List of LGBTQ members of the United States Congress

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As of January 2025, 37 members of the LGBTQ community are known to have held office in the United States Congress. In the House, 33 LGBTQ people held office; in the Senate, 4 held office. Two people, Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema, served in the House and were later elected into the Senate. The earliest known LGBTQ congressperson was Ed Koch, who began his term in the House in 1969. The earliest known LGBTQ senator is Harris Wofford, who began his term in 1991. Both men were not out during their tenure: Koch's sexuality was confirmed after his death and Wofford announced his plans to marry a man over 20 years after serving in the Senate. In 2024, Sarah McBride was elected as the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress.

One incumbent senator and 12 congresspeople are LGBT: Senator Tammy Baldwin, Mark Pocan, Mark Takano, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Chris Pappas, Ritchie Torres, Becca Balint, Robert Garcia, Eric Sorensen, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Emily Randall

There are 13 openly LGBTQ members of the current (119th) Congress, all of whom are Democrats. One is a senator and the rest are House representatives. This equals the record highest number of LGBTQ congresspeople serving at the same time in U.S. history,[a][1][2] and the 12 openly LGBTQ representatives form the highest number of simultaneously-serving openly LGBTQ members in the history of the House of Representatives.

Senate

† Came out after serving   Incumbent (currently serving)

More information Senator, Party ...
Senator Party State Term Notes
Start End Length of service
Harris Wofford† Democratic Pennsylvania May 8, 1991 Jan 3, 1995 3 years, 240 days Announced his marriage to a man in 2016.[3][4]
Tammy Baldwin Democratic Wisconsin Jan 3, 2013 Incumbent 13 years, 117 days As an openly lesbian woman, Baldwin is the first openly LGBTQ senator.[1][5][6]
Kyrsten Sinema Democratic
(2019–2022)		 Arizona Jan 3, 2019 Jan 3, 2025 6 years, 0 days Sinema was the first openly bisexual senator.[1][7]
Independent
(2022–2025)
Laphonza Butler Democratic California Oct 3, 2023 Dec 8, 2024 1 year, 66 days Butler is openly lesbian and was the first openly LGBTQ African-American senator.[8][9]
Close

House of Representatives

† Came out after serving ‡ Posthumously identified as LGBTQ   Incumbent (currently serving)

