LGBT Politicians in the US

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In Greenwich Village on a warm July morning in 1969, a group of gay men and women are brawling with police officers. This is Stonewall. These riots mark the start of the Gay Liberation movement–a social cause hampered by public stigma–such as the AIDS Epidemic, religious intolerance, negligence of an almost criminal level by the United States government, and outright scorn from all directions. Stonewall marked the first critically important instance of the gay community “fighting back” against all of this injustice. The following decades would result in an unprecedented shift in public opinion. They would not, however, result in an unprecedented shift in congressional representation. The lack of representation is dangerous to the LGBT community and the nation as a whole. LGBT individuals are stigmatized because of fear, and forsaken for being different. This fear is holding back the nation, and threatening our concepts of equality.
Marred by sex scandals, stigma, malicious opposition, and almost always personal fear, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community rarely has a say in what goes on in Congress. While the last few years have been remarkable in having 17 of the 50 states legalize gay marriage, the representation of the LGBT population by LGBT politicians is astoundingly low. The lack of representation here is dangerous, and warrants investigation. Immediately upon entrance into the Reconstruction period, black representation numbers in Congress soared. While the bubble eventually lowered to a fairly constant number, there has been a constant representation since the end of the civil war. Representation is important: it reduces victimization, broadens national norms, and ensures that every citizen has a voice.
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Haas, Ann P., Mickey Eliason, Vickie M. Mays, et. al. ”Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations." Journal of Homosexuality 58.1 (2010): 10-51. Print.
Lehmiller, Justin. "Same-Sex Marriage Is Formally Banned In More Parts Of The U.S. Than Necrophilia." The Psychology of Human Sexuality. N.p., 17 Mar. 2014. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
Mills, Kim I. "GINGRICH FAVORS GAY 'TOLERATION'; SAYS HOMOSEXUALITY IS ORIENTATION 'LIKE ALCOHOLISM'" The Buffalo News 24 Nov. 1994: n. pag. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

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