“At the heart of it, representation is about getting diverse voices in the room,” writes Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, in a press release in recognition of Black History Month.
“Black and LGBTQ leaders have historically been excluded from participating in the policy-making process as decisions about their basic freedoms and rights were made. While it is encouraging to see a historic number of Black out LGBTQ leaders and candidates representing our community across the country, we still have a long way to go for true, equitable representation,” says Parker in the release, which goes on to say:
There are currently just 100 Black out LGBTQ elected officials in the United States. There are no Black out LGBTQ elected officials in 18 states: Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Utah and Vermont.
In 2022, the LGBTQ Victory fund has so far endorsed 23 Black out LGBTQ candidates, including Rhode Island state Senator Tiara Mack, who last year became the first out queer Black woman elected to the Ocean State legislature, where she represents District 6 of the Providence area.
Notes LGBTQ Victory Fund:
Tiara is a Black, queer, formerly low-income, Ivy League educated educator and activist. She was raised in the South just outside of Atlanta. Her passion for activism and education was ignited when she began teaching sex education in Providence public schools as an undergrad, having never received queer affirming, culturally relevant sex education herself. Since this experience she has gone on to join the board of her local abortion fund, become a staff member and volunteer at her local Planned Parenthood, and has fought for Reproductive Justice, rights, and access in RI for 8 years.
More: victory fund.org
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