drive to improve people’s lives,” Parker said. “Thu’s experiences – as a person of color, non-binary person and refugee – will bring a unique and critical perspective to the city council and it will lead to more inclusive legislation.”
In Pennsylvania, Xander Orenstein won a race for the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court in Pennsylvania, becoming the first non-binary person elected to a judicial position in the United States. In May, Orenstein narrowly defeated an incumbent primary challenger by 40 votes and was unopposed in the general election on Tuesday.
As a result of the wins by Thu and Orenstein, there will now be 11 openly non-binary elected officials in total throughout the United States, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.
In other news for LGBTQ candidates on election night, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund:
- In Michigan, Gabriela Santiago-Romero won an election for a seat on the Detroit City Council, making her the first out LGBTQ council member in the city’s history, and the first Latinx out LGBTQ woman elected in the entire state of Michigan.
- In New York City, six candidates — Crystal Hudson, Kristin Richardson Jordan, Lynn Schulman, Tiffany Cabán, Chi Ossé and Erik Bottcher — won their general election campaigns for the New York City Council, increasing the number of openly LGBTQ representatives from four to six. The wins mean the council is set to have the greatest number of openly LGBTQ council members ever elected, beating the previous record of five.
- In Ohio, transgender candidates Dion Manley won an election to the Gahanna Jefferson School Board, making him the first transgender person elected in all of Ohio and among just five trans men serving in elected office in the country.
- In Montana, Christopher Coburn won a race for a position on the Bozeman City Commission, becoming the first Black openly LGBTQ person ever elected in the state.
- In Ohio, Rebecca Maurer defeated a 16-year incumbent and won election to the Cleveland City Council, becoming the first openly LGBTQ woman elected to the council in the city’s history.
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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