The number of LGBTQ lawmakers is on the rise in the U.S – 986 total. That represents a 17% increase from 2020.

Two governors, two United States senators, nine members of Congress, 189 state legislators and 56 mayors are part of the LGBTQ community, according to Out for America, a report by the LGBTQ Victory Institute.

Just 986 known out LGBTQ leaders serving in elected office in the US! There’s still so much more room to grow. See @VictoryInst 2021 report: https://t.co/r55SkQqan8

— Greg Wright (@gjw1801) July 28, 2021

“These public servants are leading the way in passing conversion therapy bans in city councils, fighting anti-trans bills in state legislatures and in passing the Equality Act in the U.S. House,” wrote former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, the president of the organization.

“Yet,” she added “we still must elect 28,116 more LGBTQ people to public office before equitable representation is achieved and we must ensure those leaders are as diverse as our community.” 

“While LGBTQ elected officials are growing steadily in number, at this pace it will still take decades to come anywhere close to achieving equitable representation in government,” Parker told the New York Daily News in a statement.

“This lack of representation has enormous consequences, because LGBTQ elected officials are best positioned to defend against anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks and to change the hearts and minds of colleagues in supporting inclusive policies,” she added.

There are 986 out LGBTQ elected officials in the US — sounds like a lot, but it's about 28k short of equitable representation, according to a new report from LGBTQ Victory Institute. @AnniseParker joined me to discuss: https://t.co/xg1Nt0YClu via @SiriusXM

— Julie Mason (@juliemason) July 28, 2021

The New York Times unpacks some of the key findings of the report:

Of all racial groups, Black L.G.B.T.Q. elected officials grew at the fastest rate in the last year, with a 75 percent increase in representation, according to the report. The number of multiracial L.G.B.T.Q. elected officials rose by 40 percent.

The Times adds:

[Parker] said that former President Donald J. Trump had been “probably the best recruiter of Democratic candidates you could possibly have,” and suggested that across-the-board Democratic anti-Trump fervor had fueled the rise in L.G.B.T.Q. contenders winning office.

Indeed, there is a stark partisan divide when it comes to LGBTQ officeholders –  84 percent of LGBQ officials are Democrats, and less than 3 percent Republicans.

“There are more trans elected officials than there are out Republican elected officials,” Parker told The Times. 

Mississippi is the only state without an LGBTQ lawmaker. The state with the most LGBTQ elected officials is California, with 157, followed by Pennsylvania (54) and Illinois (43).