In today’s world, representation is more important than ever especially when it comes to politicians. Seeing someone just like yourself working to make your life better is a powerful thing. When selecting a political candidate to represent you and where you live, it’s essential to feel that those candidates have your best interest in mind. So as the LGBTQ+ community around the world grows, we are starting to see more politicians that are part of the LGBTQ+ community being voted into offices worldwide.
Here Are Some LGBTQ+ Politicians From Around the World That You Should Know
Ana Brnabi? – Serbia
Ana Brnabic is the current Prime Minister of Serbia and a member of the Serbian Progressive Party. She is the first woman to serve as the Serbian prime minister and the first openly gay person to hold that role. In addition, Brnabic was only the second out female LGBTQ+ head of state. She was born and raised in Belgrade but obtained university degrees in the United States and the United Kingdom.
After working in the private sector for a decade, Brnabic’s political career started when she was made Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government. She was elected Prime minister in 2017 and has also had roles as Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her Partner, Milica ?ur?i?, gave birth in 2019, making their son the first child to be born to a gay head of state while in office. In the same year, Brnabic was ranked as the 88th most powerful woman globally and the 19th most powerful female political and policy leader.
Claudia López Hernández – Colombia
Claudia Lopez Hernandez is the current Mayor of Bogota, Colombia, and a Colombian Green Alliance Party member. Lopez was born in Bogota and obtained a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in the United States before returning to Colombia. She has acted as a consultant for the United Nations well as writing for numerous newspapers and magazines.
Lopez was first elected to the Colombian Senate in 2014. In 2017 she was selected by her party as the vice-presidential candidate in the upcoming 2018 election. In 2019 she was elected mayor of Bogota, becoming the first woman to be elected to the position and the first openly gay mayor of Bogota. She was on the BBC list of ’100 women’ in 2020 and was a part of the three-week series programming. She married longtime partner Angélica Lozano Correa, a lawyer, member of the Colombian Senate, and a former mayor herself.
Julie Lemieux – Canada
Julie Lemieux is the Mayor of Très-Saint-Rédempteur, Quebec, Canada. When she was elected, she became the first female mayor of Très-Saint-Rédempteur as well as the first openly transgender mayor in Canada.
Her political career began when she was part of a successful program to maintain a historical church and repurpose it as a community center and cultural outpost for the village. In 2013 she was elected to the municipal council and in 2017, was elected as mayor. She took 48 percent of the vote, with the sitting mayor at the time only receiving 23 percent.
Jens Spahn – Germany
Jens Spahn is the current Federal Minister of Health in Germany. He was born in Ahaus, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany, in 1980. His Master’s degree is in political science and law. His political career began at the age of 15 when he joined a political group aimed at youth.
He became the youngest member of his party to be elected when, at the age of 22, he became a Member of Parliament (MP). He has served on the boards of several organizations and non-profits. In 2015 he became Parliamentary State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. In 2018 he was appointed Federal Minister of Health and currently holds the position.
Taiga Ishikawa – Japan
Taiga Ishikawa is a member of the Japanese House of Councillors. He was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1974, and holds a degree from Meiji Gakuin University School of Law. He was the first openly gay man to be elected to the House of Councillors. In addition to this historic feat, he and Wataru Ishizaka previously became the first openly gay male politicians to win an election in Japan.
Ishikawa founded the queer support group Peer Friends in hopes of offering help for gay males. He famously came out in his 2002 memoir, Where is My Boyfriend? He is a member of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.
Xavier Bettel – Luxembourg
Xavier Bettel is the current Prime minister of Luxembourg and has been since 2013. He was born in Luxembourg City in 1973. He holds a Master’s degree in European Law as well as a DEA in Political Science. Certified as a lawyer in 200, Bettel was elected to the Chamber of Deputies by 2004.
In 2011, he was sworn in as mayor of Luxembourg City. Re-elected as mayor in 2018, he became the first openly gay prime minister to serve a second term. Bettel married his longtime partner, Gauthier Destenay, in 2015 when Luxembourg legalized same-sex marriage.
Jeane Freeman OBE – Scotland
Born in Ayr, Scotland, in 1953, Jeane Freeman is the Scottish Secretary of Health and Sport. She studied politics and sociology at the Glasgow College of Technology. Freeman is a member of the Scottish National Party(SNP) and was previously a member of the Scottish Labour Party. She first served as Minister for Social Security for the SNP before being appointed to her current position as Secretary of Health and Sport.
With members of the LGBTQ+ community representing constituents from all walks of life in all levels of government, the general public is starting to understand how critical LGBTQ+ individuals are to society. With diverse backgrounds and experiences, queer politicians play a pivotal role in creating and maintaining a healthy government.
