There were over 50 trans candidates running in Brazil for various seats at all levels of the Brazilian government when their election took place on October 7. So far only one has broken through to make Brazilian electoral history.
She is Erica Malunguinho, an Afro-Brazilian community leader and activist who just became the first trans person to win elective office in a state congress in Sao Paulo.
She is the founder of Aparela Luzio, a space since its 2016 opening that has become important to Brazil's Black population. Now this groundbreaking win.
Malunguinho was motivated to run after the March 13 assassination of queer Afro Brazilian politician Marielle Franco. Franco was murdered a few days after she spoke out against police brutality
Malunguinho was also part of the 'Seeds of Marielle' collective of 231 Black female candidates running for office in the country in memory of the slain advocate, and was deeply affected by Franco's murder.
“I cried a lot when I heard about Marielle’s murder,” she told Afropunk. “Her political project was just wiped out. It was a message to us that we should not be there fighting over our bodies and resisting genocide and racism. I had so much hate in me. At the same time, I knew I needed to take this hate and do something positive with it.”
That you did. This is a groundbreaking win for Brazilian transkind and the Afro Brazilian community. May you represent those communities well and to the best of your ability.
One of the other election results I'll be paying close attention to in Massachusetts on September 4 besides the Republican gubernatorial primary featuring incumbent Gov. Charlie Baker versus the reprehensible LGBT hatemonger Scott Lively is the US House District 3 race Democratic primary.
Rep. Nikki Tsongas (D) decided to retire, setting off a nine candidate scramble to replace her on the Democratic side of the ballot.
One of those candidates is Alexandra Chandler, a Navy veteran and former intelligence analyst who is another one of the wave of qualified and unapologetically trans candidates #TransformingPolitics.
She is endorsed by Trans United Fund, other organizations, and various politicians in the 3rd Congressional District.
Should she win her primary race, she'll not only make Massachusetts political history as the first trans person in the Bay State to win a congressional primary, it will put her one step closer to becoming the first out trans person elected to the US Congress,
We've had a few people since Amanda Simpson became the first out trans person to win a Democratic congressional primary race in Arizona back in 2004 who have come close to achieving that milestone of getting elected to Congress.
Here's hoping that Chandler breaks through and makes it happen.
But the first step to getting to the November 6 general election is winning the MA-3 primary on September 4
The Year of the Trans Candidate also extends to the Navajo Nation, which is conducting its presidential election this year. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States, covering portions of three states and a territory the size of West Virginia. .
There are a record 19 candidates running for the presidency of the Navajo Nation, and one of them is Trudie Jackson. She is one of three female candidates that made it onto the primary ballot when nominations closed on May 30.
Now we'll have to watch what happens as we get closer to the August 28 primary election date for the Navajo Nation presidential primary. The top two vote getters choose their vice presidential running mates, and move on to the November 6 general election.
Two Navajo Nation presidential forys have already taken place, with a third happening on July 27
Here's hoping that Trudie continues on the path of making trailblazing history with her people and for our trans community as well.
As some of you are aware of, Danica Roem is taking on incumbent Delegate Bob Marshall (R) in a historic race for the District 13 seat that he's held since 1991 and used to be a relentless legislative oppressor to the Virginia TBLGQ community.
Roem won a four way primary race back in June to become the Democratic Party nominee in this race and earn the shot at taking down one of the TBLGQ community's longtime political enemies.
If she wins, she would not only became the first out trans person elected to a state legislative seat, she would become the first trans person elected to a US state legislature since since Althea Garrison did so in 1990.
Bigot Bob is living up to his name by misgendering Danica, refusing to debate her and being a transphobic idiot on the campaign trail.
Danica fired back with this ad embracing her trans identity that Bigot Bob has been attacking.
Hope you Virginia TransGriot readers who live in District 13 are registered to vote and planning to help Danica make history in a few weeks.
