📁 In addition to the reviewers and editors, thanks to the data management and copyright experts at Queen's who helped us navigate technical and ethical challenges.

💰 Grateful for financial support from the @queenspols.bsky.social.

🙏 Huge thanks to our incredible research assistants—Janica Arevalo, Harry Blackwell, Kate Burke Pellizzari, Kaitie Jourdeuil, Sarah Malik, and Maddy Ritter—for their careful coding.

🙏 Huge thanks to our incredible research assistants—Janica Arevalo, Harry Blackwell, Kate Burke Pellizzari, Kaitie Jourdeuil, Sarah Malik, and Maddy Ritter—for their careful coding.

This work was made possible with funding from @queenspols.bsky.social and fantastic RAs: Janica Arevalo, Harry Blackwell, Hana Brissenden, Kate Burke Pellizzari, Carolane Côté, Kaitie Jourdeuil, Sarah Malik, Thanina Maouche, Maddie McLeod, Eden Natovitch, Maddy Ritter, and Rissa Wang.

What next?
• Push parties to strengthen equity policies—with specific targets for LGBTQ2S+ candidates and clear definitions of “winnable ridings.”
• Get involved: Join parties, vote in nominations, run for office, support LGBTQ2S+ candidates, and push for change at party conventions.

Key findings:
• Parties nominated fewer LGBTQ2S+ candidates in 2025 than in 2019 or 2021, reversing earlier momentum.
• Most LGBTQ2S+ candidates were nominated in unwinnable ridings, worsening a trend seen in past elections.

As research on LGBTQ2S+ representation grows, we encourage others to adapt our approach to new contexts.

We're grateful to the amazing RAs who worked on this project: Janica Arevalo, Harry Blackwell, Kate Burke Pellizzari, Kaitie Jourdeuil, Sarah Malik & Maddy Ritter.

Key findings:
• ~10% of out candidates are missing from published lists — and not at random
• Individual candidate searches uncover those overlooked
• Published lists alone risk underestimating barriers LGBTQ2S+ candidates face
• Time-intensive methods are worth it — methodologically & normatively

Thanks for sharing, @politicsgenderj.bsky.social!