List of the first LGBT holders of political offices

See also: List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender firsts by year

This is a list of political offices which have been held by a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person, with details of the first holder of each office. It should only list people who came out as LGBT before or during their terms in office; it should not list people who came out only after retiring from politics, or people who were outed by reference sources only after their death.

The year in brackets refers to the year which the officeholder was elected as an openly LGBT person. If he or she came out during term of office it is referred to after the year in brackets.

It is ordered by country, by dates of appointment. Former countries are also to be listed.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

International bodies

European Union

European Commission

• European Commissioner for Trade: Peter Mandelson – 2004 (British)

European Parliament

• Austria: Ulrike Lunacek – 2009
• Denmark: Torben Lund – 1999–2005
• Germany: Lissy Gröner - 1989
• Italy: Gianni Vattimo – 1999
• Netherlands: Herman Verbeek (PPR) – 1984
• Spain: José María Mendiluce Pereiro (PSOE-later joined the Greens) 1999–2004 – came out 2003
• United Kingdom: Michael Cashman – 1999

Americas

Argentina

• First gay congressperson: Senator Osvaldo López – July 27, 2011 (married to another man).
• First gay deputy to the Buenos Aires City Legislature: María Rachid – Elected, taking office on December 10, 2011.

Brazil

• First transgender elected (Alderperson): Kátia Tapety – Colônia do Piauí – 1992
• First transgender vice-mayor: Kátia Tapety – 2004
• Federal Deputy: Clodovil Hernandez – 2006
• City Deputy: Leo Kret – 2008.
• Federal Deputy: Jean Wyllys – 2010 (considered the first openly gay activist)

Canada

Main article: List of first LGBT holders of political offices in Canada

Mexico

• Member of Congress:
  • Male: David Sánchez Camacho – 2006
  • Female: Patria Jiménez – 1997

United States

Main article: List of the first LGBT holders of political offices in the United States

Europe

Austria

• Member of Parliament: Ulrike Lunacek – 1999

Belgium

• Prime Minister, Elio di Rupo (PS) (2011, first gay man in the world to head a national government in modern times)
• Member of Parliament, Party president and Minister-President of the Walloon Region, Elio di Rupo (PS) – came out in 2001
• Member of the Flemish Government, Pascal Smet (SP.A) – came out in 2009

Czech Republic

• Member of the Government: Gustáv Slamečka – Minister of Transport (2009–2010)
• Member of the Senate: Václav Fischer (1999–2002)

Denmark

• Member of Parliament:
  • Female: Yvonne Herløv Andersen^(da) – 1998 she was also MP a few terms during the 70's and 80's, but not as openly lesbian.
  • Male: Torben Lund^(da) – 1998 came out in February 1998 while still an MP.

Finland

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male Pekka Haavisto – 1987
  • Female Silvia Modig – 2011
• Leader of a major political party (Green League): Pekka Haavisto 1992
• Member of the Government: Minister of the Environment: Pekka Haavisto – 1995

France

• Member of Parliament: André Labarrère^(fr) (1928–2006) – came out 1998
• Mayor of Paris: Bertrand Delanoë – came out 1998, elected 2001
• Government Member: Roger Karoutchi, Secretary of State for relations with parliament – came out 2009

Germany

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Herbert Rusche – 1985
  • Female: Jutta Oesterle-Schwerin – 1987
• Bundesrat (Federal Council):
  • President: Klaus Wowereit – 2001
• Leader of a major political party: Guido Westerwelle (FDP) came out of the closet 2004
• Mayors:
  • Berlin: Klaus Wowereit – 2001
  • Hamburg: Ole von Beust – 2001
• Member of Government:
  • Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister: Guido Westerwelle (FDP), since 2009

Hungary

• Member of Government:
  • Secretary of State for Human Resources: Gábor Szetey came out 2007
• Klára Ungár,^(hu) politician

Iceland

• Prime Minister: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir (2009, first lesbian in the world to be elected head of government)

Ireland

• Senator:
  • Male: David Norris (University of Dublin) – 1987
  • Female: Katherine Zappone (Taoiseach's nominee) – 2011
• County Councillor: Peter Kelly (Cork County Council) – 1999
• Town Councillor: Malcolm Byrne (Gorey Town Council) – 1999
• Member of Parliament (TD): Dominic Hannigan (Meath East) and John Lyons (Dublin North–West) – both elected at the 2011 general election

Italy

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Angelo Pezzana^(it) – 1979
  • Male: Nichi Vendola – 1992
  • Male: Daniele Capezzone, bisexual – 2006
  • Female: Titti De Simone^(it) – 2001
  • Female: Paola Concia – 2008
  • Transgender: Vladimir Luxuria – 2006
• Member of the government:
  • Minister for Agriculture: Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio – 2000 came out later 2000 – again Minister of Environment in 2006 (bisexual)
• President of Region:
  • President of Apulia: Nichi Vendola – 2005

Lithuania

• Member of Parliament: Rokas Žilinskas^(lt) – 2008

Netherlands

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Coos Huijsen^(nl) (CHU) – came out 1977
  • Female: Evelien Eshuis^(nl) (CPN) – 1982
• Member of Government:
  • Male: Minister of Economic Affairs: Joop Wijn (CDA) – 2006
  • Male: Minister of Finance: Jan Kees de Jager (CDA) – 2010
  • Female: Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food: Gerda Verburg (CDA) – 2007
  • (note: Ien Dales' (PvdA, Minister of the Interior) sexual orientation was only revealed after her death)

Norway

• Member of Parliament:
  • Female: Wenche Lowzow – 1977–1985 came out 1979, reelected 1981
  • Male: Anders Hornslien – came out 1994
• Member of Government:
  • Minister of Finance: Per Kristian Foss – 2001–2005
• City council chairman of Oslo: Erling Lae – 2000–2009

Poland

• City councillor, and first openly LGBT holder of any office: Krystian Legierski – 2010
• First openly gay member of parliament: Robert Biedroń – 2011
• First openly transsexual member of parliament: Anna Grodzka – 2011

Portugal

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Miguel Vale de Almeida – 2009–2010

Spain

• Member of the Cortes: Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (PSOE) – Has been a member of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate since 1977 until 2004 with some interruptions – came out 2000
• Autonomic President: Jeronimo Saavedra Acevedo, President of the Canary Islands 1983–1987 and 1991–1993
• Member of Government:
  • Minister of Public Administrations and of Education and Science: Jerónimo Saavedra (Public Administrations, 1993–1995 and of Education and Science 1995–1996)
• Mayor of a Provincial Capital: Jerónimo Saavedra, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Incumbent since 2007
• Member of the Parliament of Catalonia when openly gay: Miquel Iceta PSC, since 1999
• Transgender town councillor: Manuela Trasobares (ARDE) 2007 – at Geldo, Castellon

Sweden

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Kent Carlsson (politician)^(sv) (s) – came out 1991, died in 1993
  • Female: Elisebeht Markström (s) – came out publicly in 2006
• Member of Government:
  • Minister of the Environment: Andreas Carlgren (c) – 2006
  • Minister of Migration Affairs: Tobias Billström (m) – 2006 (bisexual)

Switzerland

• Member of Parliament:
  • Male: Claude Janiak – elected 1999 – speaker of House of Representatives 2006
  • Female: Doris Stump – elected 2003
• Mayor of a large city:
  • Female: Corine Mauch – elected 2009 – Mayor of Zurich (largest city in Switzerland), first openly gay mayor of a large Swiss city

United Kingdom

Main article: List of the first LGBT holders of political offices in the United Kingdom

Africa

South Africa

• Member of Parliament: Mike Waters – 1999
• High Court Judge: Edwin Cameron – 1995
• Constitutional Court Justice: Edwin Cameron – 2008

Asia

Israel

• Members of Knesset (Parliament):
  • Uzi Even (elected 2003)
  • Nitzan Horowitz (elected 2009)
• City councillors:
  • Tel-Aviv: Michal Eden (elected 1998), Itai Pinkas (first gay man; elected 2003)
  • Jerusalem: Saar Nathaniel (elected 2003)

Japan

Osaka

• Prefectural assembly member (Lesbian): Kanako Otsuji – 2005

Tokyo

• Ward councillor (Transgender): Aya Kamikawa (Setagaya) – 2003
• ward councillor (Gay male): Taiga Ishikawa (Toshima) and Wataru Ishizaka (Nakano) – both elected 2011

Nepal

• Constituent Assembly Member: Sunil Babu Pant – 2008

Oceania

Australia

• Senator:
  • Male senator: Bob Brown – 1996
  • Female senator: Penny Wong – 2002
• Member of Government:
  • Minister for Climate Change and Water: Penny Wong – 2007
• State MPs:
  • Australian Capital Territory: Andrew Barr – 2006
  • New South Wales:
  • Legislative Council:
    • Male: Paul O'Grady – 1988–1996 (Came out 1990)
    • Female: Penny Sharpe – 2005
  • Legislative Assembly:
    • Bruce Notley-Smith – 2011
  • South Australia: Ian Hunter – 2006
  • Tasmania: Bob Brown – 1983–1993
  • Victoria: Andrew Olexander – 1999–2006
  • Western Australia: Giz Watson – 1997
  • State or territory cabinet minister: Andrew Barr (ACT) – 2006
• Local Government:
  • Mayor:
    • Male: Ralph McLean (Fitzroy) – 1984–1985
    • Intersex: Tony Briffa (Hobsons Bay) – 2011
• Justice of the High Court of Australia:
  • Male: Michael Kirby – 1996–2009 (Came out 1999)
  • Female: Virginia Bell – 2009

Guam

• Member of Legislature: Benjamin Cruz – 2004
• Supreme Court Justice: Benjamin Cruz – 1997, Chief Justice 1999–2001 (came out 1995)

New Zealand

• Member of Parliament:
  • Female: Marilyn Waring (National) 1975–1984 (outed during office)
  • Female: Maryan Street (Labour) 2005–Present (outed before office)
  • Male: Chris Carter (Labour) 1993–Present
  • Transsexual: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1999–2007 (world's first)
• Cabinet Minister:
  • Male: Minister of Conservation, Minister of Ethnic Affairs, Minister of Local Government, Minister for Building Issues, Minister of Education and Minister Responsible for the Education Review Office: Chris Carter (Labour) 2002-8
  • Female: Minister of Housing and Minister of ACC: Maryan Street (Labour) 2007-8
• Transsexual mayor: Georgina Beyer (Labour) 1995–1999 (world's first)

See also

• List of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender firsts by year