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According to the LGBTQ Victory Institute, since June of 2019 there has been a 21% increase in LGBTQ political office holders across the USA. Currently, there are 843. That upward trend also reflects a rising number of LGBTQ candidates running for election. While the numbers are far from being an equitable representation, progress is being made.
Milwaukee contributed to that tally this past spring when two of four out contenders won their respective races. Judge-elect Brett Blomme takes the bench this month as Milwaukee Circuit Judge Branch 5 and JoCasta Zamarripa is already serving as an alderwoman for District 8 on Milwaukee’s Common Council. She is the first out LGBTQ person to do so.
On Tuesday, August 11, Wisconsin holds its Partisan Primary Election. Again, continuing the trend, there are multiple LGBTQ candidates. Transwoman Jessica Katzenmeyer is running for Wisconsin State Assembly fifteenth district (New Berlin) currently held by Republican Joe Sanfelippo. Chris Walton, an out black man, is in the race for the vacated state assembly district 17 seat on the North side. He faces four competitors.
Comfortable Running for Office
Last year Governor Tony Evers appointed Israel Ramon Milwaukee County Registrar of Deeds, He is now campaigning to keep his office as he faces a challenger in the August election. I recently spoke with Ramon and asked why he felt there were increased numbers of LGBTQs running for office and why it matters. “I think they feel comfortable to run for public office because there is a broader acceptance of LGBTQ people. The US Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision made acceptance even greater. We are looking at the political landscape and realizing how important it is to have our voices heard. Diversity in government and elected office is important. That means diversity in racial makeup, gender and sexual orientation. A couple of years ago, a study noted white men make up 38% of the population but 78% of elected officials. We haven’t had a different point of view for years and years and we need it,” Ramon said.
His message should be well taken. For the most part, respect for America’s diversity is lacking among our government representatives. It’s simply not on their radar. In fact, one need only look at last week’s examples of straight white male obliviousness, or callous intention, to inclusion in the actions of Florida U.S. Representative Yolo who publicly called his Latina colleague, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, a “fucking bitch” and our own Republican Congressman Ron “Vladimirovich” Johnson (as you’ll recall, in 2017 he celebrated July 4 in Moscow with Russian President Putin), who blocked a House bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
In contrast, it is exactly the strategy of inclusion Ramon has pursued as Registrar of Deeds. “Accommodating diversity is something someone does when they themselves have experienced the inequities of daily life as a member of a minority group,” he explained.
Upon taking office, he immediately addressed the issue by introducing significant reforms to make precisely that accommodation. These included protected class training for staff to impart the importance of treating everyone with equity and respect, a language hotline to provide interpreters for non-English speakers, and the provision of vital records forms in Spanish.
Ramon concluded our conversation saying, “It’s important to show that LGBTQ individuals can achieve public service in the obvious way of running for office. Our talents should be the main criterion but being LGBTQ shouldn’t be an obstacle. The motivating factor is qualification but we need to reflect people we serve.”
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My LGBTQ POV is proudly sponsored by Dr. Stephanie Murphy, DDS. Read past columns here.
