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LGBTQ+ Stories You Should Know About
Time to Run (In Ohio and Around the Country)
Everyone should think about running for office, writes Ohio LGBTQ+ elected official Connor Moreton [[link removed]] . And we couldn’t agree more – and we’re ready to help them win!
The application deadline has been extended for our Candidate & Campaign Trainings [[link removed]] ! LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s signature program, our 4-day bootcamp Candidate & Campaign Training, is meant for any LGBTQ+ person looking to run for public office. Apply today! [[link removed]]
Houston: May 15–18, 2025
Featuring our Elected Official Trainer Olivia Hill, Nashville Metro Councilmember At-Large and a Candidate & Campaign Training alumna!
Los Angeles: September 4–7, 2025
In partnership with Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), trans and gender-expansive candidates are invited to apply for a free-of-charge training enhancement from September 7 – 9, 2025.
The full training will feature our Elected Official Trainer Danica Roem, Virginia State Senator and a Candidate & Campaign Training alumna!
Apply today! Deadline extended through April 6. [[link removed]]
Sarah McBride Faces Further Adversity on the Hill
Yet another one of Sarah McBride’s colleagues misgendered her [[link removed]] – and Rep. McBride fired back [[link removed]] . After he called Rep. McBride ‘sir,’ she returned the favor by calling him ‘Madame Chair.’ [[link removed]] Her colleague, Representative Bill Keating, also jumped to her defense, and the hearing quickly came to an end.
Despite the attacks, Rep. McBride remains focused on her top priority: ensuring people in Delaware have the resources and support to succeed [[link removed]] . She continues urging her fellow Democrats to stand firm on trans rights! [[link removed]]
Iowa Removes Trans Civil Rights Protections
After several protests [[link removed]] , bigots in Iowa have voted to remove nondiscrimination protections for trans people. Watch footage of the LGBTQ+ community pushing back here. [[link removed]]
Aime Wichtendahl , the first out trans person elected to the state’s legislature, has been speaking out against the bill [[link removed]] . “I must confess, it pains me to be here today,” Wichtendahl said. “It pains me to see how the rights of an entire group of people can be so quickly and easily discarded. It pains me to hear the slander, the stereotypes and the fear leveled at the trans community, my community, my friends and my family, my people. People who just want to live their lives to be themselves and to live free of fear.” [[link removed]]
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has signed the bill into law. However, new polling shows strong opposition to restricting trans rights. [[link removed]]
Nine States Introduce Bills to Roll Back Marriage Equality (BUT!)
Sad but true: Unfortunately, nine U.S. states have introduced legislation to narrowly define marriage, with five of them petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell . [[link removed]]
BUT! LGBTQ+ Elected officials are on hand to fight back. In North Dakota, a resolution urging the Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality was defeated in the State Senate. [[link removed]] LGBTQ+ State Senator Josh Boschee spoke out about the vote and celebrated the victory! [[link removed]]
In Michigan, where an anti-marriage bill was introduced, LGBTQ+ State Representative Jason Morgan is calling on the legislature to repeal its outdated ban [[link removed]] . And in Colorado, LGBTQ+ lawmakers are one step closer to repealing the state’s marriage ban [[link removed]] !
Montana Pushes Back Against Anti-Trans Bills
Montana has been the center of many bad bills around LGBTQ+ rights and passed several damaging anti-LGBTQ bills in the last several years [[link removed]] . But thanks to two LGBTQ+ elected officials, two bills were struck down!
Out state legislators Reps. Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell successfully argued against an anti-trans bill and a bill that would remove trans children from their parents [[link removed]] . Watch their full speeches here [[link removed]] !
Struck Down
Another Trump Administration executive order targeting trans people has been struck down [[link removed]] ! U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes claimed the order was not only unconstitutional [[link removed]] , but was a “solution in search of a problem.” [[link removed]]
Meanwhile, the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals, home to an out LGBTQ+ judge, struck down the state's ban on gender-affirming care [[link removed]] !
Honoring Rustin’s Legacy in Pennsylvania
LGBTQ+ State Representative Andre Carroll is on a mission to honor Bayard Rustin’s enduring legacy. He’s introduced a resolution to officially designate March 17, as Bayard Rustin Day in Pennsylvania [[link removed]] !
The resolution passed successfully in the State House [[link removed]] , and actor Colman Domingo, who played Rustin in the 2023 biographical film of his life, was on hand for the signing [[link removed]] !
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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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