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LGBTQ+ Stories You Should Know About
Allow Us to Reintroduce Ourselves
This week, Victory Fund launched our new brand! We have a new logo, new visual identity and a new name – we’re now LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Our new brand honors LGBTQ+ progress since our inception in 1991, celebrates LGBTQ+ people’s joy and resilience in the face of ongoing anti-LGBTQ hate and recognizes the broad diversity of the LGBTQ+ community through the addition of the plus sign.
Our look may be new, but our mission to elect pro-choice LGBTQ+ leaders to public office has not changed. Until we achieve true equality, we will continue supporting LGBTQ+ candidates up and down the ballot who are ready to serve their communities – including dozens running in 2023!
Victories in the Windy City
Tuesday was election day in Chicago! Victory Fund Political Manager Michelle Atwood was on the ground supporting our candidates. City Council candidates Lamont Robinson, Megan Mathias and Timmy Knudsen all secured spots in the April 4th runoffs, as did Sam Schoenburg who is running for the Chicago Police District Council. That’s not all – City Council candidates Jessie Fuentes, Rossana Rodriguez, Maria Hadden, Bennett Lawson and Carlos Ramirez-Rosa all won outright!
Catch up quick: Jessie hit the ground running! She sat down with WBEZ right after the election to share her policy priorities as Alderwoman-elect.
Mayor Parker’s Message to Women: Run for Office!
Happy Women’s History Month! We know that when LGBTQ+ women run for office, they face unique challenges. But when they do run, LGBTQ+ women win at a higher rate than LGBTQ+ men!
Click here to meet all of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund’s LGBTQ+ women candidates running up and down the ballot this year.
Top LGBTQ+ Groups Back Jane Castor
With voting underway, Florida Politics ran a story this week about Jane Castor’s incredible support within the LGBTQ+ community. She has earned the support of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund as well as Equality Florida and LPAC. “I am deeply honored to have the support of these organizations and their members. Their work on behalf of the LGBTQ community is vital, and I am committed to continuing to work alongside them to ensure that all residents of Tampa have the opportunity to thrive.”
ICYMI: In 2019, Jane Castor made history as the first out LGBTQ+ person ever elected as Mayor of Tampa, Florida.
Building Black LGBTQ+ Power in 2023
As Black History Month came to an end this week, LGBTQ Nation published a piece highlighting Victory Fund’s work to build Black LGBTQ+ political power this year. For the LGBTQ+ community, there is no such thing as an “off year” – and this could not be more true for Black LGBTQ+ people who continue to face rampant homophobia, transphobia and racism. The piece featured multiple Victory Fund candidates, including Rozia Henson who would be the first Black out gay man elected to the Virginia legislature, Crystal Hudson who was one of the first Black out gay women ever elected in New York City and Jalen McKee-Rodriguez who made history in 2021 as the first Black out gay man elected in Texas.
Click here to read the full LGBTQ Nation article and click here to meet all of our Black LGBTQ+ endorsed candidates!
The Blueprint for Our Future
On the first day of Black History Month, Ron DeSantis’ Administration announced that the AP African American Studies courses were banned from being taught in Florida. In response, Victory Fund Political Associate Candace Silver decided to write about the importance of learning about all of Black history. Currently, eighteen states have passed laws that limit what teachers can teach about racism, sexism and LGBTQ+ issues or outright ban discussions about this country's true history. In “Blueprint for Our Future,” Candace outlines the dangerous road we are traveling if these bans continue. Click here to check out her blog!
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