LGBTQ+ Stories You Should Know About

Pride Month Primary Wins!

Last Tuesday, we had our last set of June primaries and saw huge wins in New York, Colorado, and Utah!

In New York, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Congressman Ritchie Torres, the Honorable Mondaire Jones, and State Senate candidate Minita Sanghvi were unopposed in their primaries. In Colorado, Rep. Brianna Titone, Rep. Jennifer Parenti, and candidates Lindsay Gilchrist and Wyatt Schwendeman-Curtis, running for the Larimer County Clerk & Recorder, were unopposed in their primaries.

Incumbent candidate Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas and Chloe Pierce, both running for the New York State Assembly, declared victories in their primaries.

In Utah, Turner Bitton was one of the top vote getters in his primary, ensuring he’ll advance to the November elections!

Pride Endorsements: 8 New Spotlight Candidates!

We’re so proud to announce we endorsed 36 more pro-choice LGBTQ+ candidates in June – and over 290 for the 2024 campaign cycle!

Evan Low, who won an extremely close primary race in California, and Emily Randall, who’s running in a crowded primary race with an election date of August 6th, both earned Spotlight status. At the state legislative level, Lisa Middleton, Nate Douglas, Ryan Hampton, Colin Lovett and Aime Wichtendahl all earned the nod as well, while Ryan Mello, running for Pierce County Executive, rounds out the group of new Spotlights!

NEW: Out for America

The 2024 Out for America report, LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s annual look at the number and demographics of out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the United States is live! If you want to get into the details, you can browse the full report and all the key findings here. Or, read the exclusive in NBC Out here!

The number of out elected officials increased by 10% and a record-breaking 1,303 are currently serving in elected office in the United States! And for the first time, all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, have LGBTQ+ representation.

But while these are enormous strides, there is still a huge representation gap to overcome. Help close it – learn more about all of our candidates here!

Update from the Carolinas: These Incumbents Need Our Help!

Lisa Grafstein is the ONLY out LGBTQ+ Senator in the North Carolina State Senate and redistricting has made her vulnerable in the general election. Lisa recently penned a compelling op-ed for LGBTQ+ representation – as well as the dire need for her own reelection – and has been hard at work mobilizing her base on the campaign trail. Learn more about her campaign here!

It’s official: incumbent candidate Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano will face Carl Ritchie, who won the runoff earlier this week.

Ritchie has already attacked Sherriff Graziano, spreading lies and twisting her record for the community. In her time as sheriff, Kristin ended a controversial agreement with ICE. She has also built an education program in the juvenile detention centers that has seen a 100% success rate, with no graduates reoffending.

The campaign is expected to get nasty, but Sherrif Graziano is up to the challenge. She is the only pro-choice LGBTQ+ elected official in South Carolina – as well as enacting successful policies that improve community safety. Learn more about the campaign here!