This is a list of the first openly LGBTQ people to have held political office in the United States. No openly LGBTQ person has served as President, Vice President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, or as a justice on the Supreme Court. However, all 50 states have elected openly LGBTQ people to political office in some capacity, and 49 states have elected openly LGBTQ people to either or both chambers of their state legislature.
A total of five openly LGBTQ people have served in the Cabinet of the United States or in a cabinet-level office: Scott Bessent, Pete Buttigieg, Demetrios Marantis, Richard Grenell, and Vince Micone.
A total of ten states and one territory have elected a total of fourteen openly LGBTQ people to statewide or territorywide elected offices: Jared Polis, Maura Healey, Tina Kotek, Kate Brown, Tammy Baldwin, Kyrsten Sinema, Dana Nessel, Kris Mayes, Ricardo Lara, Kevin Lembo, Josh Tenorio, Benjamin Cruz, Sarah McBride, and John S. Arrowood.
A total of three of the eight most populous cities in the United States have elected a total of three openly LGBTQ people as mayor: Todd Gloria, Lori Lightfoot, and Annise Parker.
Federal Executive
In addition to the politicians listed below, Jenny Durkan, who served as United States attorney for the Western District of Washington from 2009 to 2014, is believed to be the first openly gay United States attorney. Furthermore, in 2013, Demetrios Marantis became the first openly LGBTQ person to serve in a cabinet-level position in the Cabinet of the United States, serving in the Cabinet of Barack Obama as the acting United States trade representative following the departure of Ron Kirk.
+ImageNameEntered office of firstDeparted office of firstOffice of firstNotesRoberta AchtenbergAssistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Fair Housing and Equal OpportunityAchtenberg is the first openly LGBTQ person appointed to a federal position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. She later became a commissioner for the United States Commission on Civil Rights in 2011.James C. HormelUnited States ambassador to LuxembourgHormel was the first openly gay man to represent the United States as an ambassador.John BerryDirector of the Office of Personnel ManagementBerry is the first openly gay head of a federal agency.Sharon LubinskiUnited States marshal for the District of MinnesotaLubinski was the first openly gay United States marshal.Sharon Lubinski: Senate Confirms First Openly Gay US Marshal (December 28, 2009). Associated Press.Chai FeldblumCommissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity CommissionFeldblum is the first openly LGBTQ commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Eric FanningSecretary of the ArmyFanning is the first openly gay leader of a U.S. military service.Pete ButtigiegSecretary of TransportationButtigieg is the first openly LGBTQ Cabinet member confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Buttigieg was the first openly gay person in the presidential line of succession, ranking 14th.Rachel LevineAssistant Secretary for HealthLevine is the first openly transgender official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.Scott BessentIncumbentSecretary of the TreasuryBessent is the first openly gay treasury secretary and is also the highest-ranking openly LGBTQ person in the presidential line of succession, ranking 5th.
Legislative
House of Representatives +ImageNameStart of first congressional termEnd of last congressional termCongressional districtNotesBarney FrankMA-4Upon coming out voluntarily in 1987, Frank became the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress.Tammy BaldwinWI-2Baldwin is the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress to have come out at the time of her first election into the legislative branch.Jared PolisCO-2Polis is the first openly gay male congressman to have come out at the time of his first election into the legislative branch.Kyrsten SinemaAZ-9Sinema is the first openly bisexual member of Congress.Manuel Roig-Franzia, Kyrsten Sinema: A success story like nobody else's , The Washington Post (January 2, 2013).Mark TakanoIncumbentCA-41 (until 2023)Takano is the first openly LGBTQ Asian American member of Congress.CA-39 (since 2023)Sharice DavidsIncumbentKS-3Davids is the first openly LGBTQ Native American member of Congress.Mondaire JonesNY-17Alongside Ritchie Torres, Jones is the first openly LGBTQ African American member of Congress.Ritchie TorresIncumbentNY-15Alongside Mondaire Jones, Torres is the first openly LGBTQ African American member of Congress. Torres is also the first openly LGBTQ Latino member of Congress.Sarah McBrideIncumbentDE-ALMcBride is the first openly transgender member of Congress.
Senate +ImageNameStart of first congressional termEnd of last congressional termStateNotesTammy BaldwinIncumbentWisconsinBaldwin is the first openly LGBTQ United States senator.Kyrsten SinemaArizonaSinema is the first openly bisexual United States senator.Laphonza ButlerCaliforniaButler is the first openly LGBTQ African American United States senator.
