Brian Kendall Sims was born on September 16,1978 and is an American politician, activist and attorney.
33 Facts About Brian Sims
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Brian Sims became the first openly gay elected state legislator in Pennsylvania history.
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Since leaving public office in 2022, Brian Sims served as the Managing Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Out Leadership, on the Board of Trustees of the Tyler Clementi Foundation, and as CEO of Agenda PAC.
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Brian Sims was born in Washington, DC, the son of two Army lieutenant colonels of Irish descent.
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Brian Sims was raised in the Catholic Church but stopped attending church at the age of 16.
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Brian Sims lived in seventeen states before settling in Pennsylvania in the early-1990s.
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Brian Sims graduated from Downingtown High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, in 1997.
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Brian Sims later completed his undergraduate studies at Bloomsburg University, in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, in 2001.
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In 2000, Brian Sims was the co-captain of the Bloomsburg University football team, and was recognized as a scholar athlete.
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In 2004, Brian Sims earned a Juris Doctor in international and comparative law at the Michigan State University College of Law.
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In 2013, Sims completed Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.
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Brian Sims worked as the president of Equality Pennsylvania and the chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia, until he stepped down from both positions in 2011.
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Brian Sims was selected as one of the Top 40 LGBT Attorneys Under 40 in the United States by the National LGBT Bar Association in 2010.
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In 2011, Brian Sims announced his intention to run for representative of the 182nd Legislative District in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
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Brian Sims defeated Babette Josephs, a 28-year incumbent, in the 2012 Democratic primary.
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Brian Sims was the first openly gay person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
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Brian Sims made national news on October 3,2013, when he and fellow Democratic Rep.
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Brian Sims has introduced a bill with fellow Democratic State Representative Erin Molchany to help reduce and eliminate the gender gap in rate of pay as well as legislation to ban the practice of conversion therapy with Rep.
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Brian Sims has made efforts to work with federal legislators on issues of LGBT civil rights.
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On March 28,2013, Brian Sims penned an open letter to US Senator and fellow Pennsylvania Democrat Bob Casey Jr.
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On November 11,2013, Brian Sims teamed with Republican State Representative Bryan Cutler to introduce a bill to replace Pennsylvania's system of electing judges with a merit-based system, which did not receive debate in the PA House.
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Brian Sims served on the House Commerce, Game and Fish, Human Services, State Government, and Tourism and Recreation Committees.
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Brian Sims served as Democratic Chair of the Human Services Subcommittee on Mental Health.
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Brian Sims has served as the prime sponsor of 68 bills or resolutions, of these, one bill has progressed to be debated on the house floor, and nine resolutions have been passed.
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Brian Sims received attention in 2019 for videos he posted to social media confronting people protesting outside of a Planned Parenthood facility in Philadelphia.
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Brian Sims suggested it was unchristian and racist to "shame" people engaging in a lawful activity.
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Brian Sims encouraged his social media followers to dox her and protest outside her house.
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Brian Sims was challenged by Lou Lanni, Marni Snyder, and Ben Waxman in the Democratic primary, defeating all three.
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Brian Sims did not face a Republican challenger in the November 2016 general election.
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On February 15,2021, Brian Sims announced via Twitter that he was running for lieutenant governor in the 2022 election.
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Brian Sims lost the primary election to Davis in a landslide.
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In December 2022, Brian Sims became the Managing Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Out Leadership in New York City.
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In September 2024, Brian Sims was named as CEO of Agenda PAC, an American LGBTQ political action committee.