It is difficult to believe, but openly gay leaders will control the House or Senate in five states — more than ever before, and up from two before last week’s election.
“For many years, we were building a bench of openly gay officials who could step into those roles, and now we’re seeing that around the country,” said Denis Dison, a spokesman for the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national group that helps gay candidates get elected to offices at all levels.
The latest advance was in Oregon where lesbian lawmaker, Rep. Tina Kotek, will become House Speaker. Kotek said she didn’t set out to break barriers but is honored to represent the gay community.
“We all look for people out there who look like us,” she said. “I have had emails and text messages from people who are very excited.”
The news keeps getting better every day. Within my lifetime, we may be discussing the possibility of an openly gay president. I’m guessing around 2030 this won’t be so far fetched. Obama won his reelection without a single state of the old confederacy. So, it is entirely possible to elect a gay president without the South. Just a bit more progress in the swing states and the once impossible is entirely doable.
