LGBTQ+ Stories You Should Know About

17 New Victory Fund Endorsements!

We are excited to announce that we have 17 new endorsees! Victory Fund has now endorsed 146 candidates running in the 2023 cycle and three candidates running in the 2024 cycle.

One of our newest candidates is Justin Lofton, who is running for Pike County Board of Supervisors in Mississippi. Justin’s candidacy reminds us how important it is to elect LGBTQ+ leaders everywhere, including in the South. We must ensure every member of the LGBTQ+ community has access to the rooms where important decisions are made.

Meet the rest of our newly endorsed candidates here!

LGBTQ+ Leadership in Virginia

Virginia state Delegate Danica Roem, now running for the state Senate, has hit the campaign trail and is ready for Virginia’s June 20th primary. As a state Delegate, Danica has proven to be a strong pro-equality leader who is moving Virginia in the right direction (contrary to bigots like Glenn Youngkin). Come November, Danica will make history as the first out trans state senator ever elected in the South!

Like Danica, Rozia Henson has also been out on the campaign trail and is getting ready for Virginia’s primaries. We were excited to host a fundraiser with Rozia and his supporters just the other day.

Make sure to follow Rozia on Twitter to keep up to date with his campaign!

New Generation of Leadership

A young candidate who is breaking down barriers for LGBTQ+ individuals is Adele McClure! Recently, Adele’s opponent dropped out of the primary, though his name will still appear on the ballot. Virginians need more strong, pro-equality leaders like Adele (and Danica and Rozia)!

DeSantis Presidential Campaign launch

“[DeSantis] pitched Florida as a model for the rest of the US as he listed how his administration chose ‘education over indoctrination’.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially announced his presidential campaign during a glitchy Twitter event. Over the last few years, DeSantis has made his anti-LGBTQ policies his personal, political brand and plans on expanding these policies throughout the country as president. Our best defense against bigots like DeSantis are LGBTQ+ leaders who are ready to stand up and speak out on behalf of all of us.

We must continue to raise funds to ensure we have the resources to support our candidates and win in 2023 and 2024 – including in Florida!

New York City Council’s “Gay District”

Generations of LGBTQ+ leadership have allowed us to get where we are today. In this interview with OUTLET, former and current New York city council members rehashed how their personal experiences outlined their goals in office, and why it’s so important to stay true to yourself when running for a political office. In addition to having someone in office who has the same lived experiences as their constituents, great representation ensures that no one is afraid to live their truth. Victory Fund is proud that our formerly endorsed candidates like Corey Johnson (2021) and Erik Bottcher (2023) are such strong voices for equality on the city council.

“Voters Elected Philadelphia's First Openly Gay Candidate to Win a City Council Nomination.”

Rue Landau recently won her election and is now the first out LGBTQ+ candidate to win the city council primary! "It's hard to believe that it is 2023 and we're just now getting a seat at the table.”

Click here to read more about Rue’s historic win!

Stay Safe this Pride Month

The extremist anti-LGBTQ group, the Proud Boys, plans to disrupt upcoming Pride celebrations. Last year, there were nearly 180 anti-LGBTQ protests and this year. This year the Proud Boys will continue to target Pride celebrations.

As much as we hope this upcoming Pride month is nothing but joyful, please stay safe this June as you celebrate all the hard work we’ve accomplished together.