At the CrossroadsIn November 1974, a red-haired Bostonian who looked like she had stepped straight out of Southie was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. With fifty-nine percent of the vote, Elaine Noble's victory signified a notable emergence, as she was the first openly gay politician to win election to statewide office (Perry 37-65). Noble's election was the catalyst for a dramatic series of events, not only for the residents of the Fenway Borough of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but for the entire country. Since that historic afternoon, Massachusetts has typically had ten openly gay politicians on the ballot. Nationally, there are more than one hundred and sixty openly gay politicians, with an average of one hundred more gays seeking office. It must be established that Elaine Noble and her many followers all come from a point of view that recognizes the inherent discrimination and oppression of gays. From this position, the pursuit of change through reform of the status quo is a top priority. Another view, called liberationist, seeks to restructure an inherently oppressive system. Both systems are political means of achieving change: politicians themselves are usually reformers, while political organizations and individuals can function in both settings. The liberationist movement is often critical of reformers like Noble, accusing them of wanting to be just like the white (straight) male. Reformers see themselves as more multiculturalist: there are numerous distinct groups and their differences should be celebrated. Liberationists contradict this assumption by arguing that gays are an oppressed minority and, as an oppressed minority, cannot function within the structures created by the larger majority. These assumptions are part of the minority thesis, which in a certain sense constitutes the systemic differences of each group. Using the unique geographic space of Washington, DC, I aim to challenge the stereotypical assumption that gay identity is a prerequisite for the election of an openly gay person. political. When I say "gay identity" I'm specifically referring to a sense of community, pride and progress. The distinct minority theses will be used to convey the implications of identity in the political structure and, consequently, the formation of a gay identity in the District of Columbia. Although Elaine Noble was the first successful gay candidate to win elected office, she was not the first openly gay politician. Frank Kameny, an activist who had previously lost his federal job because of his sexual orientation, was the first openly gay person to run for national office.