{"id":30411,"date":"2020-11-05T18:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T18:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/colorlines.madeostudio.com\/article\/legislate-rainbow-mondaire-jones-and-ritchie-torres-become-first-black-lgbtq-congress\/"},"modified":"2020-11-05T18:45:00","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T18:45:00","slug":"legislate-rainbow-mondaire-jones-and-ritchie-torres-become-first-black-lgbtq-congress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/colorlines.com\/article\/legislate-rainbow-mondaire-jones-and-ritchie-torres-become-first-black-lgbtq-congress\/","title":{"rendered":"Legislate the Rainbow! Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres Become First Black LGBTQ+ Congress Members"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Legislate the Rainbow! Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres Become First Black LGBTQ+ Congress Members<\/h3>\n

\n By N. Jamiyla Chisholm<\/span> Nov 05, 2020<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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The nation may yet know who the next president is, but voters made history on Election Day with their support of LGBTQ+ congressional candidates, including <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Mondaire Jones<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> (D-NY) and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Ritchie Torres<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> (D-NY)\u2014both of whom will become the first openly gay Black members of the House of Representatives\u2014the <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Victory Fund announced<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. Torres also holds the distinction of being the first openly LGBTQ+ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>Victory Fund<\/a>\u2014<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>which advocates increasing LGBTQ+ representation in government\u2014confirmed that a history-making 26 openly LGBTQ+ candidates ran for a U.S. Senate or House of Representative seat this Election Day (Nov. 3). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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In celebration of Jones\u2019 and Torres\u2019 wins, Houston\u2019s former mayor and Victory Fund president<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span> Annise Parker<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> said in a <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>statement<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Mondaire and Ritchie have shattered a rainbow ceiling and will bring unique perspectives based on lived experiences never before represented in the U.S. Congress. As our nation grapples with racism, police brutality and a pandemic that disproportionally affects people of color and LGBTQ people, these are the voices that can pull us from the brink and toward a more united and fair society. Their elections will end any doubts about the electability of Black LGBTQ men to our nation\u2019s highest legislative body. It will also inspire more young LGBTQ leaders and leaders of color to run and serve.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
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Jones <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>tweeted<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> that he was humbled \u201cto serve the community that raised me \u2014 the community that just sent an openly gay, Black guy who grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps to Congress.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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I am humbled by the trust voters in Westchester and Rockland have placed in me, and grateful for the opportunity to serve the community that raised me \u2014 the community that just sent an openly gay, Black guy who grew up in Section 8 housing and on food stamps to Congress. https:\/\/t.co\/O88nA5LN5q<\/a><\/p>\n

rn\u2014 Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) November 4, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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