Brian Sims

Former State Representative, LGBTQ+ Advocate

Rep. Brian Sims (Ret.) currently serves as the Managing Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Out Leadership. A distinguished civil rights advocate and public policy expert, Sims served for 10 years as a Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, becoming the first Out LGBTQIA+ member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly when he was elected in 2011. He has extensive experience lecturing internationally to corporations and universities about the policy and legal implications of diversity and the modern LGBTQ+ civil rights movement.  

In addition to serving in the State House, Sims, who is the former staff counsel for policy and planning at the Philadelphia Bar Association, served as Special Counsel to the Philadelphia-based law firm of Saul Ewing LLP and serves on a number of non-profit & public interest Boards. Prior to taking public office, Sims was a member of the national campaign board of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia. He also instructed and lectured regularly at the Center for Progressive Leadership. 

In 2000, Sims, the son of two retired Army lieutenant colonels, came out to his football team after helping to lead them to the Division II national championship game as their captain. He remains the only former NCAA football captain to have ever come out, and is one of the most notable collegiate athletes to do so in any sport.