While this election has progressed at the detriment of millions of marginalized groups, and the despair a lot of us are facing now is palpable, there is a small victory LGBT people can smile about. This Tuesday, the state of Oregon elected Democrat Kate Brown, the first LGBT candidate to ever hold office at the highest state level as Governor.
Brown identifies as bisexual, an often ignored sub-group within our already disenfranchised community. She'd actually served as Governor prior to the election, beginning in February 2015 after the former title-holder John Kitzhaber resigned due to scandal. Now she'll officially be taking the title thanks to the November 8th decision.
Though Brown was not outed by choice, she proudly represents the LGBT community today. She's very open about her bisexual pride now, and even stated so in a Washington Blade interview:
"You can't be what you can't see," she said. "If I can be a role model for one young person that decides that their life is worth living because there's someone like them in the world, it's worth it."
In the midst of a dismal Trump win, knowing that Kate Brown is out there representing LGBT people and minorities makes all of this a tiny bit more hopeful. Congratulations Kate Brown!
