Brian Sims Set To Become First Openly Gay Pennsylvania State Lawmaker

Pennsylvania is set to get its first openly gay state lawmaker after a Democratic state House primary left Brian Sims with an open path to election in November.

Sims, a Philadelphia-area lawyer, is expected to be announced the victor over longtime state Rep. Babette Josephs once incomplete voting tallies from a number of polling places are resolved. Elections officials have said they don't expect there to be much change from Sims' 233-vote lead, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Serving as Josephs' campaign treasurer in 2010, Sims helped propel the progressive advocate to her 14th term. After defeating her, he won't face a Republican in November, though an Independent candidate could still announce a bid for the seat.

Victory Fund, a group dedicated to electing LGBT political candidates, relays some of Sims' past work:

Sims, a former member of the Victory Campaign Board, is a distinguished policy attorney and civil rights advocate from Center City Philadelphia. The former Staff Counsel for Policy and Planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association, he recently stepped down as the President of the Board of Directors of Equality Pennsylvania.

"This is a long overdue victory for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians," Equality Pennsylvania said Wednesday in a statement commending Sims on his victory, according to the Inquirer. "No longer will we have to embarrassingly admit that the place that gave birth to the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution has no openly gay members serving in its highest governing body. This is a relief and it gives us hope."

LGBT advocates could also see more progress in the state legislature in 2012, as another openly gay House candidate, Chris Dietz, officially became the Democratic candidate in his district this week after winning an unopposed primary.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[campcranston]

12:50 PM on 05/01/2012

Awesome! Way to go, PA. Proud of my home state on this one!

[Eris23Skidoo]

01:44 PM on 04/30/2012

Idaho has an openly gave member of our legislature. She represents Boise's "north end" which is a middle-class liberal district near downtown. Her name is Nicole LeFavour. She is currently running for US House of Reps. Who would have thought Idaho would elect a gay state legislator before Pennsylvania the home of the liberty bell?

[a54b]

11:04 AM on 04/27/2012

how does rick santorum feel about that?

[vietnamvet1967]

05:12 PM on 04/26/2012

OH GOD, Another BARNEY FRANK to put up with

[JakeT]

09:11 AM on 04/27/2012

yep, isn't it awesome

[Eris23Skidoo]

01:46 PM on 04/30/2012

Oh GOD another Vietnam Vet to put up with.

[Pierre99]

04:28 PM on 04/26/2012

Why is this news? So the guy is gay? The libs sure seem to be hung up on sexual orientation.

[hnnbar]

04:39 PM on 04/26/2012

Equal is not equal until it's equal so you will continue to hear reference to gay and libs are not the only ones promoting equality.

[Pierre99]

02:31 PM on 04/27/2012

But in the perverse and parallel universe of liberalism, gays will NEVER be equal, because the Dems thrive on dependency.

[JakeT]

09:12 AM on 04/27/2012

umm because as the article stated it's news because he is the first openly gay state lawmaker.

[Pierre99]

02:31 PM on 04/27/2012

Sorry. That's not news.

[manmi1]

04:22 PM on 04/26/2012

Oh my God... the sky is falling! The earth will open up and swallow the state of Pennsylvania. Dog and cats will run away. Husbands will leave their wives Birds will fly upside down. The world will end.

[Pierre99]

04:29 PM on 04/26/2012

So you heard? Sandra Fluke is getting married and has finally got somebody to pay for her contraception. Good post, Sparky.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:18 PM on 04/30/2012

Deliberately misunderstanding an issue doesn't change the facts.

[Prince88]

04:18 PM on 04/26/2012

Good for him. I hope more will be elected and accepted.

[Ed whowannaknow]

03:35 PM on 04/26/2012

Take that Santorum

[Pierre99]

04:30 PM on 04/26/2012

Not Rick. He's straight.

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:19 PM on 04/30/2012

That's the point. "Take that" as in "suck it".

[ProRanger7777]

03:34 PM on 04/26/2012

Openly Gay? As oppossed to?? I mean, whats he gona wear a TuTu to his swearing in? Gays want to be treated equal, or is it special? So should we announce the next time an openly straight person gets elected? Like I said, do you want equal? or special treatment?

[keven381]

09:42 PM on 04/26/2012

Would you prefer a politician that lies and does whatever possible to cover it up? Or a dangerous, closet'd homophobic? Straight people do announce most of the time if they are heterosexual by posing with their families, husband, wife, children...Since this new politician is openly gay, he is just doing what all other politicians are already doing.

[Tivonit]

11:13 PM on 04/26/2012

I think it's a safe bet to say that all straight politicians are open about their orientation. Every time they mention their husband or wife, they're being "openly straight". There's nothing "special" about wanting to do the same.

