List of LGBTQ members of the United States Congress

Last updated • 1 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

As of November 2023, 32 members of the LGBTQ community are known to have held office in the United States Congress. In the House, 30 LGBTQ people held office; in the Senate, 4 held office. Two people, Tammy Baldwin, and Kyrsten Sinema, served in the House and were later elected into the Senate. The earliest known LGBTQ congressperson was Ed Koch, who began his term in the House in 1969. The earliest known LGBTQ senator is Harris Wofford, who began his term in 1991. Both men were not out during their tenure: Koch's sexuality was confirmed after his death and Wofford announced his plans to marry a man over 20 years after serving in the Senate. In 2024, Sarah McBride was elected as the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress.

Contents

There are 12 openly LGBTQ members of the current (118th) Congress, all of whom are Democrats or aligned with Democrats. Three are senators and the rest are House representatives. This constitutes the second highest number of LGBTQ congresspeople serving at the same time in U.S. history. [a] [1] [2]

Senate

 Came out after serving

SenatorPartyStateTermNotes
StartEndLength of
service
Harriswofford.jpg Harris Wofford Democratic Pennsylvania May 8, 1991January 3, 19953 years, 240 daysAnnounced his marriage to a man in 2016. [3] [4]
Tammy Baldwin, official portrait, 113th Congress.jpg Tammy Baldwin Democratic Wisconsin January 3, 2013Incumbent11 years, 348 daysAs an openly lesbian woman, Baldwin is the first openly LGBTQ senator. [1] [5] [6]
Sinema Dec 2023.jpg Kyrsten Sinema Democratic
(2019–2022)
Arizona January 3, 2019Incumbent5 years, 348 daysSinema is the first openly bisexual senator. [1] [7]
Independent
(2022–present)
Laphonza Butler Senate photo, 2023 (cropped).jpg Laphonza Butler Democratic California October 3, 2023December 8, 20241 year, 66 daysButler is openly lesbian and is the first openly LGBTQ African-American senator. [8] [9]

