In what’s being called the rainbow wave, dozens of LGBTQ+ candidates captured historic wins in the 2020 U.S. elections, including the election of the first openly transgender person for a State Senate seat and the first gay and Afro-Latino and Black men elected to Congress.
William Robert is the director of LGBTQ Studies and an associate professor of religion at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Prof. Robert says:
“I’m almost always thrilled when LGBTQ+ candidates win political offices. I say ‘almost’ because our identities are intersections. They’re never reducible to one category, like gender or sexuality.
“I know that many LGBTQ+ persons voted for Donald Trump and Mike Pence, whose records on LGBTQ+ issues are deplorable. That demonstrates that LGBTQ+ citizens aren’t a bloc of one-issue voters. They seem not to be a bloc at all, given how little national media attention they receive.
“What’s most exciting to me are how many LGBTQ+ persons of color won in yesterday’s elections and how their victories range from local to national positions. If the old saying is right, that ‘all politics are local,’ that gives me hope that LGBTQ+ persons can effect urgently needed sociopolitical change regardless of who’s president.”
To request interviews or get more information:
Daryl Lovell
Media Relations Manager
Division of Marketing and Communications
T 315.443.1184 M 315.380.0206
dalovell@syr.edu | @DarylLovell
The Nancy Cantor Warehouse, 350 W. Fayette St., 2nd Fl., Syracuse, NY 13202
news.syr.edu | syracuse.edu
Syracuse University
College of Law Distinguished Professor Nina Kohn is helping to create “gold standard” legislation on some of the most important issues facing older adults and individuals with cognitive disabilities. Based on her legal expertise, including in the area of elder…
In June 1776, from a rented room in Philadelphia, Thomas Jefferson penned the first draft of the document that would forge a nation. The stakes were high, amidst the ongoing war with the British, to find the right words to…
Ken Pontarelli ’92 credits the University for changing his life, opening up opportunities to pursue his passions and achieve professional success that allows him to focus on the public good. In return, he and his wife, Tracey, are paying it…
Three decades ago, Terence J. Lau L’98 walked the corridors as an eager student in the College of Law, then located in White Hall. He knew he had been given a rare chance—and a full scholarship—to be a part of…
There’s a new father-son sportscasting team on the national scene, one with a decidedly Orange background: Ian ’90 and Noah Eagle ’19. Ian finished his second year as the lead announcer for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and has crafted…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
