Rue Landau

Rue Landau
Member of the Philadelphia City Council
from At-Large
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Personal details
Born (1969-02-20) February 20, 1969 (age 57)
Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania
SpouseKerry Smith (m. 2014)
Children1
EducationUniversity of Delaware
Temple University Beasley School of Law
WebsiteCampaign

Ruthellen "Rue" Landau (born February 20, 1969) is an American politician and activist. She is a member of the Philadelphia City Council from At-Large after winning one of the seven At Large Seats in the 2023 election. She is the first openly LGBT person elected to the Philadelphia City Council.

Early life and education

Landau was born on February 20, 1969, in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania to Myron "Mike" and Dorothy "Dosty" Landau along with her identical twin sister, Suzanne. She also has an older brother named Rich. Landau is Jewish and grew up with one parent from a Conservative background and one parent from a Reform background. She attended the University of Delaware where she had first came out. She decided to move to the Gayborhood in Philadelphia. She volunteered with ACT UP, an AIDS activist organization and then also with the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, a housing activists group. She decided to go to Law School at the Temple University Beasley School of Law and serve as a housing activist.

Pre-political career

After graduating from Temple, she spent a decade at Community Legal Services to help prevent Philadelphians in cases of evictions and to help locate housings for families. She was then appointed as the director of the Commission on Human Relations, as well as the Commission of the Fair Housing Commission for the City of Philadelphia. She challenged local government like the Philadelphia Housing Authority to create fairer laws and conditions for Philadelphia families.

She served as a Committeeperson in the Second Ward for the Democratic Party of Philadelphia.

Political career

On December 13, 2022, Landau officially announced her bid for an at-large seat in the 2023 Philadelphia City Council election. She was endorsed by the Democratic Party of Philadelphia, Working Families Party, and Reclaim Philadelphia. Landau won one of the nominations, winning the most votes from a non-incumbent and also received more votes than Incumbent Jim Haritty. After placing fourth and winning a seat in the general election, Landau became the first openly LGTBQ Councilmember in Philadelphia City Council.

Personal life

Landau met Kerry Smith, who lived in Boston at the time, in 2002 and they dated and became a couple. Landau met Smith thanks to a mutual friend living in New York City in 2002. Landau and Kerry would become the first couple in Pennsylvania to receive a same-sex marriage license when it became legal on May 20, 2014. Rue and Kerry have a son, Eli, who goes to Central High School. They currently live in Bella Vista near Rue's two siblings. Landau practices Reconstructionist Judaism and is a member of Kol Tzedek.

Landau is credited with expanding Philadelphia's motto to be more inclusive, coining the phrase: “City of Brotherly Love, Sisterly Affection, and Sibling Solidarity.” This updated version includes nonbinary and gender nonconforming individuals.[citation needed]

References

  1. ↑ Mikulich, Leah (June 21, 2024). "Cheltenham's Rue Landau Is First Openly Gay Person to Be Elected to Philadelphia City Council". MONTCO.Today.
  2. 1 2 3 McCutcheon, Lauren (May 11, 2023). "City Council Election 2023: Rue Landau". The Philadelphia Citizen. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Voters elected Philadelphia's first openly gay candidate to win a city council nomination". www.cbsnews.com. May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Guckes, Andrew (December 5, 2024). "Representation Matters for Rue Landau".
  5. ↑ Orso, Anna; Walsh, Sean Collins (October 3, 2022). "Philly has never had an openly LGBTQ City Council member. That could change after next year's election". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Rue Landau officially announces her historic run for an at-large 2023 City Council seat". Al Día News. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ Marin, Max (May 17, 2023). "'We've made history': Rue Landau poised to become Philly's first openly LGBTQ City Council member". www.inquirer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  8. ↑ Saffren, Jarrad (December 20, 2022). "Jewish Democrat Rue Landau Announces City Council Run". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ Sprayregen, Molly (April 24, 2023). "Out civil rights warrior Rue Landau is running to make history on the Philadelphia City Council". LGBTQ Nation. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  10. ↑ "2 women likely to be first openly LGBTQ and first South Asian City Council members". www.audacy.com. May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.