House of Representatives

 Came out after serving Posthumously identified as LGBTQ

RepresentativePartyStateTermNotes
StartEndLength of
service
Ed Koch 95th congress.jpg Ed Koch Democratic New York January 3, 1969December 31, 19778 years, 362 daysKoch denied he was gay throughout his life, but a 2022 article in The New York Times identified him as such. [10]
Stewart McKinney.jpg Stewart McKinney Republican Connecticut January 3, 1971May 7, 198716 years, 124 daysAfter dying in office of AIDS, McKinney was outed as bisexual in his obituary. [4] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Rep. Barbara Jordan - Restoration.jpg Barbara Jordan Democratic Texas January 3, 1973January 3, 19796 years, 0 daysJordan's domestic partnership with Nancy Earl was revealed in her obituary in 1996, making her the first LGBTQ woman in Congress (per the U.S. National Archives). [16] [17]
S001040.jpg Gerry Studds Democratic Massachusetts January 3, 1973January 3, 199724 years, 0 daysStudds came out as gay as a result of his implication in the 1983 congressional page sex scandal. [18] He became the first openly LGBTQ person to win election to Congress with his reelection in 1984. [4]
Robert Bauman US Congress photo portrait.jpg Robert Bauman Republican Maryland August 21, 1973January 3, 19817 years, 135 daysBauman was outed as gay in October 1980 while in office, making him the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress. [19] [20] [4]
Jon Hinson.jpg Jon Hinson Republican Mississippi January 3, 1979April 13, 19812 years, 100 daysHinson was outed as gay after being arrested on a charge of oral sodomy on February 4, 1981. [21] [4]
Barneyfrank.jpg Barney Frank Democratic Massachusetts January 3, 1981January 3, 201332 years, 0 daysFrank came out as gay in 1987 and in 2012 became the first member of Congress in a same-sex marriage. [4] [22] [23]
SteveGunderson.jpg Steve Gunderson Republican Wisconsin January 3, 1981January 3, 199716 years, 0 daysGunderson was outed as gay on the floor of the House in 1994, Gunderson was the first openly gay Republican to be reelected after being outed. [24] [25] [4]
Jim Kolbe.jpg Jim Kolbe Republican Arizona January 3, 1985January 3, 200722 years, 0 daysKolbe came out as gay while in office after voting for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. He was the first openly gay person to address the Republican National Convention. [26] [27] [28] [4]
Michael Huffington Dod.jpg Michael Huffington Republican California January 3, 1993January 3, 19952 years, 0 days.Huffington came out as bisexual in 1998 [4] [29]
Mark Foley, official 109th Congress photo.jpg Mark Foley Republican Florida January 3, 1995September 29, 200611 years, 269 daysFoley came out as gay after being implicated in a 2006 congressional page scandal. [30]
Tammy Baldwin, official photo portrait, color.jpg Tammy Baldwin Democratic Wisconsin January 3, 1999January 3, 201314 years, 0 daysBaldwin is openly lesbian, and was the first openly LGBTQ non-incumbent elected to Congress. [5] [4]
Mike Michaud Official.jpg Mike Michaud Democratic Maine January 3, 2003January 3, 201512 years, 0 daysMichaud came out as gay in 2013. [31] [32] [4]
Jared Polis Official 2012.jpg Jared Polis Democratic Colorado January 3, 2009January 3, 201910 years, 0 daysIn 2011, Polis became the first same-sex parent in Congress. [4] [33] [6] [34]
Aaron Schock Official.jpg Aaron Schock Republican Illinois January 3, 2009March 31, 20156 years, 87 daysSchock came out as gay in 2020. [35]
David Cicilline, Official Portrait, 112th Congress 2.jpg David Cicilline Democratic Rhode Island January 3, 2011May 31, 202312 years, 148 daysCicilline is openly gay. [1] [4] [6]
Congressman Maloney official.jpg Sean Patrick Maloney Democratic New York January 3, 2013January 3, 202310 years, 0 daysMaloney is openly gay. [1] [4] [6] In 2014, he married his longtime partner. [36]
Mark Pocan official photo (cropped).jpg Mark Pocan Democratic Wisconsin January 3, 2013Incumbent11 years, 348 daysPocan is openly gay and the first LGBTQ member of Congress to replace another LGBTQ member of Congress (Tammy Baldwin) and the first non-incumbent in a same-sex marriage elected to Congress. [1] [4] [6] [37]
Rep Kyrsten Sinema, Official Portrait (cropped).jpg Kyrsten Sinema Democratic Arizona January 3, 2013January 3, 20196 years, 0 daysSinema was the first openly bisexual member of Congress. [4] [6] [38]
Mark Takano 113th Congress - full.jpg Mark Takano Democratic California January 3, 2013Incumbent11 years, 348 daysTakano is openly gay and the first openly LGBTQ person of color (specifically Asian American) elected to Congress. [1] [6]
Angie Craig, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg Angie Craig Democratic Minnesota January 3, 2019Incumbent5 years, 348 daysCraig is openly lesbian and the first non-incumbent LGBTQ parent elected to Congress. [1] [39]
Sharice Davids.jpg Sharice Davids Democratic Kansas January 3, 2019Incumbent5 years, 348 daysDavids is openly lesbian and the first openly LGBTQ woman of color (specifically Native American) elected to Congress. [1] [40]
Katie Hill, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg Katie Hill Democratic California January 3, 2019November 1, 2019302 daysHill is openly bisexual. [41]
Chris Pappas, official portrait, 116th Congress.jpg Chris Pappas Democratic New Hampshire January 3, 2019Incumbent5 years, 348 daysPappas is openly gay. [1] [42]
Mondaire Jones 117th U.S Congress.jpg Mondaire Jones Democratic New York January 3, 2021January 3, 20232 years, 0 daysAlong with Ritchie Torres, Jones was the first openly gay African American elected to Congress. [1] [43]
Ritchie Torres 117th U.S Congress.jpg Ritchie Torres Democratic New York January 3, 2021Incumbent3 years, 348 daysAlong with Mondaire Jones, Torres was the first openly gay African American elected to Congress, [43] and the first openly gay Hispanic member of Congress. [1]
Rep. Becca Balint - 118th Congress.jpg Becca Balint Democratic Vermont January 3, 2023Incumbent1 year, 348 daysBalint is openly lesbian. [44]
Rep. Robert Garcia - 118th Congress.jpg Robert Garcia Democratic California January 3, 2023Incumbent1 year, 348 daysGarcia is openly gay. [45]
Rep. George Santos Official Portrait.jpg George Santos Republican New York January 3, 2023December 1, 2023332 daysSantos is openly gay [46] and the first openly LGBTQ non-incumbent Republican elected to Congress [b]
Sorensen House Photo (cropped).jpg Eric Sorensen Democratic Illinois January 3, 2023Incumbent1 year, 348 daysSorensen is openly gay. [48]
Julie Johnson Open Congress 2022 (cropped).jpg Julie Johnson Democratic Texas January 3, 2025Elect−18 daysJohnson is openly lesbian and the first openly LGBTQ individual to represent a southern state in Congress. [49]
Sarah McBride portrait photograph (cropped).jpg Sarah McBride Democratic Delaware January 3, 2025Elect−18 daysMcBride is the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress. [50]
Emily Randall (cropped).jpg Emily Randall Democratic Washington January 3, 2025Elect−18 daysRandall is the first openly LGBTQ Hispanic woman elected to Congress. [51]

