Palm Springs, Calif., Mayor Steve Pougnet, who is running for Congress next year, is among 15 new endorsements of openly gay and lesbian political candidates announced today by the Victory Fund.  The other 14 candidates are:

Toni Atkins–California State Assembly, District 76 (2010 election)

Jay Barth–Arkansas State Senate, District 34 (2010 election)

Adam Brackman–Atlanta City Council

Todd Connor–Water Reclamation District of Chicago Commission (2010 election)

Michael Gongora–Miami Beach Commission

Rob Holland–Seattle Port Commission

Sharyn Keiser–New Hope City Council, Pennsylvania

Jeff Kingsbury–Olympia City Council, WA

Sandra Kurt–Akron City Council, OH

Sue Lovell–Houston City Council, TX

Sherry Roberts–Miami Beach Commission

Mark Tumeo–Cleveland Heights City Council, OH

Kyle Williams–Decatur City Commission, GA
Jack Zatz–Marlboro Township Council, NJ

A police raid on a Fort Worth, Texas gay bar that resulted in serious injury to at least one of the bar’s patrons has sparked condemnation from the LGBT community and calls for investigations from elected officials, including Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns, who is openly gay.  Burns’ statement in part:

It is unfortunate that this incident occurred in Fort Worth and even more so to have occurred on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall protests. Unlike 40 years ago, though, the people of this community have elective representation that will make sure our government is accountable and that the rights of all of its citizens are protected. I are working together with our Mayor, Police Chief, the City of Fort Worth Human Relations Commission, and our State Legislative colleagues to get a complete and accurate accounting of what occurred.

Rest assured that neither the people of Fort Worth, nor the city government of Fort Worth, will tolerate discrimination against any of its citizens. And know that the GLBT Community is an integral part of the economic and cultural life of Fort Worth.

Every Fort Worth citizen deserves to have questions around this incident answered and I am working aggressively toward that end.

Instant Tea, a blog at the Dallas Voice Web site, has thorough and breaking coverage of the events going back to the first report of the raid in the early hours of Sunday, June 28th.

President Barack Obama spoke to a packed White House East Room this afternoon, telling LGBT leaders and activists from across the country to judge him and his administration by the promises he keeps.  ”By the time this administration is over, you guys will feel good about the Obama administration,” the president said.

The president and Mrs. Obama invited hundreds of LGBT leaders to the White House a day after the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, and at least two men who were present at that historic event made it to today’s reception.  Upon taking the stage, Obama called out to the cheering room, “Welcome to your White House.”

In remarks that lasted nearly 30 minutes, the president laid out key moments in the history of the struggle for LGBT equality, acknowledging trailblazers like Dr. Frank Kameny who first picketed the White House in 1965 and who was present at today’s event.  Obama also acknowledged several high-profile openly LGBT appointees and elected officials in attendance, including Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, who is openly bisexual.

Returning to his campaign promises to the LGBT community, the president said he was committed to overturning the “so-called Defense of Marriage Act,” passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, passing a federal hate crimes bill and ending the military’s “don’t ask don’t tell” policy, among other priorities.

Noting recent unrest in the LGBT community over the pace of action on these items, the president said, “It’s not for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was for others to counsel patience for African-Americans who were petitioning for civil rights a half century ago.”

UPDATE:  The full audio of President Obama’s remarks is available at the blog Good As You.

At least three out North Carolina candidates have announced their intentions to run for political office this year, reflecting the accomplishments of the openly LGBT candidates in the state who have gone before them.

Mark Kleinschmidt, who seeks to become mayor of Chapel Hill, and Lee Sartain and Owen Sutkowski, running for posts in the Raleigh and Charlotte city councils respectively, stand on the progress built by several openly gay and lesbian candidates in North Carolina’s history, according to a report in QNotes.

The  QNotes article highlights of the “successes, failures, lessons and legacies” of North Carolina’s out officials:

Bob Hoy – Likely the first openly gay  candidate in North Carolina.  Lost his 1981 race for a seat on the Raleigh City Council after being attacked by local press.

Lightning A. Brown – ran for and narrowly lost a seat on Chapel Hill Town Council in 1981.

Joseph Herzenberg – In 1987 he became state’s first openly gay elected official when he won his race for Chapel Hill Town Council.  He was the co-founder of the Equality Carolina Political Action Committee

Robert Sheets – Lost a 1987 bid for a seat on the Charlotte City Council.

Mike Nelson – Elected to Carrboro Board of Alderman in 1993, then elected mayor of Carrboro in 1995 before running a successful campaign for Orange County Board of Commissioners.

Sen. Julia Boseman (D – New Hanover) (pictured)– Became the first openly LGBT member of the North Carolina State Legislature in 2004 when she was elected to the Senate.

Elic Senter – Elected mayor of Franklinton in 2007.

For a full list of current out officials in North Carolina and across the United States, visit our interactive map on the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute’s website.

Openly LGBT elected officials from across the country will be among hundreds of invitees at today’s White House celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, according to Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and a former executive director of the Victory Fund.

Bond, who authored a post on the White House blog today, said:

To me, today’s event is more than just a reception honoring LGBT Pride month.  It is an opportunity for the Administration to provide the world with a snap shot  of the real heroes across the country that do the day-to-day work fighting for equality. People like State Representative Patricia Todd in Alabama to Sheriff Lupe Valdez in Dallas, and may other local LGBT elected officials that will be here today.

Other out elected officials expected to attend include Oklahoma State Rep. Al McAffrey, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown, Chicago Water Reclamation Board Commissioner Debra Shore and Campbell, Calif., City Councilmember Evan Low.