Out and Elected in the USA: 1974-2004

Photographed, Researched, and Written by Ron Schlittler

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Out and Elected in the USA - The First 30 Years: 1974-2004 is a survey, through black and white portraits and texts, of many of the pioneering openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individuals elected to public office in the U.S. in those years.

Schlittler conceived the project early in 1998 and secured a list from the Victory Fund of all openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual people they had record of who had been elected to public office. From April 1998 through November 2004 he used travel opportunities provided by work or vacation time to meet with and photograph many of those on the list, and others. He photographed them in their homes, workplaces and communities, and gathered personal essays and conducted interviews with many of them. In some instance, he provides the text of speeches by the officials or news articles about them to add depth and scope to the project. This exhibit showcases Schlittler's remarkable historical work, and provides information on 107 elected officials, as well as José Sarria, the first openly gay person to run for public office, though he did not win.

Ron Schlittler's Introduction

Not so long ago it seemed improbable if not impossible that two words might exist side by side in the same sentance - "out" and "elected." It was this striking juxtaposition that captured my imagination and curiosity, and inspired Out and Elected in the USA.

A statement I ran across in the course of assymbling this project captures the significance of the accomplishment of these individuals: “A critical marker of a maligned class of people’s Arrival in a Democratic society is the ascendance of its members to public office.”

In November, 1974, something extraordinary happened. Openly lesbian Elaine Noble made international news when she Arrived at the Massachusetts state legislature, the first open homosexual to be elected to public office in the U.S. She endured death threats, bullets through the windows of her campaign headquarters, intimidation of her campaign staff and ugly hostility from her new colleagues in the State House. But her ground breaking accomplishment turned a page in America's political history.

Since then, many hundreds more openly lesbian, gay and bisexual - and a few transgendered - Americans have been elected to serve in nearly every level of local, state and national public office. Their numbers are a tiny fraction of the approximately 500,000 elected offices in the United States. But their visibility and impact on policies about, and perceptions of, LGBT people has been transformative - all as they have focused on the issues of primary concern to their constituents from pot holes to international policy.

The collection does not attempt to serve as a comprehensive catalog of everyone who ever was elected while being out of the closet during the time frame covered. And it includes no one who serves, or has served, while remaining in the closet. The aim was to capture a broad and diverse cross-cut of the first 30 years of the courageous and community-minded people who have been, and in many cases still are, a part of this recent and inspiring history, and to convey that history through their images and personal stories.

For information on a touring exhibit version of the collection, contact Ron Schlittler at rlschlittler@verizon.net.

Index by state for Out and Elected in the USA

ARIZONA

• Giuliano, Neil (R), Mayor, City of Tempe

• Kolbe, Jim (R), U.S. House of Representatives, 5th Congressional District, Tucson, AZ

• May, Steve (R), State Representative, 26th District, Phoenix, AZ

CALIFORNIA

• Achtenberg, Roberta, Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

• Ammiano, Tom, President, City and County Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

• Brougham, Tom, Director, Peralto Community College District Board

• del Moral, Rosalinda, Democratic Executive Committee 13th District, San Francisco

• Dumanis, Bonnie (R), San Diego District Attorney

• Hahn, Kenneth, Los Angeles County Assessor, Los Angeles County

• Horton, Jeff, Los Angeles Board of Education President, Los Angeles

• Katz, Leslie, San Francisco Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

• Kehoe, Christine (D), State Senator, 39th District

• Kuehl, Sheila (D), State Senator, 23rd District

• Lachs, Stephen, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles

• Laird, John (D), State Assembly, 27th District

• Leal, Susan, San Francisco County Treasurer

• McCarthy, Kevin, Superior Court Judge, San Francisco

• Migden, Carole (D), State Senator, 3rd District

• Milk, Harvey, Board of Supervisors, San Francisco

• Owens, Juanita, President Board of Education, San Franciso

• Pettis, Gregory, City of Cathedral County

• Radulovich, Tom, Bay Area Rapid Transit District Board

• Sarria, José, First openly gay person to run for elected office in the US, San Franciso

