On April 2, LGBTQ Victory Institute will hold its third annual National Out to Win Day, which aims to inspire LGBTQ people to consider a run for office, a press release noted.
LGBTQ people make up 5.6 percent of the U.S. population—yet hold just 0.19 percent of elected positions nationwide. With just 979 out LGBTQ elected officials currently serving, America must elect 28,123 more LGBTQ people to achieve equitable representation. National Out to Win Day aims to tackle that disparity with high-profile politicians, celebrities and other influencers promoting the day and the importance of running for office.
At OutToWin.org, 17 LGBTQ elected officials, including U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, share video messages intended to make a run for office more accessible and ensure LGBTQ people know they are qualified and can make an impact. The website also provides a new 35-minute "first steps" training video with Victory Institute staff, campaign experts and LGBTQ elected officials.
National Out to Win Day was launched in 2019 to address the severe underrepresentation of LGBTQ elected officials at every level of government. The event is held on April 2 in honor of Kathy Kozachenko's election to the Ann Arbor, Michigan, city council on that day in 1974. This year is the 47th anniversary of that victory, when she became the first out LGBTQ person ever elected to public office in the United States, and likely the world.
