Shane was the first out LGBTQ+ person elected to St. Louis City municipal government!
Biography
Shane Cohn has served on the St. Louis City Board of Aldermen since 2009. When elected, he was the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to city government. He is currently the Majority Floor Leader for the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, Chairman of the Transportation and Commerce Committee, and sits on the Planning Commission, Port Authority, and St. Louis Airport Commission. He has served on numerous boards as an ally and advocate over the years, including Pride St. Louis, the LGBTQ+ Community Center, the National Conference for Community and Justice, and Planned Parenthood of St. Louis. He continues to focus his efforts as a champion of the neighborhoods and people he represents while working on youth development, neighborhood safety initiatives, and development. He has passed key legislation, including St. Louis’ first Complete Streets policy, St. Louis’ first efforts at drug policy reform/Marijuana Decriminalization, updating St. Louis’ non-discrimination policy to be trans-inclusive, and St. Louis’ minimum wage increase. He has also been instrumental in the implementation of other regional initiatives, including the funding of an LGBT Senior Outreach Coordinator for SAGE Metro St. Louis, and the region’s Convention and Tourism Commission actively developing an LGBT marketing strategy. His professional background is predominantly in Human Resources and Non-Profit Management His personal interests include traveling, cooking, gardening, running, hiking, biking, and reading.