Mayor
Many LGBTQ people aspire to politics and often their first step is at the local level. Perhaps not the most glamorous of jobs – dealing with matters such as transportation, garbage pickup, local bylaws, and many social issues – being mayor deals with issues which directly affect our everyday lives.
Cities around the world with an LGBTQ mayor vary from small municipalities with only a few hundred residents to large metropolitan areas including Paris, Houston, and Berlin. While dealing with a wide variety of issues is par for the course for these individuals, no doubt issues particular to the gay community receive their due attention.
Cities with LGBTQ mayors are located in countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland, Chile, Colombia, Luxembourg, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, India, Australia, Spain, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, the United States, The Netherlands, Malta, Italy, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain.
The number of LGBTQ mayors in the world is growing so quickly and has reached such an aggregate number that they are now forming working interest groups to consider policies and programs for the community. In addition, many out mayors have been the impetus behind the creation of LGBTQ commissions, coalitions, and advisory committees for the community in their towns and cities.
Many important legislative changes for the LGBTQ community occur first at the municipal level. These include anti-discrimination policies for health and housing, employment equity, equal job access, and more. Some of these legislative changes occur at the instigation of an out mayor.
Out mayors often face the ire of an intolerant public. There are several instances of violence against out politicians based on their sexual orientation.
Do you know who the world’s first transsexual mayor was and of what city? And which LGBTQ mayor of one of the world’s most famous cities survived an assassination attempt? These are important historical facts for the LGBTQ community to know about itself. Read on to find out.
- Sam Adams, Portland, Oregon, USA
- Claudio Arriagada, La Granja, Chile
- Toni Atkins, San Diego, California, USA
- Carl Austin, Manchester, Great Britain
- Jenny Bailey, Cambridge, Great Britain
- Ada Colau Ballano, Barcelona, Spain
- Richard Barnes, London Deputy Mayor, Great Britain
- E. F. (Fred) Benson, Rye, Great Britain
- Xavier Bettel, Luxembourg
- Georgina Beyer, Carterton, New Zealand
- Robert Biedron, Slupsk, Poland
- Jerry Birdwell, South Lake Tahoe, California, USA
- Jackie Biskupski, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Tony Briffa, Hobsons Bay, New Zealand
- Peter Buttigieg, South Bend, Indiana, USA
- Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacremento, California, USA
- Luc Carvounas, Alfortville, France
- David Cicilline, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Christopher Clark, Mountain View, California, USA
- Cecil Clarke, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
- Brian Coleman, Barnet, Great Britain
- Angelica Lozano Correa, Chapinero, Colombia
- Rosario Crocetta, Gela, Sicily
- Robert Crossman, Islington, Great Britain
- Ien Dales, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- John D'Amico, West Hollywood, California, USA
- Edgar de Souza, Lens, Brazil
- Asha Devi, Gorakhupr, India
- Bertrand Delanoe, Paris, France
- Jenny Durkan, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Tim Eustace, Haywood, New Jersey, USA
- Larry Forester, Signal Hill, California, USA
- John William Fowler, South Sydney, Australia
- Robert Garcia, Long Beach, California, USA
- Karen Geraghty, Portland, Maine, USA
- Neil Giuliano, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Karl Gouder, St. Julian's, Malta
- Jim Gray, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Don Guardian, Atlantic City, New Jersey USA
- Reed Gusciora, Trenton, New Jersey USA
- Bruce Harris, Borough of Chatham, New Jersey USA
- Jess Herbst, New Hope, Texas USA
- Jeff Hook, Southwark, Great Britain
- John Hyde, Vincent, Perth, Australia
- Madhu Kinnar, Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh Municipal Corporation, India
- Andre Labarrere, Pau, France
- Julie Lemieux, Tres-Saint Redempteur, Quebec, Canada
- Evan Low, Campbell, California, USA
- Craig Lowe, Gainsville, Florida, USA
- Bruno Lozano, Del Rio, Texas, USA
- Corine Mauch, Zurich, Switzerland
- Ralph McLean, Fitzroy, Australia
- Real Menard, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Quebec, Canada
- Gary Millar, Liverpool, Great Britain
- Robert Moon, Palm Springs, California, USA
- Alex Morse, Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA
- Andrew Muir, North Down, Northern Ireland
- Edward Murray, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Glen Murray, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Ted Nebbeling, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
- Bao Nguyen, Garden Grove, California, United States
- Bruce Notley-Smith, Randwick, Australia
- Peter O'Donnell, Portland, Maine, USA
- Guy Padgett, Casper, Wyoming, USA
- Annise Parker, Houston, Texas, USA
- Benjamin Medrano Quezada, Fresnillo Mexico
- Stu Rasmussen, Silverton, Oregon, USA
- Kenneth Reeves, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Janet Rice, Maribyrnong, Australia
- Maurice Richard, Becancourt, Quebec, Canada
- Jeronimo Saavedra, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
- Elizabeth Schmitz, Haarlem, The Netherlands
- Pedro Segarra, Hartford, Connecticut, USA
- E. Denise Simmons, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Andy Street, West Midlands, Great Britain
- Sean Strub, Milford, Pennsylvania, USA
- Santi Vila, Figueres, Spain
- Ole von Beust, Hamburg, Germany
- Fintan Warfield, South Dublin, Ireland
- Rich Waterman, Campbell, California, USA
- Helen Westwood, Bankstown, Australia
- Charlotte Whitton, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Klaus Wowereit, Berlin, Germany