[heikhali]

03:03 PM on 04/26/2012

Brian Sims appears to be honest. If he represents all of his constituents, like Harvey Milk, he'll be a great representattive.

[TBJ]

03:15 PM on 04/26/2012

The guy came out while a Football Captain for his college team. That takes guts.

[Pierre99]

04:31 PM on 04/26/2012

Why? Did he come out during showers in the locker room, or something?

[Patrick Rodgers]

02:47 PM on 04/26/2012

"Frankly, Scarlet, who gives a damn?" If I were a voter in his district I would be worried more about him being another big spending Democrat, than what his sexual preference is. Give me a conservative who will uphold fiscal responsibility, smaller government & the Constitution and they will get my vote regardless of gender, race, age or sexual preference.

[truth be told again]

03:22 PM on 04/26/2012

If conservatives actually WANTED "smaller government", they wouldn't be passing bills to invade gay people's bedrooms and women's uteri.

"Fiscal responsibility"? Do we have to remind you which party it was that left a record surplus in 2000 only to have a record deficit 8 years later?

The current "severely Conservative" GOP candidate craps on the Constitution. In fact, he wants to change it to forever enshrine discrimination into it. He even signed a "pledge" to do so.

"Who gives a damn?" The people who are denied equal treatment before the law, being denied "Liberty and Justice for ALL", and being denied the inalienable right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness" - they all "give a damn", along with our friends and families, neighbors, co-workers, fellow church members and all people who love justice and seek equality.

Thanks for asking.

[Pierre99]

04:33 PM on 04/26/2012

"In 2008 alone we paid $250 billion in interest on our debt - 1 in every 10 taxpayer dollars. That is more than three times what we spent on education that year." "That's why today I'm pledging to cut the deficit we inherited by half by the end of my first term in office." "This will not be easy." ---Barack Obama, February 2009

Thanks for asking.

[Ed whowannaknow]

03:37 PM on 04/26/2012

Find me a GOPer who didnt make govt BIGGER. Its a common falsehood that GOP=smaller govt. It wasnt smaller under either Bush, or RR, and thats going pretty far back

[Pierre99]

04:32 PM on 04/26/2012

"He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."-- Benjamin Franklin

[Eris23Skidoo]

02:27 PM on 04/30/2012

It wasn't smaller under Nixon either, or Eisenhower. And that's going WAY back.

[Evie Glodic]

02:31 PM on 04/26/2012

I'd like to know why so many people are interested in Brian Sims becoming the first openly gay Pa. lawmaker? The question people should ask" IS HE CAPABLE OF PERFORMING HIS JOB AS A PENNSYLVANIA LAWMAKER - NOT WHAT IS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATION! Get a grip folks lawmakers abilities are the most important criteria for their jobs not sexual orientation - it's 2012 Folks - come on out of the 50's!
Evie Glodic

[sionnachair]

06:43 PM on 04/28/2012

As a gay person in Pennsylvania I can answer that question: Of course the first issue is whether he can do his job and whether I agree with him on many of the issues facing our state.

But in addition to that, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has no statewide protection against firing LGBT people for their sexual orientation or gender identity, nor protection in public accommodations. Having an openly gay legislator may push such legislation forward in Pennsylvania, as it has in other states. It's harder for state legislators to pretend that we don't exist and that they don't know any gay people or that we aren't subject to discrimination on occasion. Brian Sims can help on all of that.

[psuffield]

02:25 PM on 04/26/2012

Good greif, I don't think the Keystone state of Pennsylvania needs an open gay to represent them. I hope he looses to an independent. All this guy...well I am not sure if we can actually call him a guy since his gender is in question. But nevertheless, all he is going to do is push social legislation around Harrisburg in hopes it passes, instead of putting forth REAL BILLs that acutally do someone a lot of good.

[TBJ]

02:31 PM on 04/26/2012

Please stop obsessing over the genitalia of a gay man, your closeted-ness is showing.

[truth be told again]

02:46 PM on 04/26/2012

Why is "his gender in question"?

Why do you believe that 'all he is going to do is push social legislation"? Is that "all" that "open heterosexuals" do?

Try again. Do better.

[Jazzlily]

02:20 PM on 04/26/2012

Has there been a comment from Pope Santorum?

[dostramigo]

02:10 PM on 04/26/2012

She is kind of cute

[TBJ]

02:26 PM on 04/26/2012

Even 4th graders would think your jokes are immature and dumb.

[dostramigo]

02:42 PM on 04/26/2012

why thank you.. I bet you are kind of cute to

[Pierre99]

04:35 PM on 04/26/2012

Venture into the next classroom and see what the 5th graders think.

[truth be told again]

02:47 PM on 04/26/2012

Who is this "she"?

Or are you projecting?

[dostramigo]

03:00 PM on 04/26/2012

Sorry, not interested..