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Political LGBTQ&A with Xander Orenstein, Magisterial Judge Elect
We also must remember that your identity is part of your power, but do not let it alone define who you are. There are always bits of who you are that are out there to be discovered and what you will find will surprise and empower you.
A few days after Election Day 2021, the Victory Fund released a list of known out LGBTQ candidates who won their offices. They identified nine in Pennsylvania who were victorious. This list is based on VF candidates, but I suspect there are others, especially in very local elections. If you know someone who should be on this list, please message them to message me privately. Loosely speaking, I’m interested in out LGBTQ candidates who won their office in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania elected at least 9 out LGBTQ candidates to office this November. 4 people have responded to this Q&A — 3 men and 1 nonbinary individual. There is no other Pennsylvania media outlet that will connect elected officials to the statewide LGBTQ community. I’m not saying that to shame anyone for deciding not to follow through, but to remind you that there are queer kids and adults throughout the Commonwealth who deserve to read these stories, I am dismayed that the majority of those elected chose not to participate in a LGBTQ centric series. No women responded and only one elected official from Western…