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Loading ...Lesbian becomes highest elected LGBT state official in country
11.05.2008 4:02pm EST
(Washington) State Sen. Kate Brown (D) won a narrow victory Tuesday to become Oregon Secretary of State. Oregon has no lieutenant governor, so Brown’s win makes her the second most powerful state politician in Oregon and the highest-ranking LGBT elected state official in the country.
Brown defeated Republican Rick Dancer and Green Party candidate Seth Woolley.In the state senate Brown had been majority leader, but she faced a tough battle for her party’s nomination for Secretary of State.
During the general election she sparred with Dancer, a former TV news anchorman, over campaign reform and limits on campaign contributions.
Brown had been endorsed by the Victory Fund, a national LGBT organization that helps gay candidates get elected.
“The early and significant support I received from the Victory Fund provided the foundation I needed to run a strong winning primary campaign and positioned me for a successful election,” she said.
In other state races across the country, San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano (D) was elected to the California Assembly. Ammiano had served on the Board of Supervisors for 14 years. He had little difficulty defeating Republican Harmeet Dhillon for the seat in Sacramento.
Veteran lawmaker Mike Lawlor (D) won a twelfth term to the Connecticut House of Representatives. Prior to his election to the legislature in 1986, Lawlor served as a state prosecutor.
Matt Titone (D) won a second term to the NY State Assembly.
Two open lesbians, Jackie Biskupski and Christine Johnson, were re-elected to the Utah House of Representatives.
After being term-limited out of the Nevada Assembly, David Parks has won a seat in the state’s legislature.
Jim Splaine won another term in the New Hampshire House. He said he plans to introduce a marriage equality bill in the legislature in the new session.
All were endorsed by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. In all, the Victory Fund had endorsed 88 candidates for federal, state and local government across the country.
Since 1991, when the Fund began, the number of openly LGBT elected officials in the U.S. has grown from less than 50 to more than 420.
She’s not a lesbian. She’s bi, and she’s one of two or three out elected bisexuals in the entire country! Get your headlines and facts correct, please. Thank you!
Whoa, I’ve seen bi-denial before, but this is worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records!
Your headline reads “Lesbian becomes highest elected state official…” But Kate Brown is bisexual. Openly bi. Bi as in bicameral, bilingual, bifocals, etc.
It’s slacker editorial decisions like this that create the myth that bi’s are an insignificant part of the population.
I think it is important not to invalidate her bisexual identity. Too often the “B” in LGBT gets ignored. Kate’s victory isn’t just important for the community at large, but especially important to the all too often invisible bisexual community.
Congratulations, Kate!
“Lesbian becomes highest elected LGBT state official in country”
How is this headline true? Her website states she spends her free time with her kids and her husband Dan. I think some clarification is necessary in regards to this…
Interesting Sliver, if true, but she would certainly understand the pitfalls of being a GLBT person in this country…and has lived and can imagine what it is and will be like for the next generation on the scene.
WHAT is the full assessment of VF candicates? Oh, duh I suppose they have a website will check there, too.
Considering she’s married to a man, she’s technically bisexual and not a lesbian.
http://www.katebrownfororegon.com/2007/09/about_kate_brow.html
Considering she’s married to a man, she’s technically bisexual and not lesbian. http://www.katebrownfororegon.com/2007/09/about_kate_brow.html