State Overall firsts First openly lesbian or gay candidate to run and win election anywhere in the United States - Kathy Kozachenko (Human Rights Party), Ann Arbor City Council, elected 2 April 1974; while the first openly lesbian and gay elected officials in the United States, Jerry DeGrieck and Nancy Wechsler, were elected to Ann Arbor City Council on 3 April 1972. They co-sponsored the nation's first anti-discrimination ordinance that applied to lesbian and gay people (Ann Arbor Human Rights Ordinance, 10 June 1972) and formally came out simultaneously on 15 October 1973 to alert the City Council that the city attorney and Police Department were not enforcing the Human Rights Ordinance. First openly lesbian or gay candidate elected to a state legislature – Elaine Noble (D), Massachusetts House of Representatives; Elected in 1974, served two terms starting in January 1975, open when elected."30 Years after the White House Meeting: Participants then and now". National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-24. First openly transgender person elected to a state legislature – Danica Roem (D), Virginia House of Delegates; elected in 2018 (Althea Garrison (R) was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992 but was involuntarily outed after her election, served from 1993 to 1995) First openly transgender man elected to a state legislature – James Roesener (D), New Hampshire House of Representatives; elected in 2022. First openly gay president of a city council – Harry Britt, President of the San Francisco City-County Board of Supervisors from 1989 to 1990. First openly gay statewide official – Ed Flanagan (D), Vermont auditor of accounts; served four terms: first elected 1992, came out in 1995; was reelected.Handbook of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Administration and Policy (Marcel Dekker: 2004), ed. Wallace Swan, p. 100.Ken Picard, Continuing Ed: Three and a half years after his near-fatal car crash is Sen. Ed Flanagan still up to the job?, Seven Days (May 20, 2009). First openly gay governor – Jim McGreevey (D), governor of New Jersey – came out 2004 (during the same speech in which he announced his resignation as governor). McGreevey was not out at the time of his election.10 Years After Resigning, Jim McGreevey Doesn't View Himself As A Gay Trailblazer , CBS News/Associated Press (August 12, 2014). First openly gay governor elected – Jared Polis (D), was elected Governor of Colorado November 6, 2018 and married on September 15, 2021, while in office. First openly bisexual governor and first person to be openly LGBT at time of taking office as governor – Kate Brown (D), governor of Oregon (ascended to office in 2015 after previous governor resigned, then elected in 2016 in her own right).Michelle Garcia, Kate Brown, First Openly LGBT Governor, Assumes Office With Pointed Inauguration Speech, The Advocate (February 18, 2015).Alison Gash, Oregon Leads the Way With Nation's First Openly Bisexual Governor, Slate (March 4, 2015). Lieutenant governor – Josh Tenorio (D), Guam – elected 2018 Secretary of State – Tony Miller (D), California – appointed in 1994; lost election in 1994 State treasurer – Dale McCormick (D), Maine – elected (by the legislature) 1996 State Corporation Commission – Jim Roth (D), Oklahoma – appointed in 2007, lost election for remainder of term in 2009 First openly gay attorney general – Maura Healey (D), Massachusetts, elected in 2014 First openly LGBTQ person elected to statewide office anywhere in the South - John S. Arrowood (D), North Carolina, elected to a full term on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2018 (previously appointed to complete an expired term on the same court from 2007-2008). First openly lesbian governors elected – Maura Healey (D), Massachusetts, and Tina Kotek (D), Oregon, both elected in 2022 State legislative leaders: Presiding officer: Minnesota sen. Allan H. Spear (D) – elected senate president 1993 Speaker: Rhode Island rep. Gordon D. Fox (D) – elected speaker 2010
State officers by state Constitutional officers Arizona: Attorney general: Kris Mayes (D) – elected 2022 California: State insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara (D) – elected 2018 Connecticut: State comptroller: Kevin Lembo (D) – elected 2010 Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood: Beth Bye (D) - appointed January 2019 Maine: State treasurer – Dale McCormick (D), Maine – elected (by the legislature) 1996 Michigan: Attorney general: Dana Nessel (D) – elected 2018 Oklahoma: Oklahoma corporation commissioner: Jim Roth (D) – appointed 2007 Oregon: Secretary of State: Kate Brown (D) – elected 2008
Legislative officials California: Senate President pro Tempore: Sen. Toni Atkins (D) – elected 2018 House speaker: Rep. John Pérez (D) – elected 2010 Colorado: House speaker: Mark Ferrandino (D) (2012) House minority leader: Mark Ferrandino (D) (2011) Hawaii: House majority leader: Rep. Blake Oshiro (D) – elected 2008, came out 2010 Maine: House speaker: Rep. Ryan Fecteau (D) – elected 2020 Massachusetts: Senate minority leader: Sen. Richard Tisei (R) – elected 2007, came out 2010 Senate majority leader: Sen. Stan Rosenberg (D) – elected 2013, came out 2009 Minnesota: Senate president: Sen. Allan Spear (D) (1993) Missouri: Senate minority floor leader: Sen. Jolie Justus (D) (2012) Oregon: Senate minority leader: Sen. Kate Brown (D) (1998) Senate majority leader: Sen. Kate Brown (D) (2003) House speaker: Rep. Tina Kotek (D) – America's first openly lesbian House speaker (elected as Oregon's House speaker in 2012) Rhode Island: House speaker: Rep. Gordon D. Fox (D) (2010) Vermont: President pro tempore: Sen. Becca Balint (D) (2021) Washington: Senate minority leader: Sen. Ed Murray (D) (2012) Wyoming: House minority leader: Rep. Cathy Connolly (D) (2016)
State legislators As of the 2020 elections, the legislatures of 49 states have had at least one openly LGBT member; the first out person to serve in each of those states is listed here. The sole remaining state that has never had an openly LGBT state legislator is Louisiana.
Alabama: Rep. Patricia Todd (D) – elected 2006 (female)Kent Faulk, Alabama's first openly gay lawmaker threatens to 'out' officials having extramarital affairs, The Huntsville Times (January 26, 2013). Rep. Neil Rafferty (D) – elected 2018 (male) Alaska: Rep. Johnny Ellis (D) – elected 1986, came out 2016 Arizona: Ken Cheuvront (D) – served in both the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate between 1994 and 2010 (male)Arizona son, mother aim to be statehouse colleagues , Associated Press (August 27, 2012). Paula Aboud (D) – elected to the Arizona Senate in 2006 (female)Gay rights group backs domestic partner legislation . Arkansas: Rep. Kathy Webb (D) – elected 2006Associated Press, Little Rock Approves Anti-Discrimination Protections (April 21, 2015). California: