Record number of LGBTQ elected officials serving in the US

The number of LGBTQ elected officials surpassed 1,000 for the first time this year and has more than doubled over the last five years, LGBTQ officials of color grew by 12% over the past year, compared to just 1% for LGBTQ white officials.

LGBTQ Victory Institute released its 2022 Out for America Report, the only national census of out LGBTQ elected officials in the United States. With at least 1,043 out LGBTQ elected officials currently serving, there are more out LGBTQ people in office than ever before in U.S. history – and they are significantly more diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation. This is the first year the number has surpassed 1,000, up almost six percent from 2021 when there were 986 known LGBTQ elected officials. 

Click here to read the full 2022 Out for America Report.

Key findings:

• Just 0.2% of U.S. elected officials are LGBTQ, despite making up 7.1% of the U.S. population. To reach equitable representation, we must elect 35,854 more LGBTQ people to office, including 27 to Congress.

• With 1,043 currently serving, the number of LGBTQ elected officials rose by 5.8% over the last year.

• The number of LGBTQ elected officials of color increased by 12.3% since 2021, compared to just 1.3% for white LGBTQ elected officials.

• Non-cisgender elected officials have increased more than tenfold in last five years, from six in 2017 to 77 in 2022.

• Trans elected officials grew by almost 10% this year.

• The number of out LGBTQ elected officials has more than doubled over the past five years; in 2017, there were 448 out LGBTQ elected officials in the U.S.

Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute, released the following statement about this historic announcement:

“With a historic number of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced this year, unprecedented attacks against trans kids and ongoing efforts to censor classrooms and libraries across the country, LGBTQ elected officials are on the front lines of defending our rights and freedoms. They have demonstrated true grit and selflessness in the face of wave after wave of bigotry. Despite the fact the LGBTQ community has never had equitable representation in government – and we still have a long way to go – there are clear signs of progress. They represent the strength and diversity of not only who we are as a society now, but also the America we aspire to build for future generations.”

Click here to read the full 2022 Out for America Report.

LGBTQ Victory Institute

LGBTQ Victory Institute works to achieve and sustain global equality through leadership development, training, and convening to increase the number, expand the diversity, and ensure the success of openly LGBTQ elected and appointed officials at all levels of government.