Shadow representatives

RepresentativePartyJurisdictionTermNotes
StartEndLength of service
Seal of the United States House of Representatives.svg Sabrina Sojourner Democratic District of Columbia January 3, 1997January 3, 19992 years, 0 daysSojourner came out as lesbian in 1976. [52] [53]

Histograph of openly-serving LGBTQ members of Congress

StartingTotalGraphEvent
March 4, 17890 Steady2.svg United States Congress established
October 3, 19801Increase2.svg Robert Bauman outed
January 3, 19810Decrease2.svg Robert Bauman lost reelection
February 4, 19811Increase2.svg Jon Hinson outed
April 13, 19810Decrease2.svg Jon Hinson resigned
July 14, 19831Increase2.svg Gerry Studds comes out
May 29, 19872Increase2.svg Barney Frank comes out
March 24, 19943Increase2.svg Steve Gunderson outed
August 1, 19964Increase2.svg Jim Kolbe comes out
January 3, 19972Decrease2.svg Gerry Studds and Steve Gunderson retired
January 3, 19993Increase2.svg Tammy Baldwin elected to the House
January 3, 20072Decrease2.svg Jim Kolbe retired
January 3, 20093Increase2.svg Jared Polis elected
January 3, 20114Increase2.svg David Cicilline elected
January 3, 20117Increase2.svg Tammy Baldwin retired from the House, elected to the Senate; Sean Patrick Maloney, Mark Pocan, Kyrsten Sinema, and Mark Takano elected; Barney Frank retired
November 4, 20138Increase2.svg Mike Michaud comes out
January 3, 20157Decrease2.svg Mike Michaud retired
January 3, 201910Increase2.svg Kyrsten Sinema retired from the House, elected to the Senate; Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Katie Hill, and Chris Pappas elected; Jared Polis retired
November 1, 20199Decrease2.svg Katie Hill resigned
January 3, 202111Increase2.svg Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres elected
December 9, 202211Steady2.svg Kyrsten Sinema registered as an independent
January 3, 202313Increase2.svg Becca Balint, Robert Garcia, George Santos, and Eric Sorensen elected; Mondaire Jones lost renomination; Sean Patrick Maloney lost reelection
June 1, 202312Decrease2.svg David Cicilline resigned
October 4, 202313Increase2.svg Laphonza Butler appointed
December 1, 202312Decrease2.svg George Santos expelled
  Democratic Party
  Republican Party
  Independent

See also

Notes

  1. From the start of the 118th Congress until the resignation of Rep. David Cicilline (D–CT) on Jun. 1, 2023, and again from the appointment of Sen. Laphonza Butler (D–CA) on Oct. 4, 2023, until the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R–NY) on Dec. 1, 2023, there were 13 total LGBTQ members of Congress.
  2. Incidentally, this also marked the first election in which both major party candidates (Santos and Democrat Rob Zimmerman) were openly LGBTQ [47]

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