• Tsenin, Kay, Municipal Court Judge, San Francisco

• Weinberger, Bill, Charter Commission, Los Angeles

• Yeager, Ken, City Council, San Jose

• Zeidler, Zeke, Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles

CONNECTICUT

• Mantilla, Evelyn (D), State House of Representatives

• Zemo, Stephen, Town of Ridgefield Selectmam

FLORIDA

• Arnold, Diane, Broward County Dem. Exec. Committee

• Leban, Mark, Dade County Court Judge

• Lee, Robert, Judge

• Sigler, Victoria, Dade County Court Judge

• Wiscombe, Randy G., City Council, South Miami

GEORGIA

• Woolard, Cathy, Atlanta City Council President, District 6

ILLINOIS

• Chiola, Tom, Cook County Circuit Court Judge

• McKeon, Lawrence (D), State House of Representatives, 34th District, Chicago

• Patti, Sebastian , Cook County Circuit Court Judge

IOWA

• Crews, Bill, Mayor, City of Melbourne

LOUSIANA

• Batson, Roberts, Orleans Perish Democratic Executive Committee

MAINE

• McCormick, Dale, State Treasurer

• Powers, Judy (D), State Representative

MARYLAND

• Stradauskas, Anne, Baltimore County Sheriff

• Williams, Bruce, City Council, Tacoma Park

MASSACHUSETTS

• Barrios, Jarrett (D), State Senator, Cambridge

• Frank, Barney (D), U.S. Representative, 4th Congressional District, Boston

• Higgins, Mary Clare, Mayor, Northampton

• Malia, Liz (D), State Representative, 11th Suffolk

• Noble, Elaine (D), State Representative, 6th District, Boston

• Reeves, Kenneth, Mayor, Cambridge

• Studds, Gerry E. (D), U.S. House of Representatives 10th District, Boston

• Triatanfillou, Katherine, City Council, Cambridge

MICHIGAN

• Kolb, Chris (D), State Representative, 53rd District, Ann Arbor

• Cuthbert, Pam, City Council, Ward 3, Ypsilanti

MINNESOTA

• Spear, Allan (D), State Senator, 60th District

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Buckley, Raymond (D), State Representative Ward 8, Manchester

• DeChane, Marlene (D), State Representative District 6, Barrington

• Mitchell, McKim (D), State Representative District 3, Chesterfield

• Splaine, Jim (D), State Representative District 34, Portsmouth

• Trombly, Rick (D), State Senator District 7, Boscawen

NEW MEXICO

• Bushee, Patti, City Council, Santa Fe

• Siegle, Linda, Santa Fe Community College Board of Trustees

• Stephanics, Liz (D), State Senate District 39

NEW YORK

• Conti, Richard, City Council, Albany

• Duane, Thomas (D), State Senate, District 27

• Glick, Deborah (D), Assemblymember District 66, New York City

• Kavanaugh, Barbra, City Council, Buffalo

• Lopez, Margarita, City Council Member District 2, New York

• Mains, Tim, Council Member at-Large, Rochester

• Quinn, Christine, Speaker, City Council, New York

• Reed, Phil, City Council Member District 8, New York

• Robinson, Doug, School Board District 2, New York

• Sauer, Larry, School Board District 3, New York

• Shafer, Marilyn, State Supreme Court Judge

• Sklarz, Melissa, Democratic Council, New York

• St. John, Keith, Common Council Alderman 2nd Ward, Albany

• Stewart, Daniel (R), Mayor, Plattsburgh

NORTH CAROLINA

• Herzenberg, Joe, Town City Council Member, Mayor Pro Tempore, Chapel Hill

• Nelson, Michael, Mayor, Carrboro

OHIO

• Escobar, Louis, City Council President, Toledo

• Wiseman, Mary, City Council Member, Dayton

OREGON

• Brown, Kate (D), State Senator District 21, Portland

• Carpenter, Chuck (R), State Representative District 7, Portland

• Eighmey, George (D), State Representative

• Gernant, David, Multnomah County District Court Judge

PENNSYLVANIA

• McGill, Jim, Borough Council Member 2nd Ward, Wilkinsburg

RHODE ISLAND

• Cicillini, David, Mayor, Providence

• Pisaturo, Michael (D), State Representative 21st District, Cranston

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Schwacke, David (R), Solicitor 9th Circuit, Charleston

TEXAS

• Parker, Annise, City Council Member At-Large Position 1, Houston

• Frasier, Margo, Sheriff of Travis County, Austin

• Maxey, Glen (D), State Representative, District 51

• Loza, John, City Councilmember District 12, Dallas

UTAH

• Biskupski, Jackie (D), State Representative District 30, Salt Lake City

VERMONT

• Flanagan, Edward (D), State Senator, Burlington

VIRGINIA

• Fisette, Jay, Arlington County Board Member, Arlington

WASHINGTON

• Anderson, Cal (D), State Senate District 43, Seattle

• Harris, Sherry, Council Member At-Large, Seattle

• Moeller, Jim (D), State House of Representatives, Vancouver

• Murray, Ed (D), House of Representatives 43rd District, Seattle

• Podlodowski, Tina, City Council Member, Seattle

WASHINGTON, D.C.

• Catania, David, At-Large Councilmember

• Graham, Jim, Councilmember Ward 1

• Sojourner, Sabrina (D), U.S. “Shadow” Representative

WISCONSIN

• Baldwin, Tammy (D), U.S. Representative 2nd Congressional District, Madison

• Gunderson, Steve (R), U.S. House of Representatives

• Sloan, Matt, Common Council, Madison

• Verveer, Mike, Common Council, Madison

This entry is part of the featured exhibit Out and Elected in the USA curated by Ron Schlittler. As it is content created by a named author, editor, or curator, it is not open to editing by the general public. But we strongly encourage you to discuss the content or propose edits on the discussion page, and the author, editor, or curator will make any changes that improve the entry or its content. Thanks.