I’ll never forget sitting alone in my unfurnished one-room apartment in July 1984. Fresh out of college, my fear of four more years of a Reagan presidency was mollified by the inspiration I felt seeing Geraldine Ferraro accept the nomination for vice president at the Democratic convention.

“If she can do it, so can I,” I thought.

Ten years prior, I remember hearing of a woman named Kathy Kozachenko, who became the first openly L.G.B.T.Q. person to win political office in America.

“If she can do it, so can I,” I thought then, too.

Representation — whether in politics, media or teaching staff — is about both visibility and affirmation. For example, when kids wrestling with their identity see openly L.G.B.T.Q. people in high places, space is created for more self-esteem. At a time when L.G.B.T.Q. youth are several times more likely to attempt suicide than their non-L.G.B.T.Q. peers, this grounding experience has the potential to better form young lives.