John: in an earlier version of this email, we made a mistake. Instead of showing Virginia state Delegate Joshua Cole's headshot in the below graphic, we showed Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta's. That's an embarrassing typo to make on any day of the year, but especially so on the first day of Black History Month. Our sincere apologies to both Delegate Cole and Representative Kenyatta, who continue to do amazing work in their states.

Thank you,

Sarah LeDonne
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Digital Director, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund

Happy Black History Month! This month, we'll be highlighting the phenomenal Black LGBTQ+ leaders who paved the way. But there's still so much history to make. Today, there are just over 140 out LGBTQ+ Black officials in the entire country. Black LGBTQ+ people continue to feel the consequences of this underrepresentation in policies and legislation that target our communities.

The first step: recognizing those who won elected office in 2023 and are working on behalf of our community right now. These amazing candidates, some of whom are listed above, shattered lavender ceilings around the country up and down the ballot. Learn more about all the Black LGBTQ+ elected officials currently serving on the Out for America Map here!

But we are working to move us forward. In 2024, Victory Institute will train a diverse pipeline of LGBTQ+ leaders to run for office and pursue careers in public service. Through programs like our Victory Empowerment Fellowship (we are now accepting applications for the 2024 Cohort!), Victory Congressional Internship and Candidate & Campaign Trainings (join us for our second training of year in Charlotte, NC!), Victory Institute is determined to ensure Black LGBTQ+ voices and perspectives are equally represented in halls of power. If you can support these programs with a generous donation today, we appreciate it!

There is much work to do, but we are in it together. Thank you to all the Black LGBTQ+ elected and appointed officials who are leading the way. Thanks for supporting this essential work,

LGBTQ Victory Institute