In 2004, Karl Rove and the George W. Bush campaign team decided that they needed a turnout boost, and that gays and lesbians would be a useful scapegoat in driving their voters to the polls. In the wake of the Massachusetts Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage in 2003, the issue had risen to the forefront and popular support was still against marriage equality. That year, voters passed bans on marriage equality in 11 states—every single one that put the issue on the ballot.
In the years following this public, nationwide, coordinated attack on their rights, gays and lesbians fought back, winning hearts and minds, but also elected office. Now, 13 years later, there is a lesbian Senator from Wisconsin, a bisexual governor in Oregon, and six gay, lesbian, or bisexual members of the House of Representatives.
This year may signal a similar electoral awakening among the transgender community. Having been attacked and slandered across the country with fearmongering “bathroom bills,” transgender people and their allies are fighting back and winning elections across the country: Tuesday was the most successful election night for openly transgender candidates in history.
Most prominent was the victory of Danica Roem, who will became Virginia’s first openly transgender person to be elected and seated in the state legislature (and was also endorsed by Daily Kos!). Despite what has been widely reported, she’s not the first trans woman to serve in any state legislature—that was Althea Garrison in 1992. Roem defeated Virginia Republican Bob Marshall, one of the most notorious homophobic and transphobic legislators in the country, who repeatedly misgendered her during the campaign.
At least seven other openly trans candidates also won office around the country:
Visible transgender elected officials and transgender victories not only change how people think about and view transgender Americans, but give hope and inspiration to future generations.
The rest of the broader LGBTQ community continued to break barriers as well. Just a sampling:
For the most complete listing available, the Victory Fund (which endorses LGBTQ candidates across the country) lists 40 LGBTQ victories from Tuesday night. May we see many more—and soon.