LGBTQ+ Victory Fund

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LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
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Basic facts
Type:Political action committee
Top official:Annise Parker, President and CEO
Year founded:1991
Website:Official website


The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund (formerly named the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and LGBTQ Victory Fund) is a political action committee (PAC) dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ leaders to public office.

Mission

As of March 2020, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund website included the following mission statement:[1]

“

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund works to achieve and sustain equality by increasing the number of out LGBTQ+ elected officials at all levels of government while ensuring they reflect the diversity of those they serve.[2]

”

Background

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund was founded on May 1, 1991 as the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. The group's founders, Dallas gay-rights activist William Waybourn and Human Rights Campaign Fund Executive Director Vic Basile, were inspired by the use of EMILY's List funds to power the 1990 election of former Governor of Texas Ann Richards (D). Waybourn and Basile planned an organization that would employ EMILY's List methodology—early money given sufficiently transforms "qualified candidates from 'fringe' status to 'front-runners'"—to propel gay and lesbian candidates to elected office.[3]

In the fall of 1991, Sherry Harris defeated a 24-year incumbent to win a seat on the Seattle City Council. Harris was not only the first candidate endorsed and supported by the Fund, but also the first to win election to public office.[3]

During its first full election cycle, the Fund raised more than $263,000 and supported 12 candidates, six of whom won election. The Fund garnered $1.5 million in revenue by 2003 and over $5 million by 2011.[3] In 2018, the group changed its name from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund to the LGBTQ Victory Fund.[4]

Political activity

See also: Political action committee

As a political action committee, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund can raise and spend money on elections, but the group is not run by a party or an individual candidate. The PAC can donate money to parties or candidates it supports.[5]

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund endorses candidates, who must meet the following qualifications to be considered:[6]

“
  • be openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer;
  • be pro-choice and support an individual’s right to privacy;
  • support the rights of transgender individuals;
  • demonstrate community support and a realistic plan to win;
  • demonstrate support of federal, state or local efforts to advance LGBTQ+ civil rights via the legislative or regulatory process**; and
  • demonstrate support of federal, state or local efforts to safeguard privacy and reproductive freedom.**

**Note: Judicial endorsements are not required to meet these criteria.[2]

”

To view the current list of candidates endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, click here.

2016 elections

Candidate endorsements

As of July 2016, the then-Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed 28 local candidates, 66 state-level candidates, and 10 federal 2016 candidates. The following list includes the Fund's federal candidates:[7]

2014 elections

Candidate endorsements

The then-Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund endorsed the following candidates during the 2014 election cycle:[8]

Leadership

The following individuals hold leadership positions with the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund as of May 2023:[9][10]

  • Annise Parker, President and CEO
  • Andrea M. Hernandez, Chief financial officer
  • Pita Juarez, Vice president of communications
  • Sean Meloy, Vice president of political programs
  • Marty Rouse, Vice president of putreach and engagement
  • Seth Schermer, Chief operating officer & chief development officer

Board of directors

  • Wade Rakes, Chair
  • Paul Feeney, Vice chair
  • Mellie Price, Treasurer
  • Jess Nahigian, Secretary
  • Mark Buse
  • Sharon Callahan-Miller
  • Joseph Falk
  • Richard Holt
  • Mary Jo Hudson
  • Terrence Meck
  • Kevin Morrison
  • Brady Piñero Walkinshaw
  • Greg Porter
  • RJ Stillwell
  • Samuel Garrett, ex-officio
  • Kate Maeder, ex-officio

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

LGBTQ+ Victory Fund - Google News

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, "Our Mission," accessed May 16, 2023
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Victory Fund, "The Victory Fund: A brief history," accessed December 5, 2013
  4. ↑ The name change from LGBTQ Victory Fund to LGBTQ Victory Fund did not have a singular moment. The group has commonly been referred to as Victory Fund and used that name in many instances prior to and during the name change. As of February 2020, the group's Facebook page is owned by LGBTQ Victory Fund Inc. The following links lead to two archived screengrabs of the LGBTQ Victory Fund website "Home" page accessed February 28, 2020. March 30, 2018 screengrab and December 28, 2018 screengrab. In the time between the two screengrabs, the disclaimer text at the bottom of the page changed from Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund to LGBTQ Victory Fund.
  5. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Quick answers," accessed July 3, 2016
  6. ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, "Endorsements," accessed May 16, 2023
  7. ↑ LGBTQ Victory Fund, "Our candidates," accessed July 8, 2016
  8. ↑ LGBTQ Victory Fund, "Our candidates," accessed December 5, 2013
  9. ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund website, "Our Team," accessed May 16, 2023
  10. ↑ LGBTQ+ Victory Fund website, "Victory Fund Board of Directors," accessed May 16, 2023
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