The Pennsylvania LGBT Equality Caucus is an organization of sitting members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly who are in favor of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians. It was formed on December 19, 2011, with Representatives Dan Frankel and Babette Josephs serving as the first co-chairs, [1] and is open to all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Ironically, unlike other LGBT-focused caucuses in other state or federal legislatures which are formed around openly LGBT sitting legislators (i.e., the LGBT Equality Caucus in the U.S. Congress), the Pennsylvania was formed without any openly LGBT sitting legislators, as none had yet been elected to political positions at the time of its formation.
The caucus now has two out members. They are Rep. Brian Sims (D – 182) and Rep. Mike Fleck (R – 81). Sims became the first openly gay man to be elected to the General Assembly in November 2012; Mike Fleck, an incumbent, came out after the election.
As of May 2013, 58 members of Pennsylvania General Assembly are members of the Pennsylvania LGBT Equality Caucus. [2]
Pennsylvania House of Representatives:
William J. Lippert, Jr., commonly known as Bill Lippert, is a former legislator and gay rights activist from the U.S. state of Vermont. He served 28 years in the Vermont House of Representatives as state representative of the Town of Hinesburg, from 1994-2022. He served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee for ten years, and then served as chair of the House Health Care Committee.
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was unicameral. Since the Constitution of 1776, the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791. As of 2024, it is the only state legislature in the country in which Democrats and Republicans each control one chamber.
Mark William Pocan is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative from Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district since 2013. The district is based in the state capital, Madison. A member of the Democratic Party, Pocan is co-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and chair emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. From 1999 to 2013 he served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 78th district, succeeding Tammy Baldwin there, whom he also replaced in the House when Baldwin was elected to the U.S. Senate.
The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus is an American political organization formed in June 2002 and composed of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the California State Legislature. The caucus currently has 12 members, a record.
The Congressional Taiwan Caucus is a Congressional Member Organization in the United States Congress with 144 members. The caucus focuses exclusively on improving US–Taiwan relations.
Brendan Francis Boyle is an American politician serving as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing a district in the Philadelphia area since 2015. Since January 2023, he has served as Ranking Member of United States House Committee on the Budget. He represented the 13th district from 2015 to 2019, serving much of Northeast Philadelphia and most of suburban Montgomery County. Since 2019, he has represented the 2nd district, which is entirely within the City of Philadelphia, including all of Northeast Philadelphia and portions of North Philadelphia and Center City Philadelphia, largely east of Broad Street. Boyle represented the 170th district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2009 to 2015.
The Congressional Equality Caucus, formerly the Congressional LGBTQ+ Caucus, was formed by openly gay representatives Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank on June 4, 2008, to advance LGBT+ rights. The caucus is chaired by the most senior member and is co-chaired by nine of the United States House of Representatives' ten current openly LGBT members; during the 118th Congress, the caucus is chaired by Representative Mark Pocan and is co-chaired by Representatives Becca Balint, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Robert Garcia, Chris Pappas, Mark Pocan, Eric Sorensen, Mark Takano, and Ritchie Torres.
Elizabeth A. "Liz" Malia is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A Democrat, she served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from March 1998 to January 2023. She represented the Eleventh Suffolk district, which includes parts of the Boston neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, Roxbury and Dorchester.
Robert Meza is an American politician from Phoenix, Arizona who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives from District 30 from 2019 to 2023. He previously served in the Arizona State Senate from 2011 to 2019, and also served four prior terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011.
Daryl D. Metcalfe is an American politician who served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Metcalfe is a member of the Republican Party and represented the 12th legislative district from 1999 until 2023.
Michael E. Fleck is a Republican former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 81st legislative district. He was first elected in 2006 to succeed the retiring Larry Sather, taking office on January 2, 2007.
Babette Josephs was a Democratic politician and attorney, who served 28 years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Josephs was first elected in 1984, representing the 182nd Legislative District, which encompasses Center City and South Philadelphia. She held office through November 30, 2012. Josephs served as the Democratic chair of the House State Government Committee from 2001 to 2012. She was the senior woman in the General Assembly and convener of the Women's Caucus. In her role as state representative, she was an unabashed champion of progressive causes. Josephs was one of a few members of the Democratic Socialists of America to be elected to public office at the time.
Tim Van Zandt is a nurse, former accountant and former politician from the U.S. state of Missouri. A Democrat, he served eight years in the Missouri House of Representatives representing Kansas City and became the first openly gay member ever elected to the Missouri General Assembly.
Brian Kendall Sims is an American politician, activist and attorney. A Democrat, he was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 182nd district from 2013 until 2022. Sims is also a lawyer and advocate for LGBT civil rights. Sims became the first openly gay elected state legislator in Pennsylvania history. He won re-election on November 6, 2018. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in 2022, finishing in second place behind Austin Davis with 25% of the vote. Since leaving public office in 2022, Sims has served as the Managing Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Out Leadership. In 2023, he joined the Board of Trustees of the Tyler Clementi Foundation.
Equality Pennsylvania is an organization which advocates throughout the state of Pennsylvania for LGBT rights. Equality Pennsylvania also attempts to "advance LGBT-friendly policy and legislative initiatives". The organization is a member of the Equality Federation.
Mark Allan Takano is an American politician and academic who has served in the United States House of Representatives since 2013, representing California's 41st congressional district from 2013 to 2023 and the 39th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Takano became the first gay person of Asian descent in Congress upon taking office.
Madeleine Dean Cunnane is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district. The district includes almost all of Montgomery County, a suburban county north of Philadelphia, as well as a northeastern portion of Berks County. Before being elected to Congress, Dean was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing the 153rd district in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 18 U.S. representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, one from each of the state's 18 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on April 26.
Richard S. Irvin is a Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 81st legislative district, first elected in 2014.