Brian K. Sims (born September 16, 1978) is an American lawyer, politician, and activist on LGBT rights. In 2012, he was elected as a democrat to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in the 182nd district.
Sims was born in Washington D.C., as the son of two Army Lieutenant Colonels. Sims lived in seventeen states before settling in Pennsylvania in the early 1990s. He later completed his undergraduate studies at Bloomsburg University, in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania in 2001. In 2000, Sims was the co-captain of the Bloomsburg University football team, and was recognized as a scholar athlete. Following the longest season in the Division II schools history, Sims came out as gay. In doing so, the regional All-American and team captain became the only openly gay college football captain in NCAA history.
Following a trip to the National Championship, Sims later earned an J.D. degree in International and Comparative law at the Michigan State University School of Law in 2004.
Sims served as the President of Equality Pennsylvania, and as the Chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia (GALLOP), until he stepped down from both positions in 2011. In 2009, Sims joined the faculty of the Center for Progressive Leadership and the National Campaign Board of The Victory Fund. Additionally, he was selected as one of the Top 40 LGBT Attorneys Under 40 in the United States by the National LGBT Bar Association in 2010.
In 2011, Sims announced his intentions to run for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 182nd District. Sims received the endorsement of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. He ran in the Democratic primary against long-time incumbent Democrat Babette Josephs and won. He did not face a republican challenger in the November election and was elected.
Sims was the first openly gay person elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Because Pennsylvania State Representatives' legislative duties begin on the first day of December following their election,[10] Sims shares the designation of being its first openly gay member with Rep. Mike Fleck (R–Huntingdon), who came out in a newspaper article published later that day.
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