Celebrating Black History Month: Andrea Jenkins, first African-American transgender woman elected to public office

Andrea Jenkins, born 1961 in Chicago, Illinois, is the first African-American transgender woman to be elected to public office in the U.S.  She attended the University of Minnesota and afterwards was hired by the Hennepin County government where she worked for ten years.

She worked as an aide for Robert Lilligren who sat on the Minneapolis City Council for four years.  Then she went to work for Elizabeth Glidden when she was elected to the city council.  When Glidden announced she would not run for reelection, Jenkins announced she would run to represent Minneapolis' 8th Ward on the city council.  She won the election on November 7, 2017 with more than 70% of the vote.

Celebrating Pride Month - Jacob Candelaria, first openly gay man to serve in NM Legislature

Jacob Candelaria, born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the first openly gay man to serve in the New Mexico State Legislature.  He won 69% of the vote during the Democratic primary election in June 2012.  He then ran unopposed in the 2012 November election.

Celebrating Pride Month - Jose Sarria, first openly gay man to run for public office in the U.S.

Jose Julio Sarria, born December 13, 1922, became the first openly gay man to run for public office in the United States, when he ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1961.  The issue of the city government becoming lenient toward homosexuals had become an issue in San Francisco's mayoral election in 1959.

Sarria had been performing in drag at the Black Cat bar, which seemed to be under constant police harassment, when raids on gay bars were routine.  He did not expect to win but almost did because of default.  Less than five candidates had filed to run on the final day to register, which would have guaranteed Sarria a seat.  However, by the end of that day, thirty-four candidates had filed.  Sarria came in ninth but garnered about 6000 votes.  That stunned many politicos in the city, who now realized that the gay voting bloc had power.

Sarria continued to perform in drag but also remained very active in fighting for gay rights. 

He passed away in August 2013 from adrenal cancer in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico.