Out athlete, local attorney, fierce LGBTQ advocate, and celebrity hottie Brian Sims has been busy lately. So busy, in fact, that his campaign for the 182nd District seat has managed to raise substantial funds to challenge incumbent State Rep. Babette Josephs, exceeding Josephs’ reported funds prior to her 2010 challenge by more than 20,000 dollars.

If Sims successfully defeats the incumbent, he’ll make history as the very first openly gay member of the Pennsylvania legislature.

Sims’ primary opponent, Babette Josephs, boasts her own set of progressive bona-fides, having been named by Keystone Progress as one of their 2011 Legislative Heros. Sims, for his part, recently snagged an endorsement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

So what does Brian Sims have to say? We’ll let him speak for himself.

For more insight into his bio, you can also watch Sims’ “I’m From Driftwood” video.

The most important distinctions between Sims and Josephs are likely to shake out in the coming months, but no matter what, it’s heartening to know how close our community is to seeing itself represented  at one more level of government.