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Chicago Elects Lori Lightfoot as Its First Lesbian Mayor

lori lightfoot

The former federal prosecutor is also the first black woman to hold the role in 182 years.

MikelleStreet

In a runoff election, Lori Lightfoot has been elected the mayor of Chicago today. Announced by Associated Press on Tuesday night, this makes Lightfoot not only the first Black female mayor in the city's 182-year history, but also the first lesbian.

Lightfoot, who had never been elected to public office handily beat out Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, spurred just over a month ago when no candidate won a majority of the original vote. A wide field of 14 mayoral candidates was narrowed to the pair, either of which would have been historic as they are both Black women.

Previously, Lightfoot had served as president of the Chicago Police Board, in addition to heading the police department's Office of Professional Standards and the city's Police Accountability Task Force. She also was a federal prosecutor. These positions have drawn her criticism, but she has run on the promise of ridding the system of corruption. She also said she would help low-income Chicagoans.

She also was the focus of homophobic attacks on the trail.

Lightfoot will go down in history as not only the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as mayor in Chicago, but the city is now the largest American city to ever elect an openly queer person to the position. She is also currently the sole Black lesbian elected mayor in the nation. She will succeed Mayor Rahm Emanuel after being sworn in May 20.

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Mikelle Street

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.