The LGBTQ community has a long and complex relationship with Los Angeles County. From SurveyLA's historic context statement to the record number of bills that threaten the rights of LGBTQ people, the political landscape of the county has had a profound effect on the LGBTQ community. In recent years, states have introduced a record number of bills that target the rights of LGBTQ people, particularly transgender youth. The ACLU is actively tracking these bills and working with their national network of affiliates to support LGBTQ people around the world.
These bills don't fit into any other categories, but they still focus on the rights of LGBTQ people. The upcoming election season could bring about historic advances in Congress and states, where legislation against LGBTQ people has gained traction in many states. However, the Democratic Party, to which most LGBTQ candidates belong, could face uncertain prospects which could potentially undermine their chances. Despite this, the number of LGBTQ elected officials grew by nearly 6% last year according to the LGBTQ Victory Institute, which trains and defends gay political candidates and political office holders.
Despite this growth in representation, LGBTQ people are still underrepresented in politics. Balint is very much in favor of winning in November, but election meteorologists are predicting a difficult election season for Democrats in general which could slow down the upward trend of LGBTQ representation. If elected, he will be the first LGBTQ Latino elected to Congress from California and the first LGBTQ immigrant to be elected to Congress. State legislators are attempting to prevent trans students from participating in school activities such as sports, forcing teachers to abandon their students, and censoring any debate at school about people and issues related to the LGBTQ community. Additionally, they are developing and publishing a document parallel to the guidance required in subsection (a) of this section in simple language entitled “Bill of Rights for LGBTQI+ Older Adults” to help older adults and LGBTQI+ providers understand the rights of LGBTQI+ older adults in long-term care settings. Even with this dramatic increase in representation, LGBTQ elected officials represent only 0.2% of all elected officials in the U.
S.
