Two exceptionally talented and qualified candidates likely have won elections in Salt Lake City, the home to the Mormon Church. That they are both gay comes as a surprise to many outsiders, but locally it clearly wasn’t a deal-breaker.
Although the results will not be official until November 17, it appears Salt Lake City, Utah, has just elected its first openly-lesbian mayor. Jackie Biskupski was also the first openly gay elected official in the state legislature, so she’s well-known to residents in the city that is also headquarters and home to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While not the first openly-gay person elected to the Salt Lake City Council, Derek Kitchen is also well-known to Utah residents. He is the lead plaintiff in Kitchen v. Herbert, the federal court case that won same-sex marriage for Utah.
The Salt Lake Tribune puts the unofficial tally at 52.19 percent for Biskupski.
“Generations of LGBT people could’ve only dreamed of this,” Utah State Senator Jim Dabakis said. “Jackie is now an iconic gay leader. This is a great moment for Salt Lake City — we’re not the stereotype people across the country think we are.”
Meanwhile, the Deseret News reports Kitchen has 52 percent of the vote, and his opponent has already conceded.
“I feel honored that the residents of District 4 have put their faith in me to represent them and make important decisions on their behalf,” Kitchen told the News. “I’m energized and excited to get to work on the Salt Lake City Council as your next representative.”
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Images via Facebook:Â Jackie Biskupski, Derek Kitchen