Weekly Newsletter

Congress takes Pride in growing LGBTQ numbers

Posted by Keturah Hetrick on June 5, 2023

Congress is coming out of the closet: Among members of the 118th Congress, 2.5% of representatives and 2% of senators openly identify as LGBTQ - the highest in congressional history.

In the 1970s, openly LGBTQ members made up under 0.5% of the House. By 2013, that number had grown to 1.7% and has gradually increased since. These counts include openly LGBTQ members who served partial terms, such as ex-Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who stepped down from the House last week.

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is the current session's only openly LGBTQ Republican member.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) make up the Senate's openly LGBTQ members. Former Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who served from 1991-1995, is the only other openly LGBTQ member in Senate history.

Of 7,453 legislators currently serving in state houses, 164 are openly LGBTQ (2.2%).

According to Gallup, 7.2% of the U.S. adult population identify as LGBT.

Some people and organizations who "caught our eye" last week:

U.S. Marine Corps

U.S. Army

Trending Staffers› learn more

Morgan Murphy, National Security Adviser, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) (former staffer) – So-So
Biting the bullet
Philip Bennett, Operations Director, Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) (current staffer) – Bravo!
Organized
Vish Burra, Operations Director, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) (current staffer) – Uh oh!
Greasy palms?

Hill Hires

Clark Ogilvie, House Agriculture Committee, Democratic Special Counsel
Mauricio Armaza, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Press Secretary
Lauren Sierra, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Press Secretary

Hill Departures

Amanda Peper, formerly Scheduler to Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL)
(now Summer Associate at Dechert LLP)
Josh Grant, formerly Legislative Assistant to Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
(now Policy Director at Tim Scott for America)
Sydney Petersen, formerly Press Secretary to Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
(now Senior Media Relations Manager at the National Women's Law Center)
Mary Collins Atkinson, formerly Communications Director to Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA)
(now Public Affairs Director at PLUS Communications)

Hill Moves and Promotions

Adam Taylor, now Legislative Director to Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA)
(formerly Military Legislative Assistant)
Sara Katsnelson, now Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA)
(formerly Legislative Assistant)
Barrett Tenbarge, now General Counsel to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
(formerly Senior Counsel, Health)
Chris MacArthur, now Legislative Director to Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA)
(formerly Senior Legislative Assistant to Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI))