The Palm Springs, Calif., City Council is entirely LGBT or queer after two new members were elected to the council Tuesday.
Source: Palm Springs City Council now entirely queer – NY Daily News
The Palm Springs, Calif., City Council is entirely LGBT or queer after two new members were elected to the council Tuesday.
Lisa Middleton made history Tuesday as the first openly transgender candidate elected to a nonjudicial office in California.
Christy Holstege, who identifies as bisexual, won the second open seat on the city council.
They beat out four other candidates in Tuesday’s election, the Desert Sunreported.
First openly transgender African American woman elected
Middleton won about 31% of the vote while Holstege won with 30% of the vote in her favor, the Desert Sun reports.
Their election means that the council is now 100% LGBT or queer, according to Equality California, which endorsed both candidates, and contributed to their campaigns.
Lisa Middleton is the first transgender candidate elected to a nonjudicial office in California.
(LISA MIDDLETON VIA FACEBOOK)
LGBT advocates celebrated their win Tuesday night.
“By becoming the first out transgender person to be elected to a non-judicial office in California, Lisa is paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps in California and across the nation. Her first place finish out of a field of 6 candidates demonstrates that a glass ceiling for transgender people who want to serve in elected office was not only broken, but was shattered in Palm Springs.”
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Middleton and Holstege join gay councilmembers Geoff Kors and J.R. Roberts.
Other transgender candidates were elected to office Tuesday — significant victories for an oft marginalized community.
Transgender woman Andrea Jenkins was elected to the Minneapolis City Council while Danica Roem of Virginia beat 13-term Republican state Del. Bob Marshall to became the first openly transgender person elected and seated to a state legislature in the U.S.
