California has the highest number of LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S.

California is home to the largest number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S., according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.

Why it matters: LGBTQ people+ have historically been disenfranchised in the U.S. Advocates say political representation can help spur policy changes to address community-specific issues that are often overlooked or misunderstood — especially as their rights remain under attack across the nation.

Context: LGBTQ+ Victory Institute , which aims to promote representation in public service, first began tracking the number of queer and transgender elected officials in 2017.

• As the number of people identifying as LGBTQ+ increases, issues affecting the community have become the target of state and federal legislation, from bills restricting gender-affirming care for minors to bans targeting trans students in sports.

By the numbers: Out LGBTQ+ elected officials in the U.S. have nearly tripled from 448 in 2017 to 1,303 as of May 2024, per the institute's recently released Out for America report .

• 186 are based in California , ranging from local officials like San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to Democratic Sen. Laphonza Butler.
• 12 are state legislators like state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).

The big picture: This year's results show a 10% increase from last year's number of out U.S. elected officials and the highest population recorded since the institute began tracking LGBTQ+ political representation.

• Every year since 2017, LGBTQ+ officeholders have increased by a rate between 5.8% and 25%, per the report's findings.
• Trans men and women serving in elected positions decreased by 6% from 50 in 2023 to 47 in 2024 .

Catch up quick: San Francisco was among the first U.S. cities to elect out LGBTQ+ people to office.

• In 1978, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official in California history after winning a seat on the Board of Supervisors.
• Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg, Board of Education President Tom Ammiano and more would follow in Milk's footsteps .
• They would go on to help San Francisco establish the Transgender District in 2017, fund LGBTQ+ history museums and archives and expand the state's AIDS drug program, among other accomplishments.

What's next: There's still a ways to go before the country achieves equitable representation.

• A March 2024 Gallup poll found that 7.6% of U.S. adults identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Just 0.25% of elected officials are LGBTQ+, per the institute.