US Elections 2020: LGBTQ candidates win big with milestone achievements

The US Presidential polls 2020 have proven to be exceptional as far as LGBTQ candidates are concerned. The first openly gay men, the first openly bisexual candidate and the first transgender person have won seats in the Congress.

Republican Eddie Mannis who identifies himself as gay and Democrat Torrey Harris who identifies as bisexual have won from Tennessee. Democratic Sarah Mc Bride went onto become the first openly transgender person to win a Senate seat in the US with more than 70 per cent of the vote from Joe Biden's birth state and longtime constituency, Delaware.

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After her win from Delaware was confirmed on Tuesday night, Sarah Mc Bride stated, "It is my hope that a young LGBTQ kid here in Delaware or really anywhere in this country can look at the results and know that our democracy is big enough for them, too."

Apart from Mannis and Torrey Harris, attorney Mondaire Jones won in a district in New York City suburbs whereas Ritchie Torres, a member of the New York City Council won in Bronx and made history as the first gay Black men to be elected to the US House. Jones and Torres are Democrats-Torres identifies as Afro Latino. There will be nine openly LGBTQ members with the addition of Torres and Jones. All the seven incumbents won from their respective seats.

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According to the LGBTQ Victory Fund that recruits and supports LGBTQ candidates, states such as Alaska, Louisiana and Mississippi are the only states that have never elected an LGBTQ representative. President of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and former Houston mayor, Annise Parker was quoted by Associated Press as saying, "Torrey and Eddie sent a clear message that LGBTQ candidates can win in a deep red state while being their authentic selves."

Parker added, "Their presence in the state legislature can dilute the most toxic anti-LGBTQ voices and lead to more inclusive legislation."

Two other Democratic candidates- Taylor Small in Vermont and Stephanie Byers, a retired high school band teacher in Kansas became the first openly transgender people to win seats in their respective states. Byers, who became the first trans Native US state legislator in the Kansas House of Representatives said, "Gender is no longer the only thing that someone sees when we run for office... they also realize that we run more broadly, not just on LGBT issues."

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The rainbow wave surfed all over the electorate in states such as Georgia where Democrat Kim Jackson became the first lesbian to win a seat in the State Senate in Florida with Shervin Jones achieving the same feat and in New York with Jabari Brisport becoming the first openly LGBTQ person of colour to get elected to the legislature. Besides this, Democrat Mauree Turner, who is Black, Muslim and identifies as a non-binary won a seat in the Oklahoma state house.

Edited with agency inputs by Mehak Agarwal