In addition to President Barack Obama being reelected, several LBGTQ politicians were also elected to Congress—one notable woman being Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who is the first openly gay senator to be elected.

Baldwin’s sexual orientation was not a main factor in her getting elected; in fact, it was practically a nonissue considering how little it was mentioned during her campaign. Instead of voting based on sexual orientation, the Wisconsin electorate voted Baldwin into Congress based on her merits and her ideas.

It’s so encouraging to see that the American people are increasingly seeing differences in sexual orientation as not being that big of a deal. This is another step towards having a more diverse Congress. Baldwin, along with all the other politicians who support equal rights for LGBTQ people, will serve as an inspiration and a role model to teens of all sexual orientations.