More information Representative, Party ...
Representative Party State Term Notes
Start End Length of
service
Ed Koch‡ Democratic New York Jan 3, 1969 Dec 31, 1977 8 years, 362 days Koch denied he was gay throughout his life, but a 2022 article in The New York Times identified him as such.[10]
Stewart McKinney‡ Republican Connecticut Jan 3, 1971 May 7, 1987 16 years, 124 days After dying in office of AIDS-related illness, McKinney was outed as bisexual in his obituary.[4][11][12][13][14][15]
Barbara Jordan‡ Democratic Texas Jan 3, 1973 Jan 3, 1979 6 years, 0 days Jordan's domestic partnership with Nancy Earl was revealed in her obituary in 1996, making her the first LGBTQ woman in Congress (per the U.S. National Archives).[16][17]
Gerry Studds Democratic Massachusetts Jan 3, 1973 Jan 3, 1997 24 years, 0 days Studds came out as gay as a result of his implication in the 1983 congressional page sex scandal.[18] He became the first openly LGBTQ person to win election to Congress with his reelection in 1984.[4]
Robert Bauman Republican Maryland Aug 21, 1973 Jan 3, 1981 7 years, 135 days Bauman was outed as gay in October 1980 while in office, making him the first openly LGBTQ member of Congress.[19][20][4]
Pete Kostmayer† Democratic Pennsylvania Jan 3, 1977 Jan 3, 1981 14 years, 0 days Announced in 2025 his 2021 marriage to a man.[21]
Jan 3, 1983 Jan 3, 1993
Jon Hinson Republican Mississippi Jan 3, 1979 Apr 13, 1981 2 years, 100 days Hinson was outed as gay after being arrested on a charge of oral sodomy on February 4, 1981.[22][4]
Barney Frank Democratic Massachusetts Jan 3, 1981 Jan 3, 2013 32 years, 0 days Frank came out as gay in 1987 and in 2012 became the first member of Congress in a same-sex marriage.[4][23][24]
Steve Gunderson Republican Wisconsin Jan 3, 1981 Jan 3, 1997 16 years, 0 days Gunderson was outed as gay on the floor of the House in 1994, Gunderson was the first openly gay Republican to be reelected after being outed.[25][26][4]
Jim Kolbe Republican Arizona Jan 3, 1985 Jan 3, 2007 22 years, 0 days Kolbe came out as gay while in office after voting for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. He was the first openly gay person to address the Republican National Convention.[27][28][29][4]
Michael Huffington† Republican California Jan 3, 1993 Jan 3, 1995 2 years, 0 days Huffington came out as bisexual in 1998[4][30]
Mark Foley† Republican Florida Jan 3, 1995 Sep 29, 2006 11 years, 269 days Foley came out as gay after being implicated in a 2006 congressional page scandal.[31]
Tammy Baldwin Democratic Wisconsin Jan 3, 1999 Jan 3, 2013 14 years, 0 days Baldwin is openly lesbian, and was the first openly LGBTQ non-incumbent elected to Congress.[5][4]
Mike Michaud Democratic Maine Jan 3, 2003 Jan 3, 2015 12 years, 0 days Michaud came out as gay in 2013.[32][33][4]
Jared Polis Democratic Colorado Jan 3, 2009 Jan 3, 2019 10 years, 0 days In 2011, Polis became the first same-sex parent in Congress.[4][34][6][35]
Aaron Schock† Republican Illinois Jan 3, 2009 Mar 31, 2015 6 years, 87 days Schock came out as gay in 2020.[36]
David Cicilline Democratic Rhode Island Jan 3, 2011 May 31, 2023 12 years, 148 days Cicilline is openly gay.[1][4][6]
Sean Patrick Maloney Democratic New York Jan 3, 2013 Jan 3, 2023 10 years, 0 days Maloney is openly gay.[1][4][6] In 2014, he married his longtime partner.[37]
Mark Pocan Democratic Wisconsin Jan 3, 2013 Incumbent 13 years, 117 days Pocan is openly gay and the first LGBTQ member of Congress to replace another LGBTQ member of Congress (Tammy Baldwin) and the first non-incumbent in a same-sex marriage elected to Congress.[1][4][6][38]
Kyrsten Sinema Democratic Arizona Jan 3, 2013 Jan 3, 2019 6 years, 0 days Sinema was the first openly bisexual member of Congress.[4][6][39]
Mark Takano Democratic California Jan 3, 2013 Incumbent 13 years, 117 days Takano is openly gay and the first openly LGBTQ person of color (specifically Asian American) elected to Congress.[1][6]
Angie Craig Democratic Minnesota Jan 3, 2019 Incumbent 7 years, 117 days Craig is openly lesbian and the first non-incumbent LGBTQ parent elected to Congress.[1][40]
Sharice Davids Democratic Kansas Jan 3, 2019 Incumbent 7 years, 117 days Davids is openly lesbian and the first openly LGBTQ woman of color (Native American) elected to Congress.[1][41]
Katie Hill Democratic California Jan 3, 2019 Nov 1, 2019 302 days Hill is openly bisexual.[42]
Chris Pappas Democratic New Hampshire Jan 3, 2019 Incumbent 7 years, 117 days Pappas is openly gay.[1][43]
Mondaire Jones Democratic New York Jan 3, 2021 Jan 3, 2023 2 years, 0 days Along with Ritchie Torres, Jones was the first openly gay African American elected to Congress.[1][44]
Ritchie Torres Democratic New York Jan 3, 2021 Incumbent 5 years, 117 days Along with Mondaire Jones, Torres was the first openly gay African American elected to Congress,[44] and the first openly gay Hispanic member of Congress.[1]
Becca Balint Democratic Vermont Jan 3, 2023 Incumbent 3 years, 117 days Balint is openly lesbian.[45]
Robert Garcia Democratic California Jan 3, 2023 Incumbent 3 years, 117 days Garcia is openly gay.[46]
George Santos Republican New York Jan 3, 2023 Dec 1, 2023 332 days Santos is openly gay[47] and the first openly LGBTQ non-incumbent Republican elected to Congress.[b]
Eric Sorensen Democratic Illinois Jan 3, 2023 Incumbent 3 years, 117 days Sorensen is openly gay.[49]
Julie Johnson Democratic Texas Jan 3, 2025 Incumbent 1 year, 117 days Johnson is openly lesbian and the first openly LGBTQ individual to represent a southern state in Congress.[50]
Sarah McBride Democratic Delaware Jan 3, 2025 Incumbent 1 year, 117 days McBride is the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress.[50]
Emily Randall Democratic Washington Jan 3, 2025 Incumbent 1 year, 117 days Randall is the first openly LGBTQ Hispanic woman elected to Congress.[50]
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Shadow representatives

