Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Lilliana Young, Indiana House of Representatives District 61
The last year and a half have been extremely demoralizing for the LGBTQ+ community. The rights of queer people, particularly trans people, remain under constant threat from right-wing governments at the state and federal level. But this year calls for boldness — the only way to counter a threat is to fight back.
Lilliana Young (she/her) is a millennial trans woman who identifies as a Democratic Socialist. Describing herself as “extremely gay”, she does not shy away from the LGBTQ+ label, in a state that is generally not friendly to the LGBTQ+ community. But that is not deterring her. As a member of the Bloomington/Monroe County Human Rights Commission (BMCHRC), Lilliana is invested in expanding socialist policies in Indiana, from public housing options, to expanding and strengthening state Medicaid, and she has also had success strengthening local protections for LGBTQ+ persons in her hometown of Bloomington. A bass guitarist, she has technical experience as a writer and script editor, trailer editor, music producer, marketing lead and community manager in indie game development. Lilliana is basing her campaign around six main issues: wage and worker’s rights, access to housing, access to health care, strengthening public education, accountability of government and human rights.
Where are you based?
Bloomington, Indiana
What position are you running for?
I’m running for Indiana House of Representatives in District 61.
How would you briefly summarize your platform?
I’m an aggressively progressive Democratic Socialist who wants to bring the voice of the working class and queer community to the Indiana legislature that sorely lacks those perspectives.
What inspired you to run?
Indiana is a broken state, and things will only improve if we change out the people in our state government. This includes longstanding incumbent Democrats.
What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I want to prove that the every day worker has every bit the same place in government as wealthy lawyers and business owners, and that it’s through our intimate understanding of the problems real people live with that we’ll expand social safety nets and protections for workers and renters.
How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I’ve served in the BMCHRC since about October 2024. As part of that, I’ve laid the groundwork for implementing a municipal ID program and LGBTQ commission within the city, which I’m now further pushing the city government to move on.
What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
I think stagnant wages, housing affordability and trans rights are top tier issues. Besides writing legislation to try to solve those problems, I also plan to organize that state Democrats into a formal obstruction party dedicated to using every possible tool to slow Republicans and stall out the harm they can cause.
America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
Most of my district is pretty liberal or progressive already, so there’s not a lot of a divide to bridge here. And I don’t hide my disdain for Republicans as the people driving most of the suffering in Indiana and America at large. However, I will still champion policy that will uplift everyone in the state who’s been left behind by corporate greed and Christian nationalism – even people who vote for Republicans.
How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
Currently there’s no trans people, socialists, or workers in the Indiana legislature. This means there’s nobody who there who actually has to live with the damaging laws passed year over year. Since I check all three boxes, I know what it will take to solve the problems people in the state live with, know how badly we need to work to dismantle capitalism’s grip, and know what it’s like to live with the state’s boot on your throat.
What is your motto in life?
Never back down from a fight worth fighting.
Where can we find out more about you?
My campaign website is Home - Lilliana Young for Indiana State Representative District 61 with more info about me and my platform, links to other in depth interviews, and links to all my socials:
Instagram: @lillianakendra
Facebook: Lilliana Young for IN 61
Youtube: @lillianakendrayoung
Bluesky: @lillianayoung
