A study released last month shows an
increase in LGBT political representation.
According to the LGBTQ Victory
Institute's “Out
for America 2020” census, LGBT political representation jumped
21 percent since June 2019.
The largest increase was among out
mayors. Victory counted 46 out mayors in the United States, an
increase of 35 percent from last year. The number of openly
transgender women serving in elected office increased 40 percent.
Victory said that while the number of
openly out elected officials has grown by 88 percent since its first
report in November 2017, the community remains “severely
underrepresented in government.”
“LGBTQ people are at least 4.6
percent of the U.S. adult population, but hold just .17 percent of
elected positions nationwide,” editors wrote.
Many of the gains were made in the last
two years as a “rainbow wave” increased representation in
Washington D.C. and nationwide.
Nine states (Alaska, Hawaii, South
Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Jersey, and
Delaware) currently have no out state legislators, while New
Hampshire has the most with 12.