Transsexual Candidates for Public Office

[Starling]

Hi All,

I just read an encouraging article in the New York Times about some transsexual folk in the US who are running for various positions this year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/us/politics/25transgender.html?pagewanted=1&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

After reading it, I thought how exciting it would be to hear about our sisters and brothers--all over the "voting world"--who have tossed their hats into the ring, and are thereby creating a greater mainstream awareness of our vitality, variety and value.

So please send links to other media coverage of transsexuals in politics and public service, in order that we can share in celebrating our progress. Not all of these folks will win, of course, but they are being taken seriously.

Whatever the results, I'm pretty jazzed about this development.

:) Lallie

[AllieSF]

There was just a recent thread on this, maybe not the same article. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully people will vote based on qualifications and not just because someone is or isn't a TS.

[Starling]

You know I looked for a similar thread before I started mine, Allie, but I only found it after you responded. The earlier thread didn't have the words candidate, politics or office in it, so I missed it.

(Smacks herself on forehead)

But it was based on the same article. And by the way, I didn't urge voting for anyone just because they were TS; in fact, I would have voted for only two or three. Their positions on issues are more important than their gender status, but I'm glad they're all running.

:) Lallie

[Teri Jean]

Ally is right, one can be transexual and totally wrong for the position. I hope that the people weigh out the pros and cons first. Yes it would be great for the community to have the presence but not if they were wrong for the job.

[Starling]

And I agree, of course. I was speaking of their presence in the election, representing us on the public stage, and not necessarily in office.

:) Lallie

[donnalee]

And yet another reason to go to the polls November 2nd!:cheer:

[AllieSF]

Yes, I didn't mean to infer that you were saying voting for them all. It was more a general statement to everyone. A friend of mine is a personal friend of Britney Novotny in Oklahoma. from what I know about her, I hope that she wins for all the right reasons, including showing the conservative world that we are just as qualified as the rest, and maybe even more qualified.

[Rianna Humble]

It's going to be a couple of years before I feel ready to try again for public office, but the party I represent have already told me that they want me when I feel able. I wouldn't be able to hide my transsexuality even if I wanted to as I have already featured in the local and national press in relation to a former political opponent who came out as gay.

Although a total sleaze rag, The Sun is the most widely read daily in the UK, I am mentioned in the last two paragraphs of http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3114733/Tory-minister-Im-gay.html - that report is better than the one they did about my "announcement" http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3090012/Im-having-sex-swap-says-poll-flop-Robert-Hull.html

[Starling]

You're one of the pioneers, Rianna.

:) Lallie

[gretchen2]

That's great news thanks LALady. Some how I am going to vote for them all, no matter what they stand for.