THE FIRST openly LGBTQ+ senator of colour, Laphonza Butler from California, US, has sworn in on Tuesday (3).
She has taken over the seat of the late Dianne Feinstein, who passed away a few days earlier at the age of 90.
Butler wrote: “I’m honoured to accept Governor Gavin Newsom’s nomination to be US Senator for a state I have made my home and honoured by his trust in me to serve the people of California and this great nation.
“No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but I will do my best to honour her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California.
“I am ready to serve,” she concluded.
Butler is the third-ever Black woman to serve in the Senate, following in the footsteps of Kamala Harris, who was the second.
The US Vice President, who collaborated with her in her 2020 campaign, was present to witness the swearing-in of Butler.
Kamala Harris said: “I know she will work to serve Californians with grit and grace, as she has done throughout her career.”
Butler has previously worked as the Director for Public Policy and Campaigns at Airbnb, served as president of the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union and was on the University of California Board of Regents.
She is married to her wife Neneki Lee and a mother to their eight-year-old daughter Nylah.
With the induction of Laphonza Butler, the Senate maintains its slight Democratic control leading into the 2024 elections.
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