John,

I wanted to make sure you saw Ruben's email from last week about our 2021 Out for America report. This statistic really struck me: we must elect 28,116 more LGBTQ people to achieve equitable representation in the United States government.

That's a big representation gap - and it's going to take a lot of work to close it. Right now, my team and I are planning our 2022 budget. We're hoping that we can expand our in-person trainings (COVID-19 permitting, of course), offer online training options and build networks in states that have little to no LGBTQ representation, like Mississippi. But we can't do this essential work without your help. Pitch in TODAY to ensure Victory Institute can expand our training programs and ensure out leaders win!

Victory Institute is the only global organization dedicated to training and supporting out leaders at all levels of government. Ensuring 28,116 out leaders have the resources, support and training they need to win their races is going to be a moonshot effort. I'm looking at our budget for next year, and frankly, we don't have the financial resources we need to meet training demand AND expanded trainings.

John, I know we can achieve equal representation in government. But it's going to take a huge grassroots push from donors like you. Rush a donation today to help Victory Institute expand our trainings and close the representation gap.

Thank you for powering our movement,

Mayor Annise Parker
Pronouns: she|her|hers
President & CEO, LGBTQ Victory Institute

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From: Ruben J. Gonzales
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2021 11:40 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Did LGBTQ representation increase last year? Find out in Out for America (with gifs)!

I'm so excited to share with you the 2021 Out for America report, our annual look at the number and demographics of out LGBTQ elected officials in the United States. If you want to get into the details, you can browse the full report and all the key findings here.

Over the past year, an astonishing number of out candidates won their races, including many Victory Institute trainees and program participants who shattered lavender ceilings around the country. The number of out elected officials increased by 17% and a record-breaking 986 are currently serving in elected office in the United States!

 

Our LGBTQ elected officials are not just growing in number – they are also becoming more diverse. Between June 2020 and June 2021:

• LGBTQ elected officials of color increased by 51% nationwide;
• Black LGBTQ elected officials increased by 75% (from 52 to 91);
• Trans women elected officials increased by 71% (from 21 to 36);
• Bisexual elected officials increased by 37% (from 52 to 71) and;
• Out queer elected officials increased by 83%!

These are milestones to celebrate - and a clear sign that the hard work we're doing to support and grow LGBTQ political power is paying off. But there's still a lot of hard work to do. We still must elect 28,116 more LGBTQ people to achieve equitable representation. Our LGBTQ elected officials are still not as racially and ethnically diverse as they must be. There are still only five trans men serving in the U.S. There are no out elected officials serving in Mississippi, and three states still have not elected an out state legislator. Far too many states have never elected an out member of the U.S. Congress, an out U.S. Senator, or an out governor. To achieve true parity:

But we can change that. With your support, we can keep expanding our programming and conducting groundbreaking research like this. If you can make a generous donation to power our movement, we appreciate it.

Together, we are supporting the next generation of out leaders and ensuring our current leaders have the resources they need to succeed. Thank you for standing with us in this essential fight.

More soon,

Ruben J. Gonzales
Pronouns: he|him|his
Executive Director, LGBTQ Victory Institute

LGBTQ Victory Institute is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 52-1835268.

Victory Institute is a global organization dedicated to elevating openly LGBTQ leaders who can further equality at all levels of government. Through our trainings, professional development programs and yearly conferences, 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 openly LGBTQ elected and appointed officials now serving around the world.

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