LGBTQ+ Victory Institute

Happy Pride Month from LGBTQ+ Victory Institute!

Pride is personal for us, because the people we fight for aren't abstract. They're the fellows we train, the candidates we prepare, and the LGBTQ+ leaders across the globe we help send into public service every single day. This community is capable of extraordinary things when given the tools and support to lead.

This month and every month, we're committed to building the leadership pipeline our community deserves. 🏳️‍🌈

Join LGBTQ+ Victory Institute in partnership with our friends for our first virtual event of Pride season.

This Pride Month, we are celebrating the incredible LGBTQ+ leaders across the country and remembering why their courage and service is more pertinent than ever.

Serving with Pride is a virtual panel featuring incredible LGBTQ+ leadership from across the country to talk about the realities of leadership in this moment and how more LGBTQ+ leaders can follow their footsteps.

Our panelists:
Olivia Hill, Nashville Metro Councilmember, At-Large
RaShaun Kemp, Georgia State Senator, District 38
Josey Garcia, Texas State Representative, District 124

Registration link and more information in bio and at victoryinstitute.org

The next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders are heading to Capitol Hill!

Welcome to the Summer 2026 Victory Congressional Interns! We're so proud to bring this incredible cohort of LGBTQ+ undergrads to Washington, DC for a summer of policy, leadership, and community.

Say hello to Hunter Buchheit (Marietta, GA), Emily Caro (Pearl River, NY), Lenora Collier (Hattiesburg, MS), Evie DalPra (Lyman, ME), K.S. Jamison (Rochester, NY), Anika Manelkar (Naperville, IL), Ashirya Singh (Redmond, WA), David Tamay (West Orange, NJ), James Toberman (Baraboo, WI), and George Tom (New York, NY).

These future leaders will spend the summer interning in Congressional offices, learning from policy experts across DC, and building a network that will last a lifetime. The future of LGBTQ+ representation in public service starts here, and we couldn't be more proud to help lead the way.

Today, we stand with every LGBTQ+ person who has ever been made to feel less than. 💗

On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, we're reminded why representation isn't just optional; it's survival.

LGBTQ+ leaders in office change laws, shift culture, and protect lives. That's why we're here.

We're proud to announce the 2026 David Bohnett Leaders Fellows! 🎉

This year, nine extraordinary LGBTQ+ leaders will join over 180 alumni who have gone through the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, made possible through our partnership with the David Bohnett Foundation.

Swipe to meet our 2026 Bohnett Fellows →

Congratulations to this incredible cohort. We can't wait to see what you accomplish.

Pride Month is right around the corner and we're partnering up with LGBTQ+ Victory Institute to bring together some of the boldest servant leaders we know to get real about politics.

Serving with Pride is a free virtual panel for LGBTQ+ servant leaders who are ready to run for office. Join us as we tackle the hesitations, hard questions, and realities of running and leading during one of the most challenging political moments of our time.

Meet our panelists:
★ Olivia Hill — Nashville Metro Councilmember, At-Large
★ RaShaun Kemp — Georgia State Senator, District 38
★ Josey Garcia — Texas State Representative, District 124

Register today: https://www.newpoliticsacademy.org/events/serving-with-pride

Political violence against LGBTQ+ candidates is rising, and it's threatening our democracy.

Victory Institute recently published a report on political violence facing LGBTQ+ candidates and elected officials.

The report findings show that nearly 9 in 10 LGBTQ+ candidates feared harassment before they even announced their run. 1 in 3 received death threats online. And fewer than 1 in 10 could afford the security they needed to stay safe.

This isn't just a safety issue — it's a democracy issue.

When LGBTQ+ candidates are forced out by fear, intimidation, and violence, our communities lose the representation we deserve. That's why Victory Institute is fighting back — continuously innovating our candidate training and leadership development programs to make sure our leaders are not only prepared to win, but equipped to stay safe while doing it.

We're not backing down.

Swipe through to see the full findings, then visit our website to read more and take action.

LGBTQ+ Victory Institute kicked off its first Candidate & Campaign Training of 2026 in Philadelphia. A dynamic cohort of LGBTQ+ leaders from 18 states came together for four packed days of hands-on learning, campaign skills, and effective strategies to win.

The courage it takes to step up and lead as an LGBTQ+ candidate in this time created a powerful cohort grounded in shared purpose, support, and momentum.

Following the training, a select group stayed on for two additional days of programming focused on the unique challenges and opportunities facing candidates with trans experience.

We are proud of everyone who applied and participated, and excited to see how this cohort turns learning into action in communities across the country. Congratulations to all!

We’ll be back this summer in Denver, Colorado for our final training of the year. Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

More than 20 David Bohnett Leaders Fellowship alumni came together in Washington, DC for Enduring Leadership — a powerful day of reflection, strategy, and connection.

Led by Harvard Kennedy School Professor David King, fellows explored what it means to lead with intention at every stage of public service, and how to shape the next chapter of their impact.

We were honored to host a special fireside chat with David Cicilline, who shared candid insights on leadership, resilience, and advancing equality in this moment.

From deep conversation to renewed community, this gathering reminded us what makes the Bohnett Fellow network so powerful: leaders committed to showing up, evolving, and driving change together.

A huge thank you to David Bohnett for their steadfast support of the Bohnett Fellowship and their work to advance LGBTQ+ elected leaders. 🏳️‍🌈

History was just made in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Camden Hargrove has been elected to the Menomonie City Council— becoming only the second out Black trans man ever elected to public office in the United States. 🏳️‍⚧️

He's not just making history as a Black trans man in elected office. He's doing it in a small rural Wisconsin town, proof that LGBTQ+ leaders can and do win everywhere.

Camden has spent his career fighting for the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, public education, and marginalized communities at every level. Now he'll do it from inside the halls of power in his own hometown.

We are so proud of Camden and the community in Menomonie that chose him. This is exactly why representation matters, and why we never stop fighting for it. 💪