There are LGBTQ candidates in all 50 states, a first

For the first time in US history, lesbian, gay, bi or transgender people are running in midterm elections in all 50 states. This record could have a great influence on the political landscape of the country.

Some 678 LGBTQ people are running in the Nov. 8 election, up 20% from the last poll, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which helps fund these campaigns. In this election, the Americans will renew all the seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate. A series of governorships and local elected officials are also at stake.

90% Democratic LGBTQ candidates

Notable candidates include Tina Kotek and Maura Healey, who could become the first lesbian governors of their respective states, Oregon and Massachusetts. In Vermont, Becca Balint has a good chance of becoming the first lesbian elected to the House of Representatives. About 90% of these candidates come from the Democratic camp.

For Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston (Texas) at the head of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, this record number of candidacies is a reaction of voters “to the relentless attacks targeting the LGBT community”. In recent years, bills restricting the rights of transgender people or limiting the teaching of orientation and gender issues have been spreading in the country.

Standing up to the conservatives

Last March, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, tipped to be a candidate for the next presidential election, signed a law prohibiting the teaching of subjects related to sexual orientation or gender identity in primary school. The controversial text is nicknamed “Don’t say gay” by its detractors.

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), more than 340 of these laws have been introduced in local assemblies across the country. Many NGOs fear that similar bills will be debated in Congress if the Republicans were in the majority in the House of Representatives during these “midterms”. Texts of this ilk have already been presented by elected officials.

A growing number of LGBTQ voters

Homophobes “want us to stay home in silence,” said Annise Parker. “But their attacks backfired and instead spurred a new wave of LGBTQ leaders to run for office. In addition, the number of LGBTQ voters is also on the rise, which should “fundamentally reshape the American electoral landscape”, according to HRC.

Today, one in ten American voters is an LGBTQ person. This figure is expected to rise to one in seven by 2030. “Moments like these can contribute to broader societal and institutional change,” said Julia Himberg, a professor at Arizona State University.

The expert, however, cautions against general conclusions drawn from a single election. “Systemic change takes time and willpower. So you have to be careful,” she said. “This electoral cycle is decisive, but it is also a special moment which, in fact, could also not go beyond. »