Cheltenham-raised Rue Landau is on her way to securing her seat as Philadelphia’s first openly LGBTQ City Council member. Landau was one of five nominated for an at-large seat on the City Council in Tuesday’s state primaries, finishing third in a 27-candidate race, writes Max Marin for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“We’ve had LGBTQ Council people serve who did not have the luxury of living an out lifestyle,” Landau said. “It shows that we’ve come such a long way in such a short time. We’ve made history.” 

This wouldn’t be the first time she’s made history. Landau is a longtime activist and housing and civil rights attorney. She and her wife were the first same-sex couple to receive a marriage certificate in Pennsylvania.

In the 1990s, Landau advocated for access to healthcare and housing for people living with AIDS. She legally represented low-income tenants and was later appointed to Philly’s Fair Housing Commission and Commission on Human Relations.

If elected in November, Landau wants to extend LGBTQ advocacy across The Keystone State.

“Philadelphia needs to remain the unwavering bastion for LGTBQ rights, but we need to make sure that we have a strong non-discrimination bill for the entire state,” she said.

Read more about Rue Landau in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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Rue Landau speaks about resilience.