Philadelphia elects first openly LGBTQ city council member

Philadelphia is projected to elect its first openly LGBTQ city council member Tuesday, according to results from the Associated Press, making it the last major U.S. city to do so.

Philadelphia housing and civil rights attorney Rue Landau won her election Tuesday after receiving the third-most votes in May’s primary, all but assuring her victory in the general election.

“The LGBT community has been waiting to have a seat [at the] city council’s table for a long time,” Landau told CBS News in May after her primary win. “It’s hard to believe that it is 2023 and we’re just now getting a seat at the table.”

Landau isn’t unaccustomed to being the first: Landau and her wife, Kerry, received the first same-sex marriage license issued in Pennsylvania after the state legalized it in 2014.

“Rue’s victory today is a cause for celebration for Philadelphia’s LGBTQ+ community, who will be represented in City Hall for the first time,” said Annise Parker, President and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “Voters spoke loudly and clearly — Philadelphians want to make progress, and they trust Rue to bring their voices to the Council. We’re excited to see Rue take office and get to work making Philadelphia a more equitable city for all.”