Georgia’s newest state representative, Keisha Waites, was sworn in this week after winning a special election to represent the Atlanta-area House District 60.  Waites becomes the fourth openly gay or lesbian member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and its third out member who is also African American.

Waites and her colleagues are among a growing number of openly LGBT African Americans who are running for and winning elective office.  The trend follows two decades of effort by the Victory Fund to encourage and assist LGBT Americans who are willing to step up and seek leadership positions in their communities.

Victory’s very first endorsee, Sherry Harris, an African American lesbian who won election to the Seattle City Council in 1991, said she ran because it was important that through her service the LGBT community would have a seat at the table.  ”We were all back then about breaking down barriers…and it wasn’t that easy to make the choice to run,” Harris said in a video celebrating Victory’s 20th anniversary.

Pathbreaking LGBT African Americans who either have served or are still serving today include Waites’ House colleagues, Reps. Rashad Taylor and Simone Bell, and: Cambridge, Mass., City Councilman Kenneth Reeves and his council colleague E. Denise Simmons–both of whom have also served as the city’s mayor; former Palm Springs, Calif., Mayor Ron Oden; Maryland State Delegate Mary Washington; North Carolina State Rep. Marcus Brandon; Charlotte, N.C., City Councilwoman Lawana Mayfield; Decatur, Ga., City Commissioner Keisha Cunningham; Detroit City Council President Charles Pugh; and Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker, among others.

Last November Bruce Harris of Chatham, N.J., became the nation’s first openly gay, African American Republican to be elected mayor.  He has since been nominated by Gov. Chris Christie to serve on the N.J. Supreme Court.