As the dust settles on the 2020 elections, a large number of LGBTQ+ candidates winning their races across the United States has been dubbed as the Rainbow Wave my many news organizations.
The Rainbow Wave includes many historic firsts.
Sarah McBride’s historic win as the state senator for Delaware’s first district makes her the highest ranking out transgender lawmaker in the nation.
.@SarahEMcBride just made history as the first trans state senator in U.S. History! pic.twitter.com/1C3cIUfJ1Y
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
Michele Raynor-Goolsby won her race in Florida and became the first out queer Black woman in the Sunshine State’s legislature.
.@MicheleforFL won her race for Florida state House of Representatives and will be the first out queer Black woman as a state legislator in Florida! pic.twitter.com/JJLWitH0lN
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
Mauree Turner winning Oklahoma’s House of Representatives for District 88 makes them the first openly nonbinary person elected to any state legislature, along with being the first Muslim legislator in the state.
HISTORIC WIN: Mauree Turner has been elected to Oklahoma’s state House, becoming one of the first non-binary state lawmakers in America and the first Muslim to serve in Oklahoma’s state legislature. pic.twitter.com/aFoHgTG9QZ
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) November 4, 2020
Native New Yorkers Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones join the US Congress as the two first Black LGBTQ+ Representatives in the House.
.@RitchieTorres just won his election and will make history as the first Afro-Latinx LGBTQ person elected to Congress! pic.twitter.com/9WDFoeLxhW
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
.@MondaireJones, who is a Black gay man, won his race and will represent New York’s 17th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives! pic.twitter.com/gvXRAgjMKJ
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
Several GLAAD Media Institute alumni are also represented in this diverse set of winners and will be putting their GMI training to great use as they advocate for their local communities and the LGBTQ+ community.
GMI alumnus Roger Montoya was elected to New Mexico’s House of Representatives and will be its first openly LGBTQ member.
The results are still coming in! @montoya_for has won in New Mexico. He is now the first out LGBTQ+ member of the state’s House of Representatives. pic.twitter.com/8vBcNLpHxe
— Out Magazine (@outmagazine) November 4, 2020
A little bit north in Colorado, alumna Leslie Herod retained her seat in the Centennial State’s House of Representatives as its first openly Black LGBTQ representative.
THANK YOU! It’s an honor to continue fighting along side you all as I begin my third term as your Representative. I promise you one thing – together, we will continue moving Colorado boldly forward. It’s time to get to work. #coleg #copolitics pic.twitter.com/dVJbHIyWzG
— Leslie Herod (@leslieherod) November 4, 2020
Two GMI alums, Sam Park and Park Cannon, joined the Georgia House of Representatives.
A very special congrats to Vote Run Lead alumni and trainer State Rep. Park Cannon on her re-election to the Georgia House, representing Distr. 58! As a 28 year old queer woman of color, @parkcannon58 is a trailblazer and inspiration about to crush it in her 3rd term! pic.twitter.com/nhjhiLHTTT
— voterunlead (@VoteRunLead) November 5, 2020
Sam Park is also the first openly gay man and first Asian American Democrat in his state legislature.
.@SamforGeorgia is a #GLAADinstitute alum who four years ago became the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia State legislature. He just won re-election! pic.twitter.com/CFv8ZlRIvJ
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
Other GMI alums who won their races are Ryan Fecteau, who retains his seat in Maine’s House of Representatives, and Danni Newbury, who becomes the only openly LGBTQ member of Rahway, New Jersey’s city council.
Congratulations to Maine state Rep. and #GLAADinstitute alum @RyanFecteau on your re-election! pic.twitter.com/zWWo62pLgh
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020
Congratulations @DanniRumsey! pic.twitter.com/7DRjConlyy
— GLAAD (@glaad) November 4, 2020