Queer Ancestor Spotlight: José Sarria

José Sarria (December 19, 1922 - August 19, 2013) holds the distinction of being the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States. He ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1961. He almost won by default as there were originally not enough candidates to fill all open seats. When voting was done he had amassed 6,000 votes and came in ninth place. While not enough to secure a seat it was a shocking moment in the American political scene and showed the viability of a gay voting bloc.