Andrea Jenkins
By Quita Tinsley • @hello_quita • 7 years ago

Quick Hit: Trans Activist Andrea Jenkins is Running for Minneapolis City Council

Earlier this week, transgender activist Andrea Jenkins announced that she will be running for Minneapolis City Council for Ward 8.

Jenkins is no stranger to politics as she is a former policy aide for current City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden. She is also not the only Black trans person running for city council in Minneapolis, with Phillipe Cunningham running in Ward 4.

Although the number of women of color in the U.S. Senate quadrupled in the most recent election, people of color are still vastly underrepresented among our elected officials. And while the elections of LGBT officials such as Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith or Rep. Park Cannon may seem to represent a growing number of gay, lesbian, and bisexual legislators, the number of trans people in office remains far too low with no trans people at all in federal Congress seats.

As we celebrate announcements such as Jenkins, we must also move our joy to action and support their campaigns to make sure our political bodies reflect the people and needs of our communities. In 2016, there were over 50 legislative bills introduced across 20 states targeting trans people – like HB2 in North Carolina – and with a Trump administration, this number will most likely increase. We need more trans people in elected positions to  lead the fight against transphobic legislation and to influence political landscapes to benefit the lives of trans folks, both locally and federally.

Header image via Renee Jones Schneider

Quita Tinsley is a fat, Black, queer femme that writes, organizes, and overall is working to build sustainable change in the South. She holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Sociology from Georgia State University, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from her alma mater. She is a member on the board of directors of Access Reproductive Care – Southeast, and is a former content creator for the The Body Is Not An Apology. As a femme, feminist, and queer Black woman, it is through her lived experiences and complex identities that Quita has come to believe in the power of storytelling and the validation of lived experiences.

Quita Tinsley is a fat, Black, queer femme that writes, organizes, and overall is working to build sustainable change in the South.

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