The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the
nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, on Wednesday endorsed
Democratic Governor Kate Brown's bid for a second term as Oregon's
governor.
Brown is Oregon's second female
governor, after Barbara Roberts, as well as the first openly bisexual
governor in U.S. history.
“As the nation’s first openly
bisexual governor, Kate Brown is a champion of equality who has
fought for the LGBTQ community throughout her career,” HRC
President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “Helping to improve the
lives of countless people, Governor Brown has worked tirelessly to
make the principles of fairness and equality a priority for Oregon.
HRC is proud to endorse Governor Brown in her bid for re-election.”
The announcement is HRC's first
gubernatorial endorsement ahead of the critically important 2018
election cycle.
“I've been fighting for LGBTQ
equality my entire career and am proud of our record of leadership,”
said Governor Kate Brown. “I want to make Oregon an even better
place to live, work and raise a family – no matter who you are, how
you identify or who you love."
(Related: Oregon's
Kate Brown signs transgender bill.)
The 57-year-old Brown, who is married
to Dan Little, discussed coming out in an OutHistory.org
survey.
“I believe it was during my early
30's that I figured out who, or what, I am,” she wrote. “But it
wasn't until it was written in the Oregonian newspaper that I
was bisexual that I had to face the inevitable and let those around
me know. Thus began my very public coming out as a bisexual.”