Political LGBTQ&A with Jonathan Warnock, Councilmember-Elect in Rural Western Pennsylvania

A series on queer politics in rural Pennsylvania

Content Note: death by suicide, peer rejection, climate change

I say all the time that I’m just fighting the future, i.e. doing everything I can to mitigate the effects of climate change. Working for LGBTQIA+ rights feels the same. No minority group in history has gotten rights without a fight, and no group will keep them without vigilance. I’ve been involved with this for a long time now, going back to college and grad school working the the ‘gay/straight’ alliance clubs where I went to school. I seem to be unable to turn down the chance to advocate for equality or work to fight our climate future… just ask my husband.

A few days after Election Day 2019, the Victory Fund released a list of known openly LGBTQ (self-identified, of course) candidates who won their offices. They identified two in Western Pennsylvania. After I published that information, I found three more for a total of five (so far) and who knows how many others who weren’t registered with the Victory Fund. If you know someone who should be on this list, please message them to message me privately. Loosely speaking, I’m interested in openly LGBTQ candidates who won their office in the Western…