Historic Victory in Colorado for HRC-Backed Jared Polis, First Openly Gay Man Elected Governor

by Elliott Kozuch

Washington -- Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, released the following statement on the victory of HRC-endorsed Rep. Jared Polis in his bid to become the next governor of Colorado. Polis will become the nation’s first openly gay man elected governor.

 

“Tonight, Colorado rejected the Trump-Pence administration’s politics of bigotry and fear by choosing bold pro-equality champion Jared Polis, the nation’s first openly gay man elected governor,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “For nearly a decade in Congress, Jared Polis fought  to advance fairness and equality in Colorado and across America. He is a proven leader who will take his commitment to securing full equality to the governor’s mansion and fight to make Colorado a stronger and more inclusive state.”

 

For the past decade, Polis has earned a perfect score on every HRC Congressional Scorecard — a tool that measures support for LGBTQ equality. Polis helped launch the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus shortly after taking office in 2008 and also helped launch the Congressional Transgender Equality Task Force in 2015. He is the lead sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act and is also an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act — crucial federal legislation that would finally guarantee clear, permanent protections for LGBTQ people under our nation’s existing civil rights law.

 

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community.

 

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Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee

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