LESBIAN CONGRESSWOMAN TO RUN FOR SENATE

The only openly lesbian congresswomen in the US, Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin, has announced that she will run for the Senate in 2012.

If the 49-year-old Democratic party representative is elected she will become the first-ever openly gay US Senator.

“I’ve always believed that having a seat at the table matters,” Baldwin told The Advocate on Tuesday.

“It matters that our legislative bodies are representative of the whole diversity of our country and of my state. Nobody checks their life experience at the door.”

In an e-mail message to supporters she said: “All my life, the naysayers have told me that I can’t win because I’m a progressive… because I’m a woman.. even because I’m a lesbian. And I’ve proven them wrong because I’ve had rock-solid supporters like you standing with me.”

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTI rights group in the US, issued a statement endorsing Baldwin’s campaign.

“Tammy Baldwin’s candidacy for the US Senate is monumental for both the state of Wisconsin and the country’s LGBT community,” commented HRC President Joe Solmonese.

“Tammy’s election to the US Senate will make history. Added to her long list of firsts, Tammy will be the first woman to represent Wisconsin in the US Senate. Her commitment to equality for all Americans is matched only by her commitment to the people of Wisconsin,” Solmonese added.