Taking pride in government that truly represents all

As we look back on Pride Month, I am both proud and humbled by my time serving as an openly LGBTQ+ elected official in Illinois.

Ever since I was elected, I have been cognizant of the importance of my own visibility in public office. That visibility matters to young people and my LGBTQ+ siblings who wish to see themselves reflected in the people who represent them. But while we’ve made progress in our representation, our journey toward full equality and civil rights is far from over.

In Illinois, LGBTQ+ people have been making history for decades, yet we remain vastly underrepresented in government. Despite there being more than 40,000 elected positions across the state, Illinois currently has just 73 out LGBTQ+ officials. The first openly LGBTQ+ person was elected here in 1994. Since that time, we have come a long way, gathering allies in the Illinois General assembly, the Chicago City Council, and we have even elected the first openly Gay Congressman in our state’s history.

When I was elected, I became the first openly LGBTQ+ person ever to serve on the Cook County Board of Commissioners. I was, quite honestly, shocked to learn this. I could not believe there had not been a single openly LGBTQ+ person before me. Cook County is one of the most inclusive and representative counties in this country. The fact that someone from my own community was not elected until 2018 really put things in perspective. If our most inclusive electorate was lagging this far behind on representation, how were we fairing in even less-accepting places?

According to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s 2025 Out for America report, just 1,334 out LGBTQ+ people serve at any level of government. That’s only 0.26% of all elected officials nationwide. While I may have been the first openly LGBTQ+ member of our board, our community has existed as long as humanity. Despite this fact, we know that LGBTQ+ people have not always been able to live openly while serving in office. Even today, being out as a public servant can mean facing threats, harassment and even attacks. If these conditions are to improve across the nation, it is paramount that we continue to grow our representation in government.

When LGBTQ+ people are not represented, our experiences, needs and rights are too often left out of the conversation. It is often said that if you are not at the table, then you are on the menu. When I joined the table, I made sure my community’s needs were met. I passed ordinances recognizing the gender identities of residents on official forms and expanded access to gender-affirming, as well as reproductive, health care in our hospital system.

I am also proud to have expanded our human rights code to include gender, identity and reproductive health choices as protected classes. Like many progressive voices that share our values, our LGBTQ+ officials are not asking for anything so extraordinary. We want what everyone else wants: the freedom to live authentically, the security to feel safe in our communities and the stability of meeting our basic needs like food, shelter and healthcare.

If we are to accomplish this, we cannot do it alone. Our future will require building coalitions with those who share our fears as well as communicating with our neighbors to foster understanding between us. I am incredibly grateful to the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, which has been doing exactly this for years.

Our nation was conceived in liberty, freedom and equality. Although we have often fallen short of those ideals, we continue to improve and try to manifest the promise of the American dream we all yearn for. Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not, I invite you to join us in creating a future where our government truly reflects the people it represents. We are stronger when we stand together, and I know that together we can build the future that we all strive for.

• Kevin Morrison, a Democrat from Mount Prospect, serves the 15th District of the Cook County Board.