Honors Spotlight

LGBTQ Victory Hall of Fame

The LGBTQ Victory Hall of Fame – launched in April 2021 – honors the LGBTQ elected officials, appointed officials and candidates who made significant contributions to advancing LGBTQ political power and equality.
Here is the founding class consisting of former LGBTQ elected officials, appointed officials and candidates inducted in April 2021.

Roberta Achtenberg
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1993 – 1995)
First out LGBTQ Senate-confirmed presidential appointee.
Deborah Batts
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (1994 – 2020)
First out LGBTQ federal court judge.

Simone Bell
Georgia House of Representatives (2009 – 2015)
First out Black lesbian elected to a U.S. state legislature.

Eric Fanning
United States Secretary of the Army (2016 – 2017)
First out LGBTQ head of any service in the U.S. military.

Marielle Franco
Rio de Janeiro City Council (2017 – 2018)
One of the first out LGBTQ people elected in Brazil.

Barney Frank
U.S. House of Representatives (1981 – 2013)
One of the first out LGBTQ members of Congress.

Neil Giuliano
Mayor of Tempe (1994 – 2004)
First out LGBTQ mayor of a midsize U.S. city.

Sherry Harris
Seattle City Council (1992 – 1995)
First out LGBTQ Black lesbian elected in the U.S.

James Hormel
U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg (1999 – 2001)
First out LGBTQ U.S. ambassador.

Kim Coco Iwamoto
Hawaii Board of Education (2006 – 2011)
First out trans person to win a statewide election.

Kathy Kozachenko
Ann Arbor City Council (1974 – 1976)
First out LGBTQ person ever elected.

Harvey Milk
San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1978)
First out LGBTQ elected official in California.

Elaine Noble
Massachusetts House of Representatives (1975 – 1979)
First out LGBTQ person elected to a state legislature.

Annise Parker
Mayor of Houston (2010 – 2016)
First out LGBTQ mayor of a top-10 American city.

John Pérez
California state Assembly (2008 – 2014)
First out LGBTQ speaker of the California state Assembly.

José Sarria
Candidate for San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1961)
First out LGBTQ person to ever run for office.

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir
Prime Minister of Iceland (2009 – 2013)
First out LGBTQ person in the world elected head of government.

Allan Spear
Minnesota state Senate (1973 – 2001)
First out LGBTQ leader of a state legislature.

Keith St. John
Albany Common Council (1990 – 1998)
First out LGBTQ Black person elected in the U.S.