Further information: Shadow congressperson
More information Representative, Party ...
Representative Party Jurisdiction Term Notes
Start End Length of service
Sabrina Sojourner Democratic District of Columbia Jan 3, 1997 Jan 3, 1999 2 years, 0 days Sojourner came out as lesbian in 1976.[51][52]
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Histograph of openly-serving LGBTQ members of Congress

More information Starting, Total ...
Starting Total Graph Event
March 4, 1789 0   Steady United States Congress established
October 3, 1980 1
Increase Robert Bauman outed
January 3, 1981 0
Decrease Robert Bauman lost reelection
February 4, 1981 1
Increase Jon Hinson outed
April 13, 1981 0
Decrease Jon Hinson resigned
July 14, 1983 1
Increase Gerry Studds comes out
May 29, 1987 2
Increase Barney Frank comes out
March 24, 1994 3
Increase Steve Gunderson outed
August 1, 1996 4
Increase Jim Kolbe comes out
January 3, 1997 2
Decrease Gerry Studds and Steve Gunderson retired
January 3, 1999 3
Increase Tammy Baldwin elected to the House
January 3, 2007 2
Decrease Jim Kolbe retired
January 3, 2009 3
Increase Jared Polis elected
January 3, 2011 4
Increase David Cicilline elected
January 3, 2013 7
Increase Tammy Baldwin retired from the House, elected to the Senate; Sean Patrick Maloney, Mark Pocan, Kyrsten Sinema, and Mark Takano elected; Barney Frank retired
November 4, 2013 8
Increase Mike Michaud comes out
January 3, 2015 7
Decrease Mike Michaud retired
January 3, 2019 10
Increase Kyrsten Sinema retired from the House, elected to the Senate; Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Katie Hill, and Chris Pappas elected; Jared Polis retired
November 1, 2019 9
Decrease Katie Hill resigned
January 3, 2021 11
Increase Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres elected
December 9, 2022 11
Steady Kyrsten Sinema registered as an independent
January 3, 2023 13
Increase Becca Balint, Robert Garcia, George Santos, and Eric Sorensen elected; Mondaire Jones lost renomination; Sean Patrick Maloney lost reelection
June 1, 2023 12
Decrease David Cicilline resigned
October 4, 2023 13
Increase Laphonza Butler appointed
December 1, 2023 12
Decrease George Santos expelled
December 8, 2024 11
Decrease Laphonza Butler resigned
January 3, 2025 13
Increase Kyrsten Sinema retired; Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Emily Randall elected
Close
  Democratic Party
  Republican Party
  Independent

See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    The immediately-preceding Congress had also seen two periods of time when 13 openly LGBTQ members served simultaneously: from the start of the 118th Congress until the resignation of Rep. David Cicilline (D–RI) on Jun. 1, 2023 (comprising two senators and eleven representatives), and again from the appointment of Sen. Laphonza Butler (D–CA) on Oct. 4, 2023, until the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R–NY) on Dec. 1, 2023 (comprising three senators and ten representatives).
  2. [b]
    Incidentally, this also marked the first election in which both major party candidates (Santos and Democrat Rob Zimmerman) were openly LGBTQ.[48]

References

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