List of the first LGBT holders of political offices
This is a list of political offices which have been held by a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person, with details of the first holder of each office. It should only list people who came out as LGBT before or during their terms in office; it should not list people who came out only after retiring from politics, or people who were outed by reference sources only after their death.
The year in brackets refers to the year which the officeholder was elected as an openly LGBT person. If he or she came out during term of office it is referred to after the year in brackets.
It is ordered by country, by dates of appointment. Former countries are also to be listed.
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
International bodies
European Union
European Commission
European Parliament
- Austria: Ulrike Lunacek – 2009
- Denmark: Torben Lund – 1999–2005
- Germany: Lissy Gröner - 1989
- Italy: Gianni Vattimo – 1999
- Netherlands: Herman Verbeek (PPR) – 1984
- Spain: José María Mendiluce Pereiro (PSOE-later joined the Greens) 1999–2004 – came out 2003
- United Kingdom:
- Tom Spencer – 1999, came out as gay
- Nikki Sinclaire - came out in 2004 as lesbian, came out in 2013 as transgender woman
Americas
Argentina
- First gay congressperson: Senator Osvaldo López – July 27, 2011 (married to a man[1])
- First gay deputy to the Buenos Aires City Legislature: María Rachid – 2011
Brazil
- First transgender elected (Alderperson): Kátia Tapety – Colônia do Piauí – 1992
- First transgender vice-mayor: Kátia Tapety – 2004
- Federal Deputy: Clodovil Hernandez – 2006
- City Deputy: Leo Kret – 2008.[2]
- Federal Deputy: Jean Wyllys – 2010 (considered the first openly gay activist)[3]
Canada
Chile
- First gay congressperson: Claudio Arriagada - elected 2013
Colombia
- Cabinet: Cecilia Álvarez-Correa, Minister of Transport 2012-2014, Minister of Trade and Industry since 2014 (came out in 2014)
- Cabinet: Gina Parody, Minister of Education since 2014
- Senate: Claudia López 2014
- House of Representatives: Angélica Lozano Correa - elected 2014
- National Agency: Brigitte Baptiste (trans woman), Director of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Biodiversity
Cuba
- First transgender person elected to office: Adela Hernandez - 2012[4]
Mexico
- Federal Deputy (members of the lower federal chamber):
- Female: Patria Jiménez – 1997.
- Male: David Sánchez Camacho – 2006.
- Local Deputy (members of a state congress or the Legislative Assembly of the Federal District):
- Female: Enoé Uranga – 2000 (Federal District).
- Male: David Sánchez Camacho – 1997 (Federal District).
- Municipal president (city mayor):
- Male: Benjamín Medrano Quezada - 2013 (Fresnillo, Zacatecas).
Peru
- Member of Congress:
- Carlos Bruce - elected 2006, came out as gay in 2014.
Puerto Rico
- Supreme Court of Puerto Rico:
- Maite Oronoz Rodríguez - sworn in on July 15, 2014.
United States
Uruguay
- First openly gay member of Government: Andrés Scagliola - 2010, came out in 2011.
Europe
Austria
- Member of Parliament: Ulrike Lunacek – 1999
Belgium
- Prime Minister, Elio Di Rupo (PS) (2011, first openly gay man to head a Belgian national government in modern times)
- Member of the Flemish Government, Pascal Smet (SP.A) – came out in 2009
- Member of the Brussels Government, Bruno De Lille (Groen)
Czech Republic
- Member of the Government: Gustáv Slamečka – Minister of Transport (2009–2010)
- Member of the Senate: Václav Fischer (1999–2002)
Denmark
- Member of Parliament:
- Female: Yvonne Herløv Andersen(da) – 1998 she was also MP for a few terms during the 70's and 80's, but not while openly lesbian.
- Male: Torben Lund(da) – 1998 came out in February 1998 while still an MP.
Finland
- Member of Parliament:
- Male Jani Toivola – 2011
- Female Merikukka Forsius (bisexual) – 1999
- Male Oras Tynkkynen – 2004
- Male Pekka Haavisto – 1987
- Male Reijo Paananen – 2002
- Female Silvia Modig – 2011
- Leader of a major political party (Green League): Pekka Haavisto 1992
- Member of the Government: Minister of the Environment: Pekka Haavisto – 1995 and Minister for International Development: Pekka Haavisto - 2011
France
- Member of Parliament: André Labarrère(fr) (1928–2006) – came out 1998[5]
- Mayor of Paris: Bertrand Delanoë – came out 1998, elected 2001[6]
- Government Member: Roger Karoutchi, Secretary of State for relations with parliament – came out 2009[7]
Germany
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Herbert Rusche – 1985
- Male: Volker Beck - 1994
- Bundesrat (Federal Council):
- President: Klaus Wowereit – 2001
- Leader of a major political party: Guido Westerwelle (FDP) came out 2004
- Mayors:
- Berlin: Klaus Wowereit – 2001
- Hamburg: Ole von Beust – 2001
- Member of Government:
- Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister: Guido Westerwelle (FDP), since 2009
- Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety: Barbara Hendricks (SPD), since 2013
Hungary
- Member of Parliament:
- Female: Klára Ungár(hu) – 1990
- Member of Government:
- Secretary of State for Human Resources: Gábor Szetey came out 2007
Iceland
- Prime Minister: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (2009, first openly gay person in the world to be elected head of government)
Ireland
- Minister
- Leo Varadkar (minister since 2011; came out in 2015[8])
- Pat Carey (minister 2010-2011) also came out in 2015, but not during his term of office. [9]
- Member of the Oireachtas (parliament):
- TD (Member of Dáil):
- Dominic Hannigan (Meath East) and
- John Lyons (Dublin North–West) were both out when first elected in 2011;[10]
- Pat Carey (Dublin North–West) was elected in 1997 but did not come out until 2015
- Senator:
- Male: David Norris (University of Dublin) – 1987
- Female: Katherine Zappone (Taoiseach's nominee) – 2011
- TD (Member of Dáil):
Italy
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Angelo Pezzana(it) – 1979
- Male: Nichi Vendola – 1992
- Male: Daniele Capezzone, bisexual – 2006
- Female: Titti De Simone(it) – 2001
- Female: Paola Concia – 2008
- Transgender: Vladimir Luxuria – 2006
- Member of the government:
- Minister for Agriculture: Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio – 2000 came out later 2000 – again Minister of Environment in 2006 (bisexual)
- President of Region:
- President of Apulia: Nichi Vendola – 2005
- President of Sicily Rosario Crocetta - 2012
Latvia
- Member of Government:
Lithuania
Luxembourg
- Prime Minister: Xavier Bettel
- Deputy Prime Minister: Etienne Schneider
- Mayor of Luxembourg City: Xavier Bettel
Netherlands
- Member of Parliament:
- Member of Government:
- Male: Minister of Economic Affairs: Joop Wijn (CDA) – 2006
- Male: Minister of Finance: Jan Kees de Jager (CDA) – 2010
- Female: Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food: Gerda Verburg (CDA) – 2007
- (note: Ien Dales' (PvdA, Minister of the Interior) sexual orientation was only revealed after her death)
Norway
- Member of Parliament:
- Female: Wenche Lowzow – 1977–1985 came out 1979, reelected 1981
- Male: Anders Hornslien – 1993 - 2001, came out 1994
- Member of Government:
- Minister of Finance: Per Kristian Foss – 2001–2005
- City council chairman of Oslo: Erling Lae – 2000–2009
Poland
- City councillor, and first openly LGBT holder of any office in Poland: Krystian Legierski – 2010
- First openly gay member of parliament and current President of City Słupsk: Robert Biedroń – 2011[13] 2014[14]
- First openly transsexual member of parliament: Anna Grodzka – 2011[13]
Portugal
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Miguel Vale de Almeida – 2009–2010
Serbia
- Adviser to the Minister of European Integration
- Male: Boris Milicevic – 2013–
Slovakia
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Stanislav Fořt – came out 2011
Spain
- Member of the Cortes: Ángeles Álvarez Álvarez (PSOE) – Member of the Congress of Deputies since 2011. She came out in 2013.
- Member of the Cortes: Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (PSOE) – Has been a member of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate since 1977 until 2004 with some interruptions – came out 2000
- Autonomic President: Jeronimo Saavedra Acevedo, President of the Canary Islands 1983–1987 and 1991–1993
- Member of Government:
- Minister of Public Administrations and of Education and Science: Jerónimo Saavedra (Public Administrations, 1993–1995 and of Education and Science 1995–1996)
- Mayor of a Provincial Capital: Jerónimo Saavedra, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Incumbent since 2007
- Transgender town councillor: Manuela Trasobares (ARDE) 2007 – at Geldo, Castellon
Autonomous regional parliament members
- Member of the Parliament of Catalonia when openly gay: Miquel Iceta PSC, since 1999
- Member of the Basque Parliament: Iñaki Oyarzábal, elected 1996, Secretary General of the
Spanish People's Party of the Basque Country, 2008-2014
- Member of the Assembly of Extremadura: Víctor Casco, come out 2014
Sweden
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Kent Carlsson (s) – came out 1991, died in 1993
- Female: Elisebeht Markström (s) – came out publicly in 2006
- Member of Government:
- Minister of the Environment: Andreas Carlgren (c) – 2006
- Minister of Migration Affairs: Tobias Billström (m) – 2006 (bisexual)
Switzerland
- Member of Parliament:
- Male: Claude Janiak – elected 1999 – speaker of House of Representatives 2006
- Male: Martin Naef - elected 2011
- Male: Hans-Peter Portmann - elected 2014
- Male: Daniel Stolz - elected 2012
- Female: Doris Stump – elected 2003
- Cantonal Governments:
- Male: Martin Klöti - elected 2012 - Member of the Executive Council of St. Gallen
- Male: Bernhard Pulver - elected 2006 - Member of the Executive Council of Bern
- Mayor of a large city:
- Female: Corine Mauch – elected 2009 – Mayor of Zurich (largest city in Switzerland), first openly gay mayor of a large Swiss city
United Kingdom
Africa
South Africa
- Member of Parliament: Mike Waters – 1999
- Cabinet minister: Lynne Brown – 2014[15]
- Provincial Premier: Lynne Brown – 2009
- High Court Judge: Edwin Cameron – 1995
- Constitutional Court Justice: Edwin Cameron – 2008
Asia
Hong Kong
- Legislative Council Member (Gay Male): Raymond Chan Chi-chuen - 2012
Israel
- Members of Knesset (Parliament):
- Uzi Even (elected 2003)
- Nitzan Horowitz (elected 2009)
- City councillors:
- Tel-Aviv: Michal Eden (elected 1998), Itai Pinkas (first gay man; elected 2003)
- Jerusalem: Saar Nathaniel (elected 2003)
Japan
- Member of the Diet, Upper House (Lesbian): Kanako Otsuji – 2013
Osaka
- Prefectural assembly member (Lesbian): Kanako Otsuji – 2005
Tokyo
- Ward councillor (Transgender): Aya Kamikawa (Setagaya) – 2003
- Ward councillor (Gay male): Taiga Ishikawa (Toshima) and Wataru Ishizaka (Nakano) – both elected 2011
Nepal
- Constituent Assembly Member: Sunil Babu Pant – 2008
Philippines
- Municipality of Leyte, Leyte Province Mayor (Gay Male): Arnold James Ysidoro 1998-2004; 2010
- Municipality of Palapag, Northern Samar(2013); Board Member of 2nd District of Northern Samar Province (2013-2016) (Transgender Woman): Florencio "Fawa" Abobo Batula
- City Councilor of Mandaue City (1998-2007); Board Member of Gth Distrct of Cebu Province (2007-2010) (Gay Male): Wenceslao Gakit
- City Councilor of Pasay City (1980's) (Gay Male):Panfilo C Justo/ Justo Justo
- Barangay Capitan of Angeles IV, Tayabas, Quezon Province (2001) (Transgender Woman):Ruvic Rea
Oceania
Australia
Guam
- Member of Legislature: Benjamin Cruz – 2004
- Supreme Court Justice: Benjamin Cruz – 1997, Chief Justice 1999–2001 (came out 1995)
New Zealand
- Member of Parliament:
- Female: Marilyn Waring (National) 1975–1984 (outed during office)
- Female: Maryan Street (Labour) 2005–Present (outed before office)
- Male: Chris Carter (Labour) 1993–2011
- Transsexual: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1999–2007 (world's first)
- Cabinet Minister:
- Male: Minister of Conservation, Minister of Ethnic Affairs, Minister of Local Government, Minister for Building Issues, Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office: Chris Carter (Labour) 2002-8
- Female: Minister of Housing and Minister of ACC: Maryan Street (Labour) 2007-8
- Transsexual mayor: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1995–1999 (world's first)
See also
References
- ↑ Asumió el primer senador gay casado del país
- ↑
- ↑ "Direitos dos homossexuais são defendidos por 154 deputados - brasil - versaoimpressa - Estadão" (in Portuguese). Estadao.com.br. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ↑ "Transgender Woman 1st to Win Office in Cuba". ABC News, November 16, 2012.
- ↑ "Roger Karoutchi revele son homosexualite". Le Monde. 2009-01-23.
- ↑ "Psychiatric tests for anti-gay attacker". BBC News. 2002-10-07. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
- ↑ "Roger Karoutchi révèle son homosexualité" (in French). Lemonde.fr. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ↑ "Varadkar: I am a gay man". BreakingNews.ie. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ↑ Minihan, Mary (13 February 2015). "Pat Carey criticises FF over same-sex marriage campaign". Irish Times. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
- ↑ McBride, Caitlin (1 March 2011). "First openly gay TDs are proud to blaze a trail". Evening Herald. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ↑ "Rinkēvičs sociālajos medijos paziņo: 'lepns būt gejs'" (in Latvian). Delfi. 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2014-11-06.
- ↑ "Lithuania’s ‘Protection of Minors’ Law and Gay Pride Discussed at European Parliament Public Hearing". Ukgaynews.org.uk. 2010-04-29. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 2011 parliamentary election results: http://wybory2011.pkw.gov.pl/wyn/pl/000000.html#tabs-1
- ↑ 2014 local election results: http://wybory2014.pkw.gov.pl/pl/wyniki/gminy/view/226301#tabs-1
- ↑ Smith, David (26 May 2014). "South Africa appoints first openly gay cabinet minister". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 May 2014.