A record-setting 24 openly LGBTQ+ candidates won their primary races in Texas Tuesday evening, the LGBTQ Victory Fund said Wednesday. Ten of those candidates are running for state House or Senate seats in a legislature with only six openly LGBTQ+ members currently serving. In all, just 13 elected officials in Texas openly identify as LGBTQ+. The increase comes at a pivotal moment for LGBTQ+ rights in Texas, as state officials, including the governor, have labeled gender-affirming care for transgender youth as “child abuse.” More than 20 of the record-setting 54 openly LGBTQ+ candidates in Texas won their elections Tuesday evening in the first primary of the 2022 election cycle, setting the stage for LGBTQ+ representation in the state legislature to more than double. Twenty-four openly LGBTQ+ people running for public office in Texas won their primary races on Tuesday, a record high and a 33 percent increase over 2020, when 18 candidates won, the LGBTQ Victory Fund said Wednesday. Of those who won their elections, 10 are running for state House or Senate seats in a legislature with only six openly LGBTQ+ members currently serving. Some races have still yet to be called and others will advance to runoff elections, the Victory Fund said. It’s not inconsequential that more voters in Texas selected a more diverse slate of representatives as more than 200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures this year. Although Texas legislators have not introduced such legislation, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in an opinion late last month called gender-affirming care for transgender youth “abuse” under his interpretation of state law. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Despite pushback from some district attorneys in the state who have said they will not prosecute families whose children have received gender-affirming treatment, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has come out in support of Paxton’s opinion and last month ordered state agencies to investigate reports of minors receiving gender-affirming treatment as child abuse. Both Paxton’s and Abbott’s comments have been condemned by the White House. In a statement Wednesday, Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker, who served as the mayor of Houston from 2010 to 2016, congratulated voters in Texas for demanding more equitable representation. “Texans’ voices rang loud and clear: we demand change. Not because the policies coming out of Austin are merely short-sighted, but because they are dangerous for our community,” she said. “From attacks on voting rights to anti-trans legislation to brazen homophobia, we need advocates at the table willing to get in the ring and fight for our fundamental freedoms. “Time and time again, we witness how unequitable representation creates a ripple effect of hate and harmful policies that impact all our lives. Enough is enough,” Parker added. “Yesterday, we made history. Today, we continue the fight with rekindled enthusiasm.”