As Pride Month wraps up, Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin has been included on the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute’s inaugural Political Power List.
Hardin, the first openly gay president of the Columbus City Council, was honored as one of the 26 most influential state and local officeholders nationally who are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund released the list on June 24.
“I am proud of who I am,” Hardin said in a statement. “And my mission is to make sure everyone else can be proud of who they are as well. In Ohio, that can sometimes be a tough fight. But here in the city of Columbus, we stand up for the rights of everyone. I’m honored to be included on this list, and to be reminded that none of us are ever fighting alone.”
The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund is a national political action committee dedicated to getting LGBTQ+ candidates elected at all levels of government. According to the group, there are at least 1,334 LGBTQ+ elected officials currently serving nationwide.
The power list names six city office holders across the country, including Hardin; four state executives, including Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey; four statewide officials, including Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel; and 12 state legislators.
Hardin is one of 45 officeholders across Ohio who openly identify as LGBTQ+, according to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. He was the only Ohioan on the power list, however.
On June 13, Hardin convened many of those officials from around the state for the third year in a row on the day before Columbus Pride. He announced at that event that he intends to form an LGBTQ+ affairs commission to advise city leaders.
At that announcement, Hardin said creating this permanent commission goes beyond Pride Month and will enshrine inclusion in the city’s government. He said LGBTQ+ rights are under attack at the state and federal levels, particularly transgender youth.
“The commission will recommend policies and monitor legislation at the state and federal level and will organize outreach to our community,” Hardin said.
Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@dispatch.com. Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Council President Hardin named one of nation’s most powerful LGBTQ+ officeholders
Reporting by Jordan Laird, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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