Evan Low is on a mission to get LGBTQ+ political candidates elected. Here's his plan
Keep up with the latest in + news and politics.
What are your goals for Victory Fund and Victory Institute?Evan Low: Taking on this role as president and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LGBTQ+ Victory Institute is deeply personal to me. My story is just one example for why this work is so important — I was an endorsed candidate and a graduate of the David Bohnett Leaders Fellowship Program. Victory helped to elect me as the youngest openly LGBTQ+ mayor in the nation when I was 26 years old and then again when I was elected to the California State Assembly. I know firsthand how much this organization changes lives and helps make representation a reality.
My goal is simple but urgent: to ensure LGBTQ+ people are not just present in politics but leading at every level — federal, state, and local. We're facing a wave of legislation aimed at silencing our voices, and the best way to fight back is to lead, to be visible, and to make sure our voices are impossible to ignore.
Related:
How has your experience as an elected official and other life experience prepared you?I know what it's like to be a candidate on the front lines of working to win and achieve representation in elected office. At 20, I ran my first race [for Campbell City Council] and lost. It was crushing. But Victory was there, reminding me to get back up — and I did. I became the mayor of Campbell and then a state legislator. I also made a run for Congress, and though I ultimately didn't win, I did gain valuable insight to help guide and support our candidates. I know firsthand how much it matters to invest in races all the way down to the hyperlocal level. Candidates and officials have a pulse on what matters in their communities. So often our candidates prove themselves to be pragmatic and results-oriented problem solvers. I've been in the trenches of politics, and I understand what it takes to run, to serve, and to make an impact. My job now is to make sure others have the same support and encouragement that I had.
What are the challenges you see the organization facing, especially in light of a hostile administration in Washington?We are in a state of emergency. Across the country, lawmakers are trying to legislate us out of existence. Some of them simply don't understand us; others are actively trying to erase us. These are more than just political disagreements — they are direct attacks on our mission, our values, and even our programmatic work and funding support. But here's the thing: This moment makes our mission more relevant than ever. This moment is showing us what happens when LGBTQ+ representation is missing. The policies being pushed are proof that we need more of our voices in the rooms where decisions are made.
Despite these headwinds, we persevere. Our network of elected and appointed officials is mighty and ready to face these challenges head on — not just to defend our rights but to expand them. We must show up, run for office, fight for our community, and be unapologetically present in every space where decisions are made. We must also lend a hand of partnership over partisanship. Increasing LGBTQ+ representation has the power to change hearts and minds across the political spectrum.
Could you elaborate on the importance of LGBTQ+ representation at this time?Representation isn't just about checking a box; it's about making sure our voices are heard. Growing up, I didn't see many visible leaders who looked like me or shared my experience. Today, we have the chance to rewrite that narrative — to show future generations that they belong in politics, in leadership, and in every part of public life. We're not asking for special treatment. We just want the same rights and opportunities as everyone else — to have our families legally recognized, to work without fear of discrimination, to serve openly, to have autonomy over our own bodies. LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LGBTQ+ Victory Institute will fight to make sure those rights are protected.
How has Victory Fund affected your career?I wouldn't be here without the Victory Fund. They believed in me before I fully believed in myself. When I lost that first race, they were there, reminding me that losing isn't the end — it's just part of the journey. That's exactly what I want to do for the next generation of LGBTQ+ leaders. I'm lucky to succeed the great leadership Mayor Annise Parker brought to LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and LGBTQ+ Victory institute throughout her tenure. I am looking forward to honoring her legacy in my new role and picking up right where she left off.
What has it been like being an out gay man in politics?I've been out my entire political career, and let me tell you, it hasn't always been easy. As mayor, I've officiated weddings but couldn't legally marry myself. I've hosted blood drives but wasn't allowed to donate blood because of outdated [Food and Drug Administration] policies. These experiences weren't just personal frustrations; they were reminders of why representation matters. When we have a seat at the table, we can fight to ensure future generations don't have to take on these same battles.
Growing up, I didn't have many LGBTQ+ role models. It was lonely at times. But looking at where we are today, I see so much progress. We're no longer in the shadows — we're out, we're proud, and we're leading. That's what gives me hope. And that's why I'm here — to make sure every LGBTQ+ person who wants to serve knows that they'll have an army standing behind them every step of the way.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Massive rainbow flag placed at Reichstag by activists ahead of Pride
Activists unfurled a massive rainbow flag on the lawn in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin in protest against the government's decision not to hoist an official rainbow flag for Pride. The flag, organizers say, measures 400 square metres, nearly the size of a basketball court. They held a demonstration including speeches and music with numerous attendees waving rainbow flags. The decision against hoisting the flag for the celebration of Christopher Street Day (CSD) as Pride is known in Germany, was made by Bundestag President Julia Klöckner. Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended the Bundestag's decision, saying, "The Bundestag is not a circus tent." In a related protest, the Social Democrats (SPD), the junior partner in the conservative-led governing coalition, hoisted a flag in front of the Willy-Brandt-Haus, the party's headquarters in Berlin. SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf, along with Carola Ebhardt and Oliver Strotzer, the federal chairpersons of the SPDqueer working group, raised the Progressive Pride Flag for CSD. The flag is an evolution of the classic rainbow flag, incorporating additional colours to represent trans people and queer people of colour. The term Christopher Street Day is used in Germany to refer to Pride celebrations for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) communities. It is a reference to the location of the Stonewall Inn in New York City's Greenwich Village neighbourhood, where a protest against police discrimination on June 28, 1969, kick-started the gay liberation movement. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump order aims to make it easier to remove the homeless off the streets
President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets and get them treatment elsewhere. The order also calls on Attorney General Pam Bondi to 'reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit state and local governments' ability to commit individuals on the streets who are a risk to themselves or others,' according to a White House fact sheet. On the surface, it's framed as a solution — but underneath, it represents a troubling expansion of forced institutionalization, with few real answers about long-term care or housing. Trump's recent executive order on homelessness, which prioritizes forced relocation of unhoused people to treatment centers and penalizes open-air encampments, reads more like a campaign tactic than a compassionate or effective public policy. While public frustration around homelessness is understandable, this order channels that frustration in the wrong direction — targeting symptoms instead of causes, and people instead of systems. Framing homelessness as a threat to public safety rather than a humanitarian crisis is not only dangerous — it's inaccurate. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, 'By removing vagrant criminals from our streets the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe …' This kind of language paints unhoused people as violent offenders, despite studies — like one from the University of Central Florida — showing that unhoused individuals are typically arrested for nonviolent infractions like public intoxication or shoplifting, not for violent crime. In fact, research shows they are far more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators. Trump's approach to homelessness relies on institutionalization, encampment sweeps, and prioritizing states that crack down on outdoor sleeping. But it offers no real investment in building or preserving affordable housing — which experts across the political spectrum agree is the core issue. Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center said it best: 'Trump's expected actions are reckless, expensive, and make homelessness worse. … Real leaders focus on solutions, not on kicking people when they are down.' Supporters of the order argue that it gets people into treatment, but forced treatment rarely leads to long-term recovery — especially when it's divorced from stable housing. Research has consistently shown that Housing First, which prioritizes placing people in permanent housing before mandating treatment or sobriety, reduces homelessness by up to 88 percent and lowers costly emergency care visits. The problem isn't that Housing First failed — it's that we've underfunded and inconsistently applied it across the country. This order also disproportionately affects Black and brown communities, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities — groups who are already overrepresented in the unhoused population. And in cities like D.C., where Trump is directing federal agencies to evict people from public parks, the move will simply push people out of sight, further away from services and case managers. A few high-profile, tragic incidents involving homeless individuals should not dictate national policy. Fear should not be driving our response to poverty. If we want real results, we need real solutions: housing, mental health access, wraparound services — and most importantly, humanity. Homelessness isn't a crime. And treating it like one won't solve it.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Hong Kong judge rules in favor of transgender bathroom access
HONG KONG — A Hong Kong judge on Wednesday ruled to strike down regulations criminalizing the use of bathrooms designated for the opposite sex, ruling in favor of transgender individuals' rights to access public toilets matching their identity. Judge Russell Coleman approved the judicial review of K, who was born a woman and identifies as a man, saying the regulations contravene an article of the city's mini-constitution that stipulates all residents should be equal before the law. But he suspended the declaration to strike down the regulations for a year to allow the government 'to consider whether it wishes to implement a way to deal with the contravention.' He said in the judgment that the regulations and 'drawing the line of a person's biological sex at birth create a disproportionate and unnecessary intrusion into the privacy and equality rights.' The ruling marks another step forward in recognizing the rights of LGBTQ+ people in the Chinese financial hub. In recent years, the government has revised policies following activists' wins in legal challenges. Currently, only children under 5 years old accompanied by an opposite sex adult can enter a public washroom designated for the opposite sex. Those violating the rule face a fine of up to 2,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $255). K launched a legal challenge in 2022, seeking to expand the exemption to pre-operative transgender people who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria and have a medical need to undergo the process of living in their identified gender. He argued that his constitutional rights were infringed by the prohibition against him using public toilets allocated for men, the court heard. The Environment and Ecology Bureau said in an emailed statement that the government will carefully study the judgment and consult the Department of Justice on the appropriate follow-up action. Quarks, a group serving transgender youth in Hong Kong, welcomed the ruling, urging officials to take immediate action to rectify what it called long-standing discrimination in the system. 'The ruling is not just an affirmation of transgender rights legally but also a big step forward for Hong Kong's overall human rights development,' it said on Instagram. In 2023, Hong Kong's top court ruled that full sex reassignment surgery should not be a prerequisite for transgender people to have their gender changed on their official identity cards. The next year, the government revised its policy to allow people who have not completed full gender-affirmation surgery to change their genders on ID cards as long as they fulfill certain conditions. The conditions include the removal of breasts for transgender men, the removal of the penis and testes for transgender women, and having undergone continuous hormonal treatment for at least two years before applying. Applicants also have to continue their hormonal treatment and submit blood test reports for random checks upon the government's request. In April, activist Henry Tse, who won the legal battle in 2023 and received his new ID card reflecting his gender change last year, lodged a fresh legal challenge over the new requirements. Leung writes for the Associated Press.
