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John,

I'm so excited to share that today, Victory Institute and Loyola Marymount University released When We Run [[link removed]] , the largest ever survey of LGBTQ+ candidates for public office in the U.S. This groundbreaking survey asked LGBTQ+ candidates to describe their motivations for running, the challenges they faced and how their identities affected their campaigns. Read the full report here! [[link removed]]

You can also read Victory Institute President & CEO Mayor Annise Parker's op-ed in USA Today here [[link removed]] or watch our launch video here [[link removed]] !

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While the landscape for LGBTQ+ candidates is dramatically changed and more LGBTQ+ people are running than ever before, they are doing so in a super-charged political environment where LGBTQ+ people are frequent targets of hateful legislation and political attacks.

Results include:

Almost half of LGBTQ+ candidates said a desire to increase LGBTQ+ representation in elected office was a top motivation (45.8%).
Trans women (14.3%) and gender non-conforming, genderqueer and non-binary candidates (10.3%) were the most likely to cite anti-LGBTQ legislation as a top motivation to run.
About a third of LGBTQ+ candidates (35.9%) were discouraged to run because of their sexual orientation, while almost one in five was discouraged because of their gender identity (17.5%).
LGBTQ+ candidates of color – and especially Asian LGBTQ+ candidates (52.4%) – said their race or ethnicity was important or very important for them in their campaigns.
More than eight in 10 LGBTQ+ candidates (84%) thought being LGBTQ+ made them a better candidate – with nearly three in five (59.5%) believing they were more empathetic toward the struggles of others because of their identity.
More than one in four LGBTQ+ candidates reported prejudice because of their sexual orientation as a top challenge during their campaigns (26.4%).
About one in three of all LGBTQ+ candidates felt their local political party was not supportive at all of their candidacy (37.1%).

Whether they’re running to fight bigotry or simply to serve their community, LGBTQ+ candidates are the best antidote against the homophobia and transphobia that’s increasingly present in the public square. When We Run shows us what we know is true of LGBTQ+ candidates: they remain highly motivated to run and improve their communities despite ongoing obstacles [[link removed]] .

Voters are increasingly demanding a government more reflective of America, and LGBTQ+ leaders are stepping up to meet the challenge. If you can pitch in to support this work and our LGBTQ+ elected officials, we appreciate it! [[link removed]]

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Thanks for reading,

Elliot Imse
Pronouns: he|him|his
Executive Director, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute
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LGBTQ+ Victory Institute is a global organization dedicated to elevating out LGBTQ+ leaders who can further equality at all levels of government. Through our global [[link removed]] and domestic [[link removed]] trainings, professional development programs [[link removed]] and yearly conferences [[link removed]] , Victory Institute prepares hundreds of out individuals to launch an influential careers in politics, government, business and advocacy. Many of our trainees join the more than 1,000 out LGBTQ+ elected and appointed officials [[link removed]] now serving around the world. You can power our work and the next Rainbow Wave with a donation today! [[link removed]]
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