In three weeks, nurse practitioner Dawn Adams will take her seat as the first openly gay woman to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. G. Manoli Loupassi (Richmond), the Republican incumbent, was maintained after a state-funded recount Wednesday, will join a legislature with three openly gay men. Advocates say openly LGBTQ people in public office can help stop these kind of bills. The same can’t be said for openly transgender candidates, who are newer to elected politics. Thirteen state legislatures have no openly gay or transgender lawmakers.

Source: Washington Post December 25, 2017 23:15 UTC