First Black Gay
Elected in Virginia

Virginia voters on Tuesday elected the state's first openly gay black public official. Lawrence Webb won a seat on the Falls Church city council, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. He won one of three available positions with 1,215 votes in a close race -- coming in third and beating out the fourth candidate by 39 votes. Incumbent Robin Gardner and Nader Baroukh won the other two seats.

"I also hope my election opens the door for others to get involved in public service," Webb said in a statement released by the Victory Fund. "It doesn't matter if you're gay or black or both. What matters is your dedication to building a better community and your willingness to work hard at it."

Webb is assistant dean of admissions at the University of Mary Washington and is a member of the Falls Church City Democratic Committee. Former Virginia governor Mark Warner appointed Webb to the board of the Department of Correctional Education.

"While the presidential race is grabbing national headlines, openly gay candidates and elected officials are making great strides under the radar," said Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, in the press release. "Lawrence's historic win is just one example of this. I'm also extraordinarily proud of the work our team did in the field yesterday. They made calls until their cell phones went dead, and in the end their work contributed directly to Lawrence's close win." (